If I am using a vegetable based rennet is it possible to then make ricotta from the whey that is produced?
Yes, but you need to let it acidify if using a culture, or if you want it faster, add vinegar. If you add a little milk to the whey, it really ups the yield
if you are planning to add milk, make sure you heat the whey to 160 before adding the milk, you need to kill the rennet or it will coagulate the milk on the spot! Learned this that hard way :)
I only make ricotta using whey - no milk or vinegar added. I allow the whey from my cheese (my best comes from mozzarella whey) to sit at least overnight before cooking it to just under boiling. Remove from heat, then ladle into a cloth-lined colander. Silky smooth ricotta!
Thanks you for the advice everyone.