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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 68

The Rennet

The Rennet.

The rennet must be of the finest quality. Professor Robinson, of the Agricultural College, Guelph, the great authority in Canada, entirely condemns the use of ordinary home-made rennet; and every one who has used the preparations of liquid rennet and rennetine-powder knows how much more satisfactory the result is.

Before adding the rennet carefully examine the milk to see in what condition it is, and work accordingly. The milk should then be brought to a temperature of, say, 80° to 84°, stir in the rennet for about five minutes, and then leave it still.

It is very important to mix the proper quantity of rennet with the milk, and of a given strength—say, 3oz. to 5oz. to 1,000lb. of milk, or one teaspoonful to 8 gallons; when using such extracts as Blumen-thal's 8oz. is too much. The latest invention is rennetine-powder, which gives results as far ahead of those obtained by liquid extract of rennet as the difference between the latter and ordinary unprepared veils.

Dilute the rennet in the proportions of about 15oz. to 20oz. to a pail of water, say, 3 gallons. The quantity of rennet to be used depends on the quality and condition of the milk, the pasturage, and the season of the year. If the milk is over-ripe or acid, more rennet must be used to hasten the coagulation of the milk. The curd should thicken in ten or fifteen minutes. The milk from cows on poor pasturage requires more rennet than from strong pasturage. In the early part of the season, say, one-third more rennet is required than at other times. Discretion and experience is required, but an excess of rennet ripens the cheese too quickly, and it soon goes off in quality.

page 104

The first action of the rennet is to coagulate the curd; the second: to expel the moisture. At this point the milk is a pulpy mass uniform in thickness, and creamy in colour. At all times vat-covers are indispensable, to preserve uniform temperature whilst the milk thickens, and throughout the whole process. The making-room must also be kept to one uniform and regular temperature, as bitten flavoured cheese is usually the consequence of a chill.