LAB problems
Top answer
From the KNF library
Drake says his own LAB batch once turned to yogurt because Bacillus subtilis and other IMOs had grown strong enough to outcompete it. (Office Hours Ep. 15, 55:46) A curd on top can sit for weeks, and the liquid below stays fine. (Office Hours Ep. 41, 1:03:52)
Check the recipe and the timing. The ratio is 10 parts milk to 1 part rice water. (Office Hours Ep. 67, 57:15) Cho says that in 5 to 7 days at 23~25°C the cheese floats and a light yellow serum sits below it. (Cho, Recipe, p. 55) Leave the cheese in place too long and it melts and goes through a secondary reaction. That cannot be used as LAB. (Cho, Recipe, p. 55)
The library's timings differ. One recipe says wait 48 hours or until you see clear separation. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 17) Another says 2~4 days. (Cho's Solutions, p. 19) A batch over a week old is past all of them.
- Smell it.
- Use a new batch with fresh rice water and milk at 10:1. (Office Hours Ep. 67, 57:15)
The library says nothing about pink mold or what a cold house does to a batch.
Sources
- 55:46 Office Hours Ep. 15 (Jan 2022) — Cannabis KNF, IMO4 Winter Storage, FAA Without IMO4 · “Drake says his own LAB batch turned to yogurt because Bacillus subtilis and other IMOs had gotten strong enough to outcompete it.”
- 1:03:52 Office Hours Ep. 41 (Jul 2022) — Disgustingly Cheap JLF & JMS, IMO Tumbler, Charging Biochar · “a curd on top can sit for weeks and the liquid below stays fine”
- 57:15 Office Hours Ep. 67 (Mar 2023) — Mosaic Virus, Banana Bunchy Top, and Making Lactic Acid Bacteria · “mix the liquid with milk at a 10:1 ratio, then once curds and whey separate, keep the whey”
- p. 17 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “Wait for 48 hours or until you see clear separation”
- p. 55 Cho, Recipe · “In 5~7 days at 23~25°C, starch, protein. and fat float on the surface (called cheese) and light yellow liquid (LAB serum) remains below the cheese.”
- p. 19 Cho's Solutions · “Allow to ferment 2~4 days”
1 more answer
Also discussed on Office Hours
Know the answer? Members answer, ask, and get their questions onto the Sunday show.
Sign in Become a member