MSO - starter culture (bacteria)

MSO – mesophilic starter culture for cheese

Making your own cheese with a well-developed flavour and aroma begins with the right culture. MSO from the Cheese-Tek MS series is a blend of mesophilic bacteria for direct inoculation of milk. For semi-hard, hard and soft cheeses, including twaróg, Quark, Manchego and Edam.

From twaróg to ripened cheeses

In twaróg and Quark, acidification and whey separation help achieve the intended moisture and consistency. In ripened cheeses such as Manchego and Edam, product character also develops during curd processing, moulding, salting and ripening.

MSO does not produce gas. Consider this when selecting a culture for cheese where gas production by the starter is not intended. Match doses, temperatures and times to the recipe for the specific product.

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

• Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
• Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris

Culture characteristics

• Optimum growth temperature: 30–35°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.