Author Topic: single and double strength rennet  (Read 8001 times)

green zebra

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single and double strength rennet
« on: February 20, 2013, 02:47:04 AM »
Hi All,
I have noticed that some recipes ask for a single or double strength coagulant. Does anyone know the difference between the two. Trying to understand the options. In my two years of cheese making i have been dominately using a coagulant 300 IMCU, a Danisco product. Does not say single or double on the label. I could ask my supplier but thought i would try your knowledge first.  ::)
thanks,
Doris

linuxboy

  • Guest
Re: single and double strength rennet
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2013, 02:48:56 AM »
300 IMCU is 1.5 strength. Use floc targets combined with manufacturer guidance for a cheese style and you will know exactly how much to use.

green zebra

  • Guest
Re: single and double strength rennet
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2013, 03:04:02 AM »
Thanks Linuxboy!
So if this is 1.5 strength, could this be a safe proportion to use as opposed to a single or a double?

And too, does anyone know if there is a thread to read about how to reach floc targets. I will also look up the manufacturer's guide.

All this time, until recently, i have only followed recipes as they are read, and not paying attention to floc/pH levels. I am still learning and not confident yet in reaching the goals correctly.

Ciao amigos!

linuxboy

  • Guest
Re: single and double strength rennet
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2013, 03:19:30 AM »
sure, it's safe, just adjust for the strength level.

floc targets generally 10-14 mins for hard cheese. Longer for alpines and granas by a few mins because pH is usually higher at rennet add (lower ph = faster set)

JeffHamm

  • Guest
Re: single and double strength rennet
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2013, 05:59:32 AM »
Hi Green Zebra,

In this post I've included a copy of an excel work book that has a bunch of cheese related tools.  One of them is for figuring out how much rennet to use.  This is calebrated to my experience, so you may end up having to adjust, but basically I found that 0.6 ml of 750 IMCU rennet was the amount that would get me to floc point in the recommended 10-15 minute window.  Then, I bought some 280 IMCU strength rennet (and some 65 IMCU at the grocery store) and basically put this page together to do the translation (it's all just a linear transformation, so fairly straight forward).  I would suggest about 1.2 ml of rennet for 10 litres, but your milk may differ from mine enough that you'll want to adjust.

As linuxboy suggests, use the floc method to dial in how much rennet you should use.  Then, you can change my values in the current strength and volume boxes and put in what you normally use.  If you get a new rennet of a different strength, you can then convert based upon your own experience.  I find this conversion has worked really well for me first try, but again, only my rennet is changing, my milk isn't.

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,8828.0.html

- Jeff

green zebra

  • Guest
Re: single and double strength rennet
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2013, 12:19:10 PM »
thank you Linuxboy and Jeff,

Jeff, very interesting formula...i will give it a try. I feel like i should be wearing a lab coat when making cheese LOL!!

BobE102330

  • Guest
Re: single and double strength rennet
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2013, 04:32:27 PM »
As Pav and Jeff point out, it's a combination of your milk and rennet strength.  A starting point that allows you to leave your lab coat in the closet a bit longer would be to use 2/3 as much in recipes that call for single strength and multiply by 4/3 when the recipe calls for double strength.  That said, you may need to adjust a bit once you have made a few and get a feel for your floc times.  Alp told me that for his varieties they don't worry about floc times, but add enough rennet to get a good set in 30 minutes.  I've found many of Rikki Carrol's recipes get better floc times with half the culture and half the rennet she suggests.

linuxboy

  • Guest
Re: single and double strength rennet
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2013, 05:03:25 PM »
Quote
Alp told me that for his varieties they don't worry about floc times,
This is a great distinction. We worry about rennet amounts for cheese because rennet helps to form flavor and too much or too little will cause flavor imbalances. However, this is not true for high-temp cooked cheese, as the rennet is largely deactivated during cooking, and plasmin is more responsible for protein breakdown. Floc still works for alpines, though. Usually, multiplier is 2x and they floc in 15-17 mins.

BobE102330

  • Guest
Re: single and double strength rennet
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2013, 09:14:41 PM »
Thanks for that bit of clarity, Pav.

green zebra

  • Guest
Re: single and double strength rennet
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2013, 10:28:58 PM »
Thanks everybody! Alot of good info. As you say, have to just keep making cheese to get it right!