Bitterness in cheddar

[whatisboom]

I made a cheddar (gianaclis caldwell, mastering basic cheesemaking recipe). I used store-bought, non-homogenized milk, so I added calcium chloride. It's maybe 4 months old now, and I got antsy and tasted it, but it has a pretty distinctive bitterness to it. I've read that a few things can cause this, but wanted to see if you guys had any insight on how to pinpoint exactly what it is, other than just a re-make and changing things.

[River Bottom Farm]

Lots of information on this one on the board. Just use the search function. Can be too much rennet, just the stage the cheese is at, add other strains of starter to help with it etc

[Dorchestercheese]

I cut a Cheshire last night that was 3.5 months old. First cheese I've made that tasted bitter. I've never made one before and I followed the recipe in New England cheese company.  It's a long make and perhaps pH, first time I've waxed a cheese. Maybe it just needs longer aging.

[GortKlaatu]

I cut a Cheshire last night that was 3.5 months old. First cheese I've made that tasted bitter. I've never made one before and I followed the recipe in New England cheese company.  It's a long make and perhaps pH, first time I've waxed a cheese. Maybe it just needs longer aging.

I've made three Cheshires....they are one of our favorites.  BUT yes, it is probably the longest make of any cheese I've ever made, so while I've been antsy to make another, I just haven't had the time to devote to that particular make lately. 
I used Jim's recipe, too; mine weren't bitter tho. My first thought about bitter cheese always runs to too much rennet....who knows.

[Dorchestercheese]

How much rennet and type did you use to make his recipe? I use the animal rennet from new England cheese. It always takes about 2x the recipe spec to set and flocculate per recipe.

[GortKlaatu]

That's so interesting—twice the recommended amount?  Maybe that's why it was bitter. I use theirs and I have to use 50% as much as recipe says.

[Dorchestercheese]

Their new England cheese company rennet per label..
- Vegetable form - 1/4 tsp per 2 gallons sets at 45min
- Animal form - 1/2 tsp per 2 gallons sets at 45 min
Cheshire recipe is for 4 gallon and calls for 1 tsp.  So I use the
animal rennet at 1.3 -1.5 tsp sets 35-50 minutes depends on the raw milk.

[feather]

Their new England cheese company rennet per label..
- Vegetable form - 1/4 tsp per 2 gallons sets at 45min
- Animal form - 1/2 tsp per 2 gallons sets at 45 min
Cheshire recipe is for 4 gallon and calls for 1 tsp.  So I use the
animal rennet at 1.3 -1.5 tsp sets 35-50 minutes depends on the raw milk.

I use the vegetable rennet from NE cheese company. I've made 90 some batches, usually 4 gallon batches. I use the label recommendations no matter what the recipe calls for with the exceptions of cream cheese, cottage cheese, brie/camembert. So all my 'hard' cheeses use the label amounts. I use pasteurized and homogenized milk, with CaCl2. I haven't come across any bitterness in the cheeses. I don't bother with the floc testing and it comes to a clean break at 45 minutes.

You could give it a try with just using the label amounts.

[GortKlaatu]

Their new England cheese company rennet per label..
- Vegetable form - 1/4 tsp per 2 gallons sets at 45min
- Animal form - 1/2 tsp per 2 gallons sets at 45 min
Cheshire recipe is for 4 gallon and calls for 1 tsp.  So I use the
animal rennet at 1.3 -1.5 tsp sets 35-50 minutes depends on the raw milk.

I use the vegetable rennet from NE cheese company. I've made 90 some batches, usually 4 gallon batches. I use the label recommendations no matter what the recipe calls for with the exceptions of cream cheese, cottage cheese, brie/camembert. So all my 'hard' cheeses use the label amounts. I use pasteurized and homogenized milk, with CaCl2. I haven't come across any bitterness in the cheeses. I don't bother with the floc testing and it comes to a clean break at 45 minutes.

You could give it a try with just using the label amounts.

But Feather....not all cheese should coag for clean break at 45 min....some styles need to do it much sooner and some even longer.  That's a very important part of developing the proper curd for a particular style of cheese.  That's why recipe amounts of rennet will vary depending on the style of cheese

[Dorchestercheese]

Jim at New England cheese said use what is written on the rennet as a rough guide only.  Use what is written in the recipe as tested but of course keep in mind their recipes are written as per using pasterized milk.

[GortKlaatu]

Jim at New England cheese said use what is written on the rennet as a rough guide only.  Use what is written in the recipe as tested but of course keep in mind their recipes are written as per using pasterized milk.

Exactly--that's why I normally need to use 50% of a recipe's recommended rennet amount, since I use raw milk.

[Dorchestercheese]

Too funny I use their animal rennet and usually use about 50 percent more and I too use raw milk. When I first starting making cheese it was taking upwards of 30 minutes to flocculate using the recipe dictated amount. I wish the bottles has a activity units would make switching easier.