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As a first attempt at making cheese, I decided to try and make cream cheese from 1 gallon of whole, vitamin D milk, a mesophilic direct set Mad Millie starter (1/8 tsp), and 2 TBS diluted rennet.

Recipe: http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/makecreamcheese.htm

I went with the maximum amount of time (18 hours rest and 8 hours hanging in hopes of a firmer, dryer cheese). However the result was a consistency similar to firm yogurt and distinct sour taste. All utensils, containers, etc were cleaned and sterilized (boiling water) before use and a digitial thermometer was used while heating the milk to 90 degrees before the initial culture was added.

Would someone be able to give me some tips on what I may have done wrong? Many thanks!

How much rennet did you add? 2 t should have been the water you diluted the rennet in.

I had diluted two drops of rennet in the 5 Tbs of water, mixed for a moment, then drew the two tablespoons from the mixture

What was the room temperature while you were allowing the cheese to set up and drain?  I've found 65 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit to produce the best tasting cream cheese.  Warmer than that can cause the culture to grow a lot faster and produce a sour flavor.

Also culture selection makes a huge difference, in addition to temp. Lactic bacteria produce more than just lactic acid. And the lactic acid isomers differ by specie and strain. Your make looked decent overall, 74-76F is optimal for cream cheese using D or DL starter type.

I appreciate the replies.

The room temperature was about 72 degrees. With the Maryland temps we saw on Saturday (not to mention the October snow ) we turned on the heat for the first time. It hung over a bowl in the kitchen from 11:30am to 7 pm. Possibly too long at higher than ideal temps? Do you think I would get better results with a cultured buttermilk starter?

What starter did you use?

I used Mesophilic Direct Set (C101) containing Lactose, S. Lactose, S. Cremoris

For cream cheese, the ambient temp. needs to be under 70. The ripening period is usually about 12-14 hours for a tangy cheese, depending on the quality of the milk and cream - go for the lower time for a sweeter cheese.

In fact, my cream cheese usually goes for an even shorter ripening time. The one I made on Saturday had a coagulating point of one hour from renneting; I left it to ripen for another couple of hours and then drained it. It's sweet.

Maybe if you experiment with ripening times from the coag. point you'll hit on the quality/taste that you like.

I frequently use storebought buttermilk as my culture for making cream cheese or American neufchatel.  I use it at the rate of 1/2 cup per gallon of milk.