cheese that melts

[lassemista]

Sorry if this has already been covered, but can anyone tell me or refer me to a thread that tells me - what makes a cheese melt or not? I tried one of mine yesterday that looked and smelt like parmesan, but didn't melt. I haven't tried to see if it will dissolve in a sauce, but I suspect not.
Thanks
Andrea.

[BlueCheese]

Having the right PH will do that. If u dont have a PH meter then its hit and miss, usualy home made is too acid and will become cumbly. However bloomed cheese thrive on acid and mine have always melted.

[lassemista]

So to get them less acid should I use less starter, or is there some other technique I could try?
I have a pH meter but have never found it very good. It doesn't seem to change much. But what pH should I be looking for?
Andrea.

[BlueCheese]

Less starter is what some people say, however i would say its when the curds are cut early enough to stop the acid formation, so check them every 15min.
PH meter has to be kept moist, if u dont have a neutral solution (PH 4,7) then its probably out. I just bought one myself but have not used it yet, waiting for the summer heat to be over.
Depending on the cheese the PH will be dif, best do a search for that or get some detailed books.

[lassemista]

Thanks - I will try cutting the curd earlier - my cheesemaking tends to be rather haphazard
Andrea