Few questions for you masters of cheese. :-)
MA Series: MA 11, MA 14, MA 16, MA 19
For semi-soft and fresh cheeses: Cheddar, Colby, Montery Jack, Feta, Chevre, etc...
Contains:
* (LL) Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
* (LLC) Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
Okay so I know many use MA 11 for Cheddar, but what are the others for? Say I want to make Farmhouse Cheddar do I still use MA 11 or one of the others listed? Same question for Montery Jack and Colby?
Do you use the below for Gouda & Havarti or one of the other cultures Dairy Connection offers like the MM series? If you use the MM series do you use 100 or 101?
Flora Danica Mesophilic
Used for specialty cheeses, sour cream and cultured butter:
Goats milk cheese, Havarti, Baby Swiss, Gouda, Edam, Blue, etc...
Contains:
* (LL) Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
* (LLC) Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
* (LLD) Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis
* (LMC) Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Cremoris
What is the difference between these Rennets and would you use one over another for specific cheeses?
DCI ORG PF
Double strength microbial "vegetable" rennet derived from Mucor Miehei and sodium chloride. Conforms to organic standards.
DCI Star
100% fermented chymosin, double strength
Usage rate: 1.0 - 1.5 oz. (29-43.5 mls) / 1000 lbs of milk
DCI Supreme Double Strength
A microbial rennet derived from Mucor miehei. Often referred to as "vegetable" rennet. Highly heat sensitive assuring enzyme free whey under normal processing conditions.
All the MA 11-19 series are essentially the same. Their acidification curve is almost identical, the flavor production is about the same, and the mix is about the same. They are just different strains, in case you want to rotate cultures. Same case for MM 100 and 101. Same cultures, different strains for phage rotation.
Your meso cultures from a single producer in the same series will be about the same. Some might vary a little in terms of speed of acidification, and salt sensitivity. CHR Hansen's 600 and 700 lines are like that, for example.
The heterofermentive cultures that have diacetylactis and leuconostoc are for small eye formation (havarti), and a milder, more buttery flavor. It's a decent choice, but some people don't like the leuconostoc. I like the 4000 series for a mild meso cheese like a Tomme.
Differences in rennets are the source and strength. Some are made with m. mihei, some with aspergillus, etc. Not sure of the origin of the DCI ones, but most of the repacked rennets out there come from Danisco, CHR Hansen, Cargill, and a few others. Each rennet type does have slightly different proteolytic profiles. And animal rennet has pepsin as well, usually. The way selection is made in the field is people either use what they know or run trials and do sensory evaluations on a batch with different rennets to see which is best.
100% fermented chymosin, double strength rennet has never let me down - only thing I use