Help with shredding my own cheese please.

[pie_bar_guy]

I just started shredding my own cheese. I used to use 100% grande wm mozz pre-shred bags and now shred their 100% wm bricks myself. After two batches I find two things…the cheese is a little finer than the pre shredded from Grande and my shred seems to clump together more (a little stickier).

I’m using a 3/16" disc and tried mixing in a little flour to help but it still seems to clump.

What do you do…do you use a 3/16" disc and do you add any “anti-caking” agents to the cheese after you shred it?

Any tips?

Thanks in advance!

 

[bodegahwy]

We put about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of flour in 20 lbs, but we are using a VCM and basically dicing or chopping the cheese rather than shredding it. I find it easier to handle by far.

 

[dipaulos_pizza]

Hi pie bar,
Its been about 25 years since we shreded our own cheese. I used to use a non caking agent. I’m sorry I don’t remember what it was.My memory is not what it once was. You can ask your distributor they should have something. I’m just curious why you shred? Do you figure you save $ by doing that? In our area block is about 10 to 15 cents a pound cheaper and I think labor would eat that savings up in no time.

 

[Pakula_s_Pizza]

Labor does absolutely not Make up for it. Pretty simple math. if your going through 8 cases of cheese a week it takes a total 1 hour tops to grind that. you can either pay 7$ for that hour for someone to grind it or you can pay 60$ for someone else to grind it. As far as stickyness goes, From a huge grande supporter. We use the Whole Milk loaf. Grind about two cases at a time.Not sure how your storing it. The top layer in the bin usually breaks right away, we transfer it into a container on our prep table (refridgerated). whoever does the transfer breaks it up as you fill it. On busier days we keep 3 or 4 broken up ready to go. Grande diced is a phonomenal consistent product but i’d rather have my 3120.00 per year.

 

[pizza2007]

I agree.

We just switched to shredding our own this week. My #s reveal that we could have saved more than $5K this year alone.

 

[pizzasource]

What is the expected savings per pound on block vs. shredded?

 

[ADpizzaguy]

Diced cheese is way easier to work with in my opinion. I don’t think that in the long run when you look at labor vs a few cents extra per pound for shredded or diced, the savings really add up. and btw, adding flour to the cheese won’t do anything, as you discovered but throw the taste off. I will say though the taste of cheese shredded in shop is better than that cheese that comes shredded.