Fine Filtered Milk for Cheese Making?

[Gerry]

I'm talking about standard pasteurized, but fine filtered milk like the Natrel brand they sell here in Canada.  I've heard it works, but wanted to confirm here.  Obviously a standard calcium chloride dose will be needed, but the local sale on this week is hard to resist.  Whole homogenized for under $4.00 Canadian per 4 liters (just over a gallon). 

[Gregore]

It has higher protein and lower sugar .

The sugar loss will effect acid curve , you are losing 6 grams sugar per cup. If the cheese comes out wrong then try add the sugar back in . 

Calcium will be the same as raw milk.

[Gerry]

Thanks.  Hopefully it can reach an adequate pH since I don't happen to have lactose on hand.  If the rennet does its stuff, that's half the battle! 

Update:  Well the rennet part worked so far, but I was getting nervous there.  At 18 minutes flocculation point wasn't reached at all, then at exactly the 20 mark: BAM!  Suddenly stuck like in wet concrete.  So I'm leaving this one go for a maximum of 50 minutes or so, but will check for a clean break at 45.

[Gerry]

Well it didn't work.  I was quite surprised since it reached floc so suddenly.  It just stopped there, even after waiting 2 hours - no clean break and literally no change from the second it reached floc. I cooked it up and made a lot of ricotta as an alternative to throwing the mess out.  So I learned something new:  Never use fine filtered milk (at least this Natrel brand) for cheese making.

So this morning I spent the extra 30 cents per gallon (4 liters) and bought the regular milk I always use, with exactly the expected normal results.

[Gregore]

It would be interesting to know what was happening with the ph curve . If I ever see it for sale here I will buy a little and run a test.