Weak goat cheese curd!

[michoutim]

Hi everyone!
We have been making cheeses since 2007, and we made many Sainte-Maure cheeses without any problem in all seasons, using homogenized Paul's goat milk in Australia.
However in the last 3 months the curd has been very weak for some reason and very difficult to work with.    Basically we have to let the renneted curd stand overnight forming a mass, then strain it into a triple layer of muslin, then put it in the Sainte-Maure tube. And even though it is still super moist.
We use calcium chloride, of course, and 17 drops of 200 IMCU rennet for 2 Liters of milk.
Any advice would be welcome.
For the last 2 Sainte-Maure, we had to unmold the cheese by pushing it horizontally onto a sushi mat, since the cheese is too fragile to be handled, and brining is out of the question, salting by hand is a must. And the sushi mat ¨moves¨ the cheese.
Different goat herds? Or different food for the goat? Mystery! Adding more rennet may make the cheese bitter, they say...
In advance, thank you for your good advice!  Have a great weekend! 

[mikekchar]

17 drops of 200 IMCU rennet for 2 liters is an insane amount -- that's getting close to 100 IMCU per liter.  This makes me think that either your rennet is not working, or the milk has started to be heat treated beyond pasteurisation.  With that amount of rennet you should practically be able to walk on the curd in about an hour.  Given that it's taking 8 hours to form a mass, I've got to think that it's basically forming acid curds, not rennet curds.

So first, I would get some pasteurised milk and do a flocculation test with your rennet to make sure it is still good.  If it is, then unfortunately it seems like your milk is not fit for making cheese any more...

[michoutim]

Hi MikeKChar,
We always use 17 drops (our eyedropper is the pharmaceutical type, 6 mm diameter), and it always worked fine. But not anymore with the Sainte-Maure.
I'll try renneting 1 liter of milk as per your advice. But that rennet works really well with the cow milk cheeses.
I'll get back to you on that.
Best regards. 
michoutim

[bansidhe]

I am curious as to the result of the rennet test with the goat milk.  Did you ever narrow down the issue?

[michoutim]

Hi Bandsidhe!
I still can't understand the problem fully. It is NOT a rennet problem at all. Somehow the milk has changed and it is difficult to get a firm curd, and I can't brine the cheese, I definitely have to salt by hand. And to unmold the Sainte-Maure, I have to push it carefully out of the tubular mould onto a sushi mat (which allows me to move it easily without risk of breaking it)... Go figure! Anyway, I am now able to make beaututiful goat cheeses again!  I also have made a lactose free milk for a friend of mine who can't stand lactose in great quantity!  Best regards! Michèle