Queso para Freír — uncooked curd

Fresh rennet-set frying cheese; longer-drained, uncooked curd. 10 L milk. Shared calculations and pH notes.

Milk: 10 L milk
Make: 6–8 h + cold rest
Salt at: choose 2%curd dry salt or brine
Affinage: 12–24 h, 4 °C

Ingredients

Already-pasteurised whole cow milkNot UHT: 10 L
Calcium chloride, 30%Dilute separately: 1.11–1.48 mL
Mesophilic starter, optionalScaled 1/8 tsp×10/13.5; cultured branch selected, check actual product: 0.0926 tsp
Liquid rennet, assumed 200 IMCU/mLSource single strength assumed 200; diluted in 22–37 mL cool non-chlorinated water: 0.593 mL
Cheese saltDry-salt option, not in addition to brine: 20 g/kg curd
Alternative brine1–2 h at 10–15 °C instead of dry salt: 15–20% NaCl

Stage	Time	°C	pH	Do	Notes
Milk
Pasteurise				Skip for this cheese	Use already-pasteurised milk; this heating stage is skipped.
Culture	heat to 32 °C; mix	32	≈6.6predicted, milk	Warm milk with diluted calcium chloride; add optional low-dose mesophilic starter.	Source heating from 4 °C≈20 min precedes inoculation; mixing 2 min estimate.
Ripen	30–45 min	32	≈6.6predicted, curd	Ripen at 32 °C if using starter.	Omit this hold if no starter.
Raise to rennet temperature	5–10 min	32→38	≈6.6predicted, curd	Warm gently while stirring.
Rennet	30–60 min	38	≈6.3predicted, curd	Add diluted rennet; stir 10 s, stop movement; hold undisturbed until clean break.
Curd
Cut and rest	10–20 min rest	38	≈6.3predicted, curd	Cut into 1–2 cm cubes. Rest to release whey.
Stir	2–5 min, optional	38	≈6.2predicted, curd	Stir gently only as needed to separate pieces.	Optional short stir; do not shatter curd.
Scald				Skip for this cheese
Pitch				Skip for this cheese
Shape
Drain and form	3–4 h	38→room	≈6.1predicted, curd	Drain in a cloth, then form a block.	Representative cooling temperature is an assumed model average.
Press	1–2 h, optional	room	≈6.1predicted, curd	Press lightly to shape and firm the block.	No source load specified; optional duration midpoint used for model.
Salt	until distributed	room	≈6.1predicted, curd	Mix or rub 20 g salt/kg actual curd. Alternatively brine 15–20% for 1–2 h at 10–15 °C, turning halfway.	Choose one salting method.
Mill				Skip for this cheese
Cave
Affinage	12–24 h	4	≈6.1make-end baseline; recheck during aging	Seal and refrigerate to firm. Store airtight or in light brine; fry slices in a hot pan until golden.	No cave maturation; source storage up to 1 week at 4 °C.

Source and cheese-specific notes

Queso_Para_Freir.docx

Recipe scaled from 13.5 L to 10 L. Source single-strength rennet is assumed 200 IMCU/mL; use label activity if different.

Low-dose cultured branch is shown. If omitting optional starter, do not use a fermentation prediction; measure milk/curd pH and keep the warm process brief.

Source salt 25–30 g is approximate; use specified 2%actual curd weight for dry-salt branch.

Source optional 1–2 h press load is unspecified; shape gently without claiming a numeric load.

Source refrigerator storage up to 1 week at 4 °C is retained as a maximum source recommendation, not a validated shelf life.

Source accidentally repeats cut/rest/stir/drain/press sequence verbatim; repeated duplicate block removed. This is one make, not two sequential curd cuts.

No pH target is supplied in this source version. A high-pH frying-cheese forecast is provisional; fermentation forecasts stop after chilling.

≈ marks an illustrative prediction. Source targets and recorded readings are labelled separately; recorded readings are historical context, not targets for a new batch. Use a calibrated meter and the correct sample medium. Read the shared method and assumptions.