Ragusano-style

Mixed-starter, twice-cooked pasta filata with long slab maturation. 10 L milk. Shared calculations and pH notes.

Milk: 10 L milk
Make: 1–2 days,pH-led
Salt at: after pressing
Affinage: 3–12 months,14–16°C

Ingredients

Whole milkAlready pasteurised, not UHT: 10 L
Calcium chloride solution: 3 mL
Thermo TypeB(ST+LB)DVISource 1/3 tspper 26 L;TA61alternative: 0.128 tsp
MA11 mesophilic DVISource 1/8 tspper 26 L: 0.0481 tsp
Lamb lipaseExplicit 1.5gper 26 L; stated 0.06 g/Lwould give 0.6 g: 0.577 g
Liquid rennet,200 IMCU/mL45 IMCU/L: 2.25 mL
First-cook water,80°CExplicit 2.5Lper 26 L scaled: 0.962 L
Scotta or water,80°CBath target 48–50°C: enough to cover slabs
Stretching water,80°C: enough to work curd
Saturated brine12–14°C: enough to immerse
Olive oil + a little vinegarOptional for long age: for rind capping

Stage	Time	°C	pH	Do	Notes
Milk
Pasteurise				Skip for this cheese	Use already-pasteurised milk; this heating stage is skipped.
Culture	10 min	34	6.6source target, milk	Warm 34°C. Add calcium chloride and lipase; sprinkle cultures, rehydrate 2–5 min and stir. Hold 10 min; no long pre-ripen.
Ripen				Skip for this cheese
Rennet	45–60 min	34	6.5source target, curd	Add diluted rennet; stir 1 min and still. Cut at clean break, floc×3–3.5.	Source traditional lamb-paste set 60–80 min;45–60 min applies to specified liquid rennet.
Curd
Cut and rest	5 min stir	34	≈6.5predicted, curd	Cut to rice grain(~3 mm); stir 5 min without heat.
Scald	add slowly	38	≈6.5predicted, curd	Pour 0.962L80°C water slowly while stirring, aiming vat~38°C.	Source says traditional 8 L/100 L, while explicit 2.5 L/26 L≈9.6%; use temperature as control.
Pitch	2 h	37	≈5.7predicted, curd	Settle under whey, insulated at 36–38°C.	No source pH at this point; log measured value.
Second cook	about 105 min	47	5.5source target, curd	Draw whey; prepare scotta if desired. Slice curd into thick slabs and cover with 80°C scotta/water to establish 48–50°C bath; lid and insulate, letting fall toward 45°C.	Source suggests longer hold if above 5.7; use measured curd pH and actual curd temperature.
Stir				Skip for this cheese
Shape
Mature slabs	20–48 h,pH-led	20	5.25source target, curd; act on measurement	Drain slabs, stack in draining box at 18–22°C; wait for stretch window.	20 h chosen as lower source schedule for modelling; source alternative 48 h. Do not treat time as assurance. Source curd stretch gate 5.2–5.3.
Stretch	test then work	49	≈5.2Pre-heat baseline; recheck	Test 1 cm slice in 80°C water: glossy ribbons within 1–2 min. Slice remaining curd 1 cm, cover 80°C water and work smooth.	Finished curd~49°C. Source serum proxy 5.35–5.45is not a universal offset from curd.
Drain and form	turn every 2 h on day 1	22	≈5.2Pre-heat baseline; recheck	Push seams to one pole and cut off knot; form into square channel. Turn about every 2 h on first day.	Source 9×9×30 cm channel was for 26 L; choose smaller form to suit actual yield and assess brining for dimensions.
Salt	source 24 h;adjust geometry	13	≈5.2Pre-heat baseline; recheck	Immerse in saturated brine 12–14°C and turn halfway; pat dry.	24 h source time applies 26Lmake form; calculate appropriate smaller-wheel time from actual dimensions rather than scale milk volume.
Mill				Skip for this cheese
Press				Skip for this cheese
Cave
Affinage	24–48 h dry;3–12 months age	15	≈5.2Pre-heat baseline; recheck	Dry 24–48 h; hang on rope sling. Age 14–16°C,80–90%RH; turn minimally. Oil-cap for long ageing.	Ready 3 months minimum;6–12 months for piquancy.

Source and cheese-specific notes

International Cheese Regulars Recipes.txt — Ragusano-style

This is a style adaptation, not a claim of PDO compliance. Source mixed reports give stretch pH5.0–5.2and 5.25; selected measured-curd gate 5.2–5.3 plus successful stretch test.

Heating water temperature and cheese-core temperature differ. At the second cook and stretch, microbial-rate models cannot simply use 80°C water temperature.

Original 24 h brine and channel dimensions relate to 26L make. A 10L wheel needs its own geometry-dependent brine duration; source does not provide a validated conversion.

≈ 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.