Coagulation, Rennet - 3 Minutes, Excess Rennet

[HOPOIL]

HI
Last night I was using a Ricki Carrol recipe for Brick cheese (useing whole cow milk) and I was rather surprised to see how quickly my milk reached the curdling point. Only about 3 minutes after adding a little more than Half-tab of veg. rennet to my 1 gal. mix. 

I had just learned from this site about the way to check for curdling point.
I waited about 15 minutes before cutting the curd, and it cut well.
Since this is my first Brick cheese after only 2 months of interest in cheesemaking, I thought I'd better ask you what you think.

My temperature was about 90F and I had put in both Flora Danica and B. linens for about 20 minutes.
thanks
"hoppy"

[MarkShelton]

Wow thats fast! Maybe a little too fast. If you're using the same rennet as me (they say FROMASE 50 on the back) then 1/4 tab is good for up to 4 gal, and I might break it in half again if I were making just a single gallon. I don't think that there is a problem with a curd setting fast, but using too much rennet will make a cheese bitter. I'd cut down on the rennet on the next batch and shoot for a flocculation time in the range of 10 - 15 min

[MarkShelton]

BTW, Welcome to the forum! You've come to the right place for answers, advice, information, encouragement... the list goes on 

[Cheese Head]

Hi hoppy, welcome to the forum, that is too fast. Rennet coagulation time is a function of several parameters, one being the acidity of the milk.

It sounds like this coagulation time was faster than normal for you. During the 20 min between adding your Flora Danica starter culture and rennet the pH would have started to drop as the starter cultures started making lactic acid, this would enable a faster set of the milk. On your previous other cheeses, did you also have this "pre-ripening" time? If so then maybe it was a different batch of milk, or how you applied the rennet.

Several methods to check when to cut the curd here.

[HOPOIL]

I've only made a dozen or so cheeses thus far, but I do remember one other time when I stirred the dissolved rennet into the milk I was seeing clots while I was stirring. Can't tell you about the outcome on that one though, I wasn't really taking notes on it all. It got eaten fresh I think.

I had also added some Lipase powder into this milk, could that have lowered the pH?

 The Lipase and CaCl2 were in the milk for about 10 minutes before the cultures got tossed in. Then add 20 minutes before rennet, and three minutes to curdling point.

great website here!
'hoppy'

[DeejayDebi]

Sounds like you rennet isn't be dissolved enough if you are getting instant clots.

[Cheese Head]

My understanding is that lipase does not lower pH and thus should not have hastened the coagulation, but starter culture will lower the pH which helps coagulation. That said 20 min between cultures and rennet for pre-ripening is normal.

Maybe too much rennet, or as Debi says, not diluted enough?

I once stirred renneted milk after coagulation had begun, got very grainy curds.