# Cheese starter vs starter culture?



## chueh (May 12, 2020)

I have been using mesophilic culture to make my goat cheese in room temperature without any problems.

Then, I watched this video about making a starter culture to be added to the raw milk.  The hostess said that people often skip this step (well, i am one of them), but the bacteria in the raw milk would overpower the mesophilic culture that the milk isn't going to be cultured.  

OK,  I know what she was saying about the bacteria in raw milk more powerful than mesophilic culture, but I DON"T understand why you have to culture for something already has cultures in it????

Also, I have found that most people who make their own soft cheeses still COOK their milk before adding mesophilic cultures.  Yes, they are using mesophilic culture, instead of thermophilic with higher heat.  From what I understood, mesophilic culture can be used with room temperature, which what I have been doing, and it's fine.  So why are people use MESOPHILIC cultures with COOKED milk with higher temperature around 180 degree??

Thanks for your replies in advance


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