Calling all Australians

[margaretsmall]

Have emailed them today.
Margaret

[Gürkan Yeniçeri]

Hello Australian Cheesemakers,

Here is the e-mail reply from Barry

Gurkan

We can supply you rennet (all types ) at any volume you require

Let me know what and how much you want

Regards

Barry Lillywhite

Wagga Wagga Cheese Company
181 Cowabbie St
Coolamon, 2701
ph 02 69332170 (wk)
mob  0406386665
fax 02 69334429
e-mail  cheese AT csu DOT edu DOT au
web  www.csu.edu.au/cheese

I am thinking like 50ml or 100ml little bottles would do for each of us. The rennet we would get is double strength calf rennet. Specs are attached.

SO GIVE HIM A CALL WHEN YOU CAN...

[Wagga Wagga Cheese Compan]

Hi,

This is Hannah Lillywhite from the Wagga Wagga Cheese Company.
I just thought i would let all you keen home cheesemakers know that we are currently working to build a Wagga Wagga Cheese Company website on which you will be able to purchase home cheese making kits and refill kits of all your required rennets, cultures and other enzymes in quantities made up just for the home cheesemaker.
Until then you can contact us directly for anything you need.
Also we still have a few places available on our November Cheesemaking Workshop so if you would like to be involved you'll have to be fast!

Phone- 02 69332170; 0424220196
Email- cheese@csu.edu.au

[boothrf]

Thanks Hannah. Thats great news for all of us home cheesemakers!    Can you please advise us on this site when the website is up and running?

I also have a general question re rennet.  Everyone seems keen to get hold of calf rennet, so I presume it has some advantages over the vegetarian rennet I currently use?? Can someone explain these advantages please?

[Gürkan Yeniçeri]

AWESOME... Thanks Hannah.

[silverjam]

Thanks Gurkan for contacting the WWCC, but thanks in particular to WWCC and staff for assisting all us traditionalists.

Bob, re your question... Calf rennet is more powerful (i.e. economical) than non-animal rennet. Although that would probably depend on the strength and supply/demand of the product (this is an argument I have seen in Europe). I am guessing the economical aspect will not be of use here due to the serious lack of supply versus high demand in our current situation. While it can be used in place of vegetable rennet for all cheeses, it is more at home in long ageing cheeses like a classic vintage cheddar style cheese. It ages far better. I have heard that veg rennet can produce a sour taste in the cheese if it is aged too long, where as traditional animal rennet does not. I am sure one of our 'mature cheeses' in the forum can elaborate from experience on this aspect of calf rennet better than I can. Gurkan? Comments? Veg/microbial rennet is used a lot (if not solely) these days to keep vegetarians happy. Sounds obvious that cheese is vegetarian (ova-lacto vegetarian - not vegan), but it is not strictly vego when calf rennet is used (even though it is just a drop or two). Anyway, those are my thoughts. I simply want to use calf rennet from a traditionalist point of view. There is probably less calf rennet in cheese than there is human DNA/hair/skin cells in vegetarian products that are hand made. Sorry... I am not anti-vegetarian - I am just not vegetarian.

Silverjam

[margaretsmall]

I emailed cheeselinks yesterday and received their reply today as follows:

"We sell Calf Rennet in 125g bottle and they are $30.00.They are not on the web page as there are times when we don’t have it in stock.We do at the moment."

So its good to know there are 2 suppliers.

Margaret

[boothrf]

Thanks silverjam.    From your comments it appears that following traditional methods is probably the main reason, so thanks for the details. I also have read that veg rennet can lead to sour flavours in cheese aged for a long time.  I suspect veg rennet is also cheaper than calf rennet and this, combined with it's acceptance by vegetarians would lead to its common use in commercial cheesemaking operations. I wonder if it has a longer shelf life or performs more reliably as well?

I see Cheeselinks have some in stock at the moment in 125g bottles so give it a try.

[Gürkan Yeniçeri]

Yes Silverjam is right. It all comes down to longer aging process for some cheeses and the final flavour profile. Also I am a traditionalist and want to use the real thing rather than some genetically modified bacteria and mold producing synthetic version of chymosin enzyme.

From wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennet

The flavor and taste of cheeses produced with microbial rennets tend towards some bitterness, especially after longer maturation periods.[3] These so-called "microbial rennets" are suitable for vegetarians, provided no animal-based alimentation was used during the production.