Chedder still very bitter. WHY?

[rsandler00]

Hey guys,

In my last post (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13063.msg100964.html#msg100964), I complained about having very bitter chedder. I thought the source was either (1) using too much rennet (2) using non-cheese wax.

I again made chedder, this time using 2 gallons milk and only 1/2 teaspoon of this rennet: (ChyMax Extra) Liquid Rennet (from: http://www.thecheesemaker.com/products/Chymosin-%28ChyMax-Extra%29-Liquid-Rennet.html). However, once again the chedder was very bitter....

I am trying to figure out why. My hypotheses are:
1) I am still using too much rennet. How much Chymax Extra should I use on 2gallons of milk?
2) This rennet is not good. Should I try with tablets next time?
3) My microbial culture is bad. No reason to suspect this other than by process of elimination....

What do you guys think?

Thanks
Roman

[Spoons]

Hi Roman,

ChyMax is a very good rennet brand. Stick with it! You were only supposed to use 1/4 tsp though. So still to much rennet. Don't switch to tablets, you'll get the hang of it. It's still most likely the problem, but it can also be too much moisture or inadequate amount of salt.

Remember to always use to amount of rennet recommended on the bottle, not the recipe.

[jwalker]

You didn't say how long you aged it.

I have had Cheddar that was very bitter at a few months , and found after some more aging it was fine.

So it could just be too young as well.

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

Yes, according to the link the manufacturer says 1/4 tsp for 2 gallons, so you've used twice the amount of rennet required.  Search the board for the floc method, and use that, combined with good notes, to dial in your rennet amount, starting with 1/4 tsp for 2 gallons.  I've found that the best amount for me is usually a bit less than that manufacturer recommends, but the amount will vary a bit depending upon temperature, ripening time, cultures used, etc as rennet action varies with temperature and acidity.  So, when you are comparing notes, just use notes that correspond to the cheese you are making.