Author Topic: Rennet, Double Strength - Dosage Rate For Rennet Coagulated Cheese  (Read 5383 times)

mgable

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Rennet, Double Strength - Dosage Rate For Rennet Coagulated Cheese
« on: September 12, 2009, 11:08:55 AM »
I have some R6 vegetable rennet that is double strength the directions on the bottle read : use half as much as recipe calls for. Amount used will very on the conditions of the milk, season and type of cheese.Dilute rennet with 20x's its own volume of cool, potable water. stir for 2 minutes.In hard cheese app.1/2 tsp.is used for 2 gallons of milk. But the web site says this.This is a Double Strength rennet that contains no animals products. GMO and Gluten FREE.

INGREDIENTS: Enzyme produced by pure fermentation of Mucor Meihei in salt brine, less than 5% propylene glycol, less than 2% sodium propionate.

YIELD: 1/4tsp will set 2 gallons of milk in 45 minutes. Each 2oz. bottle contains 12 teaspoons which is enough to set 96 gallons of milk.

DIRECTIONS: This rennet is DOUBLE STRENGTH. Use half as much as recipe calls for.
Dilute required amount of rennet in 20 times its volume of cool, potable water. Add immediately into milk and stir for 2 minutes to thoroughly distribute.
 So my Question is? Do I use 1/2 tsp. or 1/4 tsp. I made a Havarti Last weekend and used 1/2 tsp. was that too much and will my cheese turn out bitter?
I used raw milk and it set up about 15 minutes earlier than the recipe called for.

Cheese Head

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Re: Rennet, Double Strength - Dosage Rate For Rennet Coagulated Cheese
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2009, 05:14:39 PM »
mgable, there are many variables in the amount of rennet to use, me, if it's a cut curd type cheese, I always go with the manufacturers dosage recommendations and if too quick a set then on next cut curd type batch, cut back on amount used. Who knows what concentration/type of rennet a recipe calls for.

So my understanding is the bottle says 1/2 teaspoon for 2 presumably US gallons but the website says use 1/4 teaspoon for 2 US gallons? Your first use on the Havarti, gives a clue, I'd cut back from the 1/2 teaspoon in 2 US gallons you used. Also, you could check the manufacturer's website product's info sheet.

On bitterness, from my readings, excess rennet can cause bitterness in cheese not from the flavour of rennet but by creating excessive proteolysis: "Protein in cheese is broken down from casein to low molecular peptides and amino acids by various kinds of proteolytic enzymes". OK, I know, that doesn't help very much.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Rennet, Double Strength - Dosage Rate For Rennet Coagulated Cheese
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2009, 03:18:52 AM »
The tricky part is most recipes just say rennet or calves rennet etc. As John mentioned go with the bottle recommendations and that will tell you. I find the veggie rennet even the double strength not as strong as animal rennet.

wharris

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Re: Rennet, Double Strength - Dosage Rate For Rennet Coagulated Cheese
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2009, 07:02:07 PM »
In prep for my parm marathon, I am looking hard at various recipe details.
Rennet is one of those details.  I know this is normally an easy thing, but I found some errors in my recipes.

I just bought a pint of single strength veal rennet.


In running through my previous rennet usage amounts vs the manufacturers recommendations,  it turns out I have been using too much.
The correct rate is 90ml per 1000lbs of milk, dilluted by 40times its volume in non-chlorinated water.

I made a quick spreadsheet to calculate my correct usage.