Kitchen laboratory: Proteins and Cheese making

Step 12 Whey proteins

This is optional, your cheese is done, just remember we are making a kitchen laboratory, so as scientists we need to have a little curiosity and always ask what happen if...?

Remember we told milk proteins are 80% casein and 20% whey proteins? In fact, whey is very nutritious and is rich in proteins (these proteins were not affected by rennin which is a specific enzyme for casein, remember, enzymes are very specific catalysts) and vitamins (is greenish-yellow tint is because of the rivoflavin it contains)

Well, these proteins still soluble in the whey so we can try to denaturate it and try to make a kind of ricotta cheese (I say try because I didn't got ricotta but an acid, creamy, soft and spread able cheese-like curd.

First we are going to acidify the whey using the white vinegar, add two or three spoons of vinegar (about 30 -50 mL) to the whey. Then warm it and stir it gentle until temperature is near boiling (92 -95C it depends of your location) Foam will build up and if it boils, it can boil over, so be careful at this point Stop warming and let it cool until it reaches room temperature.

The curds should look like clouds in the bottom and whey now is clear.