Professional, I’m having difficulty in stretching my curd for mozzarella. Its not stretching, please guide me

1. 6/13/2021 Mozzarella cheese making - Dairy - FSTDESK
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Mozzarella cheese making
mozzarella
iyanuakande
(Iyanuakande)
#1 June 9, 2021, 7:15pm
Professional, I’m having difficulty in stretching my curd for mozzarella. Its not stretching, please
guide me
Roy
( Food R&D Emeritus )
#2 June 9, 2021, 10:24pm
Technically, casein protein to uncoil and form.strands it needs heat treatment preferably in
ionized water( salt solution).
So mozzarella once the protein strands are established,they can be worked out,(kneaded and
pulled) like some machinery that makes mozzarella cheese .
iyanuakande
(Iyanuakande)
#3 June 9, 2021, 10:28pm
Thanks Roy for your contribution… I actually did that ionised whey water at about 87°c
temperature for few minutes… but yet not stretching
Roy
( Food R&D Emeritus )
#4 June 9, 2021, 10:38pm
Its supposed to be kneaded after soaking in hot salt solution. Just like bread dough, once
hydrated it needs to be kneaded to make it elastic …
iyanuakande
(Iyanuakande)
#5 June 9, 2021, 10:42pm
Ok… I’ll try to simulate a kneader
Roy
( Food R&D Emeritus )
#6 June 9, 2021, 10:45pm
Do it while warm and the casein protein are still technically are in strands…
PEICAN
(Michael Bryanton)
#7 June 10, 2021, 12:24pm

2. 6/13/2021 Mozzarella cheese making - Dairy - FSTDESK
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Have you checked the pH?
iyanuakande
(Iyanuakande)
#8 June 10, 2021, 9:40pm
The pH was 4.53
PEICAN
(Michael Bryanton)
#9 June 10, 2021, 11:05pm
Could be too low.
5.2-5.4 would be optimal for stretching.
1 Like
Roy
( Food R&D Emeritus )
#10 June 11, 2021, 6:26am
Yes ,pH can be a factor. Thats why its usually heat treated in a salt solution, prior to kneading
and stretching…
1 Like
iyanuakande
(Iyanuakande)
#11 June 11, 2021, 5:22pm
Thanks Peican & Roy, I have retried it today… I was able to achieve a pH of 5.44… However it still
not stretching, I guess it could be the quality of the milk probably in terms of its proximate
composition… may be or not…
Apart from the basic milk analysis, could you suggest parameter(s) to check to ascertain the
quality of milk for cheese curd(mozarella)
PEICAN
(Michael Bryanton)
#12 June 11, 2021, 5:42pm
Other things to look for are milk fat content (I like 3% or more).
You cannot use UHT milk.
If your milk is pasteurized there should be calcium chloride in your formulation, added before
your rennet.
1 Like
Noah
(Aderounmu Noah)
#13 June 11, 2021, 6:25pm

3. 6/13/2021 Mozzarella cheese making - Dairy - FSTDESK
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I thought low calcium is known to enhance stretching . Why the need to add calcium chloride
again?
iyanuakande
(Iyanuakande)
#14 June 11, 2021, 7:03pm
Yes Peican, I am using Pasteurised milk, but I felt using calcium chloride might affect the strands
since I use citric acid
PEICAN
(Michael Bryanton)
#15 June 11, 2021, 7:58pm
I would leave out the citric acid and add calcium chloride. The calcium chloride will make for a
strong curd in pasteurized milk. I wouldn’t use citric acid in a stretchy cheese. Good for
something like ricotta or paneer but not for mozzarella.
1 Like
PEICAN
(Michael Bryanton)
#16 June 11, 2021, 8:06pm
It’s my understanding that lowering calcium will enhance melting properties and will speed
“aging” in mozzarella style cheese but adding calcium chloride will improve your stretching.
That has been my experience at least.
Some calcium is necessary for cheesemaking and pasteurization renders calcium unavailable for
curd formation.
2 Likes
Noah
(Aderounmu Noah)
#17 June 12, 2021, 8:35pm
Thanks very much Pelican. At what stage specifically would you then advice the calcium chloride
to be added? Shortly after when culture is added and just prior to curd formation??