Rennet Coagulated Curds - Amount For Different Cheese Type Discussion

[ArnaudForestier]

I did jump on the digital deal (thanks, Sailor), as well as your analog from the restaurant supply (thanks, Susan).  I plan on using both. So disappointing, yesterday, to have everything in place and only realize well into the game that I'd been heating the milk to well past 100F.  But then, yesterday I think the gremlins were my antic, "grinning at my state, and laughing at my pomp...."; so much was screwed up, and realized after that due to the make before this one (itself a disaster, due to Kadova issues and latter-hour attempts to remedy them), my St. Paulin follower was distorted; couldn't figure out why I was getting a lopsided wheel, when the piston arm was perfectly aligned and I was watching carefully.  The follower.  So after all was said and done, I walked away to clean up during one of the press periods, and the piston and follower imploded, yielding a radically lopsided wheel. 

<<Sigh>>.  Not making again, until my "mis en place" is truly "mis," and truly "en place."


edit:  I've become conscious that I have hijacked Steff's thread - sorry, Steff.  Closing my comments, now.

[ArnaudForestier]

Just a couple data points - got the two Redi-Check's in the mail today, and in boiling H20 as we speak.  Performing really well - within 0.1 of each other, at 211.6 and 211.83, respectively.  Here in Madison, b.p. of water should be about 210.4, but I can live with it.  Great buy, thanks again, Sailor.  And Susan, your analog is on its way as well.  We should be good.  Thanks, guys. 

[mrsick44]

Sometimes, when I don't have floc within 20 minutes, I have added another little bit of rennet to speed things up. I'm wondering now if that is a no-no?

Did anyone ever really answer this questions? Excellent discussion. Learning so much. I love this forum.

[linuxboy]

Sometimes, when I don't have floc within 20 minutes, I have added another little bit of rennet to speed things up. I'm wondering now if that is a no-no?
Did anyone ever really answer this questions? Excellent discussion. Learning so much. I love this forum.

The problem is that it will complicate the cheesemaking in some ways. One, it is hard to tell when the gel point is when the set is weak. So you might add more rennet, and stir it in, and what if it gels as you are adding the extra?

Two, it is challenging then to really time when you should cut based on math, and you have to rely on your experience to know when to cut. It's possible, but a little tricky. Overall, if you have no set, I don't see another good way about it. The longer you wait, the more acid builds up, which for many cheeses is not desirable.

[Cheese Head]

My suggestion is if you don't get a good rennet curd then use the batch to make a lactic cheese (like American Neufchatel/light Cream Cheese) by leaving it at warm temp overnight to let lactic acid build and get a lactic acid curd (which is much softer than a rennet coagulated curd).

Adding more rennet after first addition like linuxboy says can result in a mess. In my first Camembert I forgot to add the P candidum mold, so I stirred it in a few minutes after adding the rennet, which destroyed the curd set, my records and pictures here.