Walcoren Animal Rennet Powder - dosage compared to liquid in a recipe

[Mina]

Hi
I've recently started using animal rennet from Walcoren in powder form.  The directions are simple enough  - 1/16 tsp (1/3 gram) per 2 gallons of milk. 
Previously the single strength liquid rennet had a dosage rate of 1/2 tsp for 2 gallons.

Just reading some different cheese recipes and it looks like at times the rennet ratio is half...like for a coastal blue cheese for example requires 1/4 tsp for 2 gallons.

I'm trying to determine if I should stick with the manufacture's dosage rate regardless of the cheese type or should I be trying to calculate the ratio based on the recipe?
I'm hoping I'm making sense...I'm kinda confused.
I love using the powder rennet.  For the hard cheeses I've made I had great success with the coag time. Curds are beautiful to cut.  Better results than with the liquid.  Problem is now that I'm becoming more adventurous and attempting new kinds of cheeses I see that the liquid rennet is sometimes less and sometimes more than what i was used to using.

Thanks as always!!!

[River Bottom Farm]

Use the floc test (spinning bowl test) to check and adjust your rennet amount. Use the search function on the forum for the how to explanations. This allows you a way to compensate for fast or slow coagulation thru the season depending on your milk and your rennet and still get the same results in the final cheese

[Mina]

Hi
I'm aware of the floc test but I'm still at the 'follow the recipe' stage.  I've only just started recording Ph levels 
I'm just concerned that I may be using either too little or too much rennet - I've only noticed the change in amounts of liquid used in some recipes. So far I have only used store bought cow's milk and the results have been consistent once I switched to the powder.  The only time where I thought I could have used less is when I used farm fresh sheep milk (not raw). That milk set fast and hard!  But again - not at the experimenting stage yet.  Need to get a few good cheeses under my belt before I start winging it

[awakephd]

Mina, I would guess that experimenting is going to be the way to go to learn how best to use this. But yes, some recipes do call for more rennet than others; I would think you could adjust your usage up or down if you see that the recipe seems to be using more or less than usual.

[Susan38]

Mina-Not that I have much or any more experience than you, but here are my thoughts anyway (and I have contemplated using powdered rennet but am still using single strength liquid).  First, bottom line is going to be what Andy said.  However, if I were in your situation I would start out by calculating the equivalent for what the recipe is calling for and see what the results are.  I think whatever the recipe is calling for, there is a good reason for why it is more or less than another recipe.

Also for sheep's milk, according to Ricki's book Home Cheesemaking:  "..some differences to note if you use sheep's milk for cheese making.  When adding rennet, use 3 to 5 times less than that used for cow's milk, and top-stir carefully.  When cutting the curd, make larger cubes; when ladling, take thicker slices, or you will lose too much butterfat and the cheese will be too dry.  Use half the amount of salt called for and exert only light pressure when pressing".

Hope this helps.  --Susan

[Mina]

Thanks everyone.
I think that I'm going to keep in mind the package dose for the liquid rennet as 1/2 tsp/ 2 gallong milk.
This is equal to 1/16 powder for the same amount of milk.

So if  a recipe is half that then I'll just have to adjust accordingly.

Once I get a good amount of successful cheeses under my belt (and in my belly) i'll start experimenting.
I've made about 10 different cheeses but none are ready to test yet....the waiting is the hardest part of all ths!

[River Bottom Farm]

If I were you I would make the cheese just as you are planning following the recepie but also do the floc test so you get some experience with that. I use a yogurt container but any floating round bowl works fine. That way you get used to when your floc should happen and if something changes you will know sooner rather than later.

[awakephd]

Just a word of caution about the flocc test - when I first started out, I tried and tried to use the flocc test, but the results were always vague - the transition was never clear-cut, and I wound up having to go more by time and clean break than anything else.

Then I tried using some raw milk, but wanted to give it a try - and suddenly the flocc test made sense and worked perfectly! Even the clean break was far more definitive.

Then I went back to the store-bought P&H milk - raw milk is just too expensive and difficult to get around here - and once again the flocc test was vague and imprecise.

So, my conclusion, based on limited evidence, is that the flocc test may not work particularly well with P&H milk. I say "may," because others have reported success using store-bought milk. It may just be that what I can around here is sufficiently damaged to make the test less than useful.

So now, after 110 or so cheeses made, I go by time, clean break testing, and instinct.

[Mina]

Ugh!!!
Having problems with not getting clean break!
When recipe calls for standard dose of 1/2 tsp single strength liquid rennet  for 2 gallons of milk I  have no problem converting to 1/16 tsp dry rennet.  Made a manchego and an Asiago 4 days ago with NO issues. 
Made a jarlsberg from cheesemaking.Com yesterday where it uses 1/2 tsp for a 4 gallon make....half the go-to standard ratio.  I converted to my dry and I got soup
2nd attempt and waited longer to set.  Not the best but plodded thru.

Made a cotija where once again the ratio of rennet was half   1/4 tsp single strength for 2gallons.  Got soup!!!

FLOC TEST went really well ! Set firm in 20 seconds.
From cultured.Com
1. Warm 1/4 cup milk to 92ºF, put warmed milk into the transparent glass

2. Dilute 1/4 tsp. calcium chloride (if applicable, see above) into 1/4 cup non-chlorinated water. Add 2 tsp. from this solution into warmed milk.

3. Dilute coagulant or rennet into 1/4 non-chlorinated water (1/4 tsp for Double Strength coagulant or 1/2 tsp. Single Strength Veal rennet). Add 2 tsp. of this solution to warmed milk.

4.  Immediately begin swirling the milk in the transparent glass or cup and begin counting the seconds. You should see "flocs," or tiny white flecks of precipitate, form and stick to the sides of the glass within 20 seconds if your coagulant is still good. If not, your coagulant may have lost too much strength and you will need to refresh your stock, or you may try to experiement and adjust with slightly more coagulant to achieve the needed coagulation strength and enzyme activity.

Am I missing something?

[Susan38]

Hi Mina--

I don't have a lot of experience with this...I just read a lot...but from what I can gather from your emails is that you performed a flocc test that determines if your coagulation product is good or not...NOT to be confused with the flocc test you perform during a cheese make.  I think folks were recommending you do the latter and you did the former?  I'm pretty sure there is info on how to do this during a cheese make somewhere here on the forum.  But it's basically adding the rennet, starting a timer, floating a small plastic tub or toothpick or something on the milk, spinning every few minutes and when it won't spin you note the time.  Then the recipe will call for a factor you multiply the time by to get a total time it should take to set up.  Might give you clues how this new rennet is working at what strengths.

PS--a friend using goat milk switched from single strength liquid rennet to the tablet type and was experiencing similar issues as yours...not sure she has come up with a solution yet.