Rennet - Distributing To Course Students

[steffb503]

How stable is a rennet and water mixture?
I am wanting to do some cheese making classes and I am trying to figure out how to send the students home with everything they need to make an other batch. I know I can use dry rennet but I have only seen calf rennet in dry form. So I thought I could measure out enough rennet for 1 gallon add it to 1/4 cup water and give it to them in a plastic vial that they could keep in their fridge till ready.
Any other ideas welcome.

[Cheese Head]

Morning steffb503, great on teaching classes!

What am I missing here, all the animal based rennet I've seen is sold in aqueos form . . . so I don't see a problem.

Some recommendations on aqueos animal based rennet storage conditions here.

[Boofer]

Steff, perhaps give them a dose (1/8 - 1/16 tsp) of dry calf rennet to take home in that dry vial so that they could mix it up fresh with cold water at the point they would add it to the milk. Otherwise, the rennet loses its potency if mixed beforehand.

An alternative would be to issue mucor rennet tablets. These would then be prepared in the same fashion as the dry calf rennet.

Morning steffb503, great on teaching classes!

What am I missing here, all the animal based rennet I've seen is sold in aqueos form . . . so I don't see a problem.

Some recommendations on aqueos animal based rennet storage conditions here.

John,
I use dry calf rennet and it works well for me. I don't make cheese very frequently so I don't want to have liquid rennet hanging around, possibly going bad.

-Boofer-

[steffb503]

Yes i guess the tablet will work.
Thanks

[Sailor Con Queso]

Tablets are inaccurate and impossible to measure correctly. IMHO they are not something appropriate for students. Teach them to do things right. I buy gallons of rennet and then divide it into smaller dropper bottles.

[steffb503]

My concern is giving them the right amount of liquid rennet for 1 or 2 gallons. That is a small amount and will just be a drop in a plastic vial. If i dilute in the proper amount of water will it be stable until they make another batch?
I do prefer to give them liquid rennet and I prefer to use vegetable rennet.

[MrsKK]

No, it probably won't stay viable for them to use at home.  In my experience, many of my students wait at least a couple of weeks before venturing into cheesemaking solo - then they call to ask if the yogurt starter I sent with them will work still.

Also, if they are going to be buying past/homogenized milk, veggie rennet may not work for them, setting them up for failure.  I tried vegetable rennet with about 6 different locally available p/h milks and never got it to set up.

[Boofer]

Okay, I will consider my hand has been slapped for suggesting rennet tablets.  :'(

I have moved on to dry calf rennet and forsaken the mucor Marschall tablets. I did start out with Leener's cheesemaking kit which had those. I never had a problem coagulating milk with them. My chief concern was that bitterness could be factor in their use. It seemed like an inexpensive and convenient way to at least get new students immersed in the process.

But wait...there's more!

I know I risk having my hand slapped again...I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.  ;)  How about getting some tiny ziplock bags, like those used for small electronics parts, and place a 1/16 tsp dose of dry calf rennet for each student? If you had a vacuum sealer you could create a lot of individually-portioned bags.

-Boofer-

[steffb503]

It is the calf rennet that I am opposed to. Most of my customers and most likely students are vegetarians.
As for the milk I am hoping they buy my raw goat milk.

[Boofer]

It is the calf rennet that I am opposed to. Most of my customers and most likely students are vegetarians.
As for the milk I am hoping they buy my raw goat milk.

Okay, you didn't mention an aversion to calf rennet. I'm sure more informed opinions may prevail, but that points back to the mucor tablets, IMHO.

-Boofer-