Storing Meso Culture by Danisco...

[Baby Chee]

I just noticed on the packet that my MM4001 says-- REFRIDGERATE

Do any of you refrigerate these cultures?  I didn't even notice that warning before.  Should I be refrigerating all my cultures??

[Sailor Con Queso]

Definitely freeze.

[Cheese Head]

Ditto, I freeze mine (except liquid rennet). See this same topic thread.

[Cheese Head]

Baby Chee, sorry, I was a bit fast with that response.

Not storing cultures, lipases, rennet etc in the fridge or if freeze dried powders, in the freezer, is a reasonable mistake when first starting out, I've made way more/worse ;D.

So since you ordered, how long has it (they?) been sitting at room temperature and what is your room temperature?

They are shipped without refrigeration, so they don't have non-refrigerated "half life" of days, that said, more experienced people than me should be able to tell how degraded they are and how much extra you should add to compensate.

[Baby Chee]

All my early cultures were shipped and used within a week without refrigeration.

My latest arrived from thecheesemaker.com 2 days ago and went into the fridge today in early morning hours when I read the packet.  I'll slip them to the freezer now.  The rennet is still in room temp--tablets.

Today, the last of the older stuff, was a little weaker on break, but nothing bad.  It made a good cheese.

[DeejayDebi]

I keep my cultures in the back of the fridge but lipase in the freezer. Liquid rennet I keep in the fridge also.

[Cheese Head]

Baby Chee, sounds good no worries!

My 2 cents, next time when ordering supplies, I'd go for liquid rennet, you can control the amount more accurately and there are many posts in this forum on success and failure using tablet style rennet.