Rennet - Recommendations > Discussion On Types

[Gina]

I'm nearing the end of my first bottle of double strength liquid veg rennet, and am thinking of switching to calf rennet. I'm planning to make a few longer aged cheeses and have read that the veg rennet can increase bitterness over time. Also, that calf rennet makes a better curd than veg. Is this still the current thinking? (I use generic grocery store milk.)

I'm leaning towards ordering dry calf rennet because of its longer 'shelf' life. Besides the difficulty of measuring small amounts, are there any other drawbacks to using the dry?

Thanks.

Edit to add: Does anyone use chymosin, the GM rennet product? Other than it being a genetically modified product, are there any downsides to using that?


Edit 2: update title.

[tnsven]

I have found the dry calf rennet to be twitchy   It does not set consistently for me. Perhaps it is the batch I got. It is not the cultures I use or anything else as, when I switch back to my (quite old at this point) liquid calf rennet, I have no problems. Others have had different experiences.

Kristin

[Gina]

I found a  previously posted video from Linuxboy about Chy Max M.  The 100% chymosin I found for sale (at The cheesemakers) is Chy Max Extra. Not sure what the difference is but both are from Chr Hansen. 

https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?topic=2357.0 

[BigCheese]

I am definitely not into GM but I think I would like to try this out as I am vegetarian and do not want bitter cheese.

LinuxBoy, if you read this, did you ever get that gallon from CHR Hansen? Do you still have bottles to send out? 

[linuxboy]

Still not available yet. I'll be reselling CHR Hansen's full line starting next month, though.

[BigCheese]

Thats odd, thecheesemaker seems to have it available. Maybe I will spring for a 4oz.

[linuxboy]

I don't think Steve has Chymax M. Where did you see that? I don't see how he could buy it directly when it's still being produced only in test amounts in the lab. Their fermentors aren't up yet in the US. Available in most of Europe, though. They always get things first. Even the old lacto labo plant is there, even though Cargill Texturizing runs it now.

[BigCheese]

http://www.thecheesemaker.com/cultures.htm After the veg and calf rennet but right before molds and yeasts. It does not say it is CHR hansen's product, but it says 100% chymosin, kosher and veg friendly.

EDIT: definitely is CHR Hansen, just noticed the spec sheet.

They're holding out on you Linux! Unnacceptable!

[linuxboy]

That's Chymax Extra, it's an aspergillus ferment product.

[BigCheese]

Oh jeez. Now I see that is exactly what Gina said above...moving on...

Do you know the difference though, LB?

[linuxboy]

Between the new M and Extra? Sure. Ready for a quick history lesson?

20 or 30 years ago, Pfizer developed a first generation fermented coagulant made from E Coli, and others made progress along similar lines using Kluyveromyces, Saccharomyces, and Aspergilus as the host. It quickly because the de facto standard, surpassing m miehei derived coagulant, and animal rennet. It was called chymax in the CHR Hansen product line. From there, they created derivative products with multiple concentrations (plus, extra, ultra), and also a special chymax (special) that had bovine pepsin added to it to try and more closely mimic natural rennet and its selective cleaving sites in proteolysis during aging.

In the past 8 years, there has been increased interest in using cameliad-derived coagulant. And it was developed and tried and patented. This is a second-generation fermented coagulant, and they're calling it chymax-M. Supposedly has more selective cleaving of k-caseins, and comparable beta-casein cleaving during proteolysis. Also cheaper because you need less of it.

I'm actually working on a comprehensive rennet article, trying to finish it tomorrow. Too much confusion out there.

[Sailor Con Queso]

Any word on when M is going to hit the USA?

[Gina]

Is 'Chymax Extra' a good product? (I need more rennet soon.)

[Jaap Jongia]

Have a look at this website: http://www.hundsbichler.at/php/natural-rennet-vs-microbial-rennet_en_42.html

I sell their rennet in the UK and a major retailer has instructed their suppliers for a particular range of high value cheeses to use Bioren Premium. This is the most ethical of the calf rennets they investifgated (calfs have a short, but decent life). I hear from the customers that the cheese made is very good and one is planning to switch his normal production, if not total, than at least partial, to natural rennet.

[linuxboy]

Jaap, thanks for the link. I want to point out M miehei rennet is not the same as FPC rennet produced from GM Kluyveromyces or Aspergillus strains. One is microbial created from isolating aspartic proteinase from M miehei or Cryphonectria parastitica, and the other is made from GM organisms that are made into factories that produce chemically identical rennin. Of course, even though they are chemically identical, there are still functional differences between animal sourced and FPC coagulants, and you don't get the same end results in the cheese, but they're very close.

IMHO, there are applications for the older style coagulants based on miehei like Hannilase and Thermolase, but there are better products out there.

I know Colton Basset recently made the switch to calf rennet, so more makers are using the science to make real production decisions.