M - starter culture (bacteria)

M – thermophilic starter culture for cheese

Choosing the right culture is one of the basic steps towards cheese with the intended character. M from the Cheese-Tek SL series is a thermophilic culture for direct milk inoculation.

For stretched-curd and fresh cheeses, including cow-milk mozzarella, oscypek, caciotta and scamorza.

From fermentation to shaping the cheese mass

In mozzarella and scamorza, appropriate acidity of the mass before plasticising and stretching is important. The culture participates in fermentation, but subsequent stages also depend on curd processing, drainage and the timing of shaping.

M contains one bacterial species listed in its composition. It does not produce gas. Oscypek, caciotta and mozzarella require separate recipes — match the dose, temperatures and times to the intended process.

Freeze-dried culture for direct use

The preparation is a dry, freeze-dried powder. The culture is added directly to milk, making it convenient for both small batches of cheese and larger-scale production.

The smaller pack is a screw-top vial. It allows the required dose to be dispensed and the container closed again. Maintain hygiene when measuring and protect the contents from moisture.

Available packs

• 10 g vial — for 100 litres of milk.
• 100 g sachet — for 1000 litres of milk.

Choose the variant to suit the planned volume of milk.

Composition

• Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus

Culture characteristics

• Optimum growth temperature: 37–40°C
• Gas production: −
• Proteolytic activity: ++
• Fermenting activity: +++
• Salt tolerance at 50% inhibition of activity: 2% NaCl

The optimum growth temperature describes conditions for culture growth — temperatures throughout the production process must follow the recipe.

Storage and transport

After measuring a portion, close the pack tightly and protect the contents from moisture. The culture withstands higher temperatures during transport.