Rennet - Too Little, Too Much

[Tea]

Bec what rennet are you using?  I would think that there should definately be a different in addition rates between 6lts and 10ltrs. 

CH if Bec's additions rate is .5ml per 2ltr, then you 25 drops per gallon would work out just about right.

Ok just put 1ml of water in my pipette and it gave me 23 drops, so at that the addition rate is almost the same.

[Cheese Head]

OK thanks for measuring, I had no idea how much 25 drops is, just seems smaller than 1 ml.

Basically it's hard to know when too much "rennet" but easy to know when too little .

[Junglerott]

Is it a lost cause when the curds are weak or will more time alow them to set firmer. The reason I ask is because I made some Crottin last night with store bought goat milk. I used the same milk in a fetta recipe and it set fine with 1/2 rennet tablet to one gallon. The Crottin recipe called for 3 drops of liquid rennet for one gallon and I ended up having to put the weak curds into cheese cloth to drain enough whey to be able to work with them. The molds look ok, but there was definitely no clean break.

[Tea]

Store bought milks are a breed all of their own.  You don't state whether it is UHT or fresh milk.  I am assuming it is fresh milk.
Because of the processes that store milk goes through, there is the thought that the addition of calcium helps the milk set and gives a better curd.  Personally I haven't tried that, so someone else is going to have to comment on that.
I have though tried adding more rennent when I got almost no curd, and for me it was not successful.
Leaving longer to set, I feel, can over over incubate the cultures and milk and the cheese flavours are compromised.  If enough curd has formed to work with, then I go ahead and do the best I can.  If not, then it is a lesson learnt.
These are just my experiences.

[Junglerott]

The milk was not ultra pastirized. The cheese came out of the molds today a little we, but I think they will turn out ok. I'll just have to keep my eye on them and make sure the ripening box stays humid but dry.

[Tea]

Junglerott that's great. Usually I find that I can save the curd, I just might not get what I initially was aiming for.  Let us know how it ages.