I always poured lemon juice into hot milk without knowing why it worked: a cheesemaker showed me what actually happens to the casein at 85°C
You’ve squeezed lemon juice into hot milk countless times, but what’s actually happening at 85°C? A cheesemaker reveals the hidden electrical charges, protein reactions, and precise temperature thresholds that transform liquid milk into curds—and why this isn’t magic, it’s textbook chemistry.