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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => STANDARD METHODS - Making Cheese, Coagulation => Topic started by: felipearamburu on March 27, 2011, 04:49:11 AM

Title: Coagulation, Rennet, Goat, Raw - Coagulum Sank To Bottom Of Vat
Post by: felipearamburu on March 27, 2011, 04:49:11 AM


So I am using Raw Goat's Milk to make my first Goats milk cheese. I have been making cheese from raw cows milk for 4 months and have made 15 cheeses so far and have never come across something like this.

I put my mesophiliic starter in the milk and let it ripen. I had the milke ripening ata temp that was slightly to high, about 98 instead of 93 but not a huge concern I am assuming. I let it ripen a bit longer than normal, for 1.5 hours as opposed to 1. This isn't normal for me but I was in a semi-social situation that surprised me.

So then I go ahead and add the renet, the temp has fallen down a little to about 95. I let it ripen for 40 minutes and come back to check it out and I see whey, with some cloudly milk particles on top but abreak through that shows me lots of whey, i reach in and the curds are all the way at the bottom, coagulated with whey draining from this large mass. I ended up cutting this small grainy semi ricotta looking mess into 1/2 inch chunks and im about to press it and see what comes out but does anyone have any idea how and why this happened?





Title: Re: Coagulation, Rennet, Goat, Raw - Coagulum Sank To Bottom Of Vat
Post by: smilingcalico on March 27, 2011, 06:32:04 AM
I'm curious too. I had that happen once, but was a lactic acid cheese with very little rennet, and temp was 84° at time of adding culture and rennet. The temp was 77° when I went back to it 24 hours later to ladle it.  Someone suggested maybe I hadn't stopped the milk from spinning, but they weren't positive. Your curd description is exactly as mine had been.
Title: Re: Coagulation, Rennet, Goat, Raw - Coagulum Sank To Bottom Of Vat
Post by: linuxboy on March 27, 2011, 03:32:49 PM
Gradient existed in the milk. Either uneven acid distribution, too-rapid acidification in layers due to uneven bacterial distribution, uneven rennet concentration, or temp was different in some parts of the milk.
Title: Re: Coagulation, Rennet, Goat, Raw - Coagulum Sank To Bottom Of Vat
Post by: smilingcalico on March 27, 2011, 07:24:19 PM
Thanks LB.  Could you tell me what the consequence would be of not stopping the milk from spinning? I was fairly certain that wasn't the issue, but was told not to question that persons judgment.
Title: Re: Coagulation, Rennet, Goat, Raw - Coagulum Sank To Bottom Of Vat
Post by: linuxboy on March 27, 2011, 11:42:43 PM
curd shattering. Rarely seen unless you really keep stirring the milk for 3-5 mins after adding rennet.
Title: Re: Coagulation, Rennet, Goat, Raw - Coagulum Sank To Bottom Of Vat
Post by: smilingcalico on March 28, 2011, 12:26:06 AM
Would curd shattering have a similar appearance as the above described condition?  Not to mention, the rennet amount was minuscule.
Title: Re: Coagulation, Rennet, Goat, Raw - Coagulum Sank To Bottom Of Vat
Post by: felipearamburu on March 28, 2011, 02:21:09 AM
Gradient existed in the milk. Either uneven acid distribution, too-rapid acidification in layers due to uneven bacterial distribution, uneven rennet concentration, or temp was different in some parts of the milk.


Ok So this and the spinning things are important to consider for me I think.

Sometimes I move the pot a little while I am renetting and while its culturing, could this have an adverse effect ive there is some movement during this time (it is not violent movement but normally i flow warm water into the place where I put my pot into and last night I was somewhere without my tubing to accomplish this so i had to lift the pot and remove the plug and refill with warmer water to maintain temp). Could this be the cause?

As for culture, I used a direct set culture and slowly let it fall into the pot by tapping the foil wrapper, while stirring gently but thoroughly. I did the same for the rennet but may not have stirred it as long. I don't think there was a significant temp difference since the pot was fully submerged in warm water.

I hop the curds are still usable, I am going to try and make it into something like feta anyway.