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You are here: Home / Workshops / Flocculation Method For Better Curd

Flocculation Method For Better Curd

19/03/2013 By Gavin Webber 8 Comments

Yesterday, I mentioned flocculation for better curd.  David over in Manitoba, Canada picked up on this, and asked me to expand.  By the way, David was recently featured on the New England Cheesemaking Co. blog.  You can read all about him at this link.  Well done mate.

Anyway, let me explain the flocculation method which is a better method for curd set.

The times given in most cheese recipes are great for beginners and experienced home cheese makers alike.  You can check for curd set by the tried and true “Clean Break” method, however there is a better whey to determine curd set for your cheese.

The flocculation method for better curd is a way to test the point of coagulation after adding the rennet to your milk.  Using a factor (determined by the type of cheese you are making, you multiply the time taken for the flocculation point to help you predict the best time for curd set.

So here is the process.

  1. Add your rennet when the recipe states.  Start a timer so you know how many minutes have elapsed.
  2. Leave the milk for five minutes, then take a sterilised small plastic bowl and place it on the surface. It should float.
  3. Then spin the bowl gently, whereby it should rotate freely.  Do this every minute or two.
  4. You should notice that at around the 8 minute mark you may find slight resistance from the milk, test by spinning every 30 seconds.
  5. Between 10 and 15 minutes, the bowl should become ‘stuck’, indicating that the curd mass has formed.  This is the flocculation point.  It may take longer, so don’t panic.  Keep testing till the curds set.
  6. Once set, don’t try to spin the bowl any more, just remove it gently and note the time elapsed.

Watch what I mean in this video.

Now you have to multiply a factor by the total time it took for the curd mass to set by a figure listed in the table below. (Source: Cheese Forum Wiki)

Cheese type
Factor
Swiss & Alpine types, Parmesan, Romano2-2.5
Cow’s milk Cheddar2.5-3
Monterey jack, Caerphilly3.5
Feta & Blues4
Camembert & Brie5-6

The factor (normally between 2 and 6) is multiplied by the time it took to reach flocculation point, giving you the time to cut the curd.

So if flocculation time is, for example, 15 minutes, then for Parmesan, total time since adding rennet to when cut is 37 and a half minutes.  This is the optimum time to cut the curd for the type of cheese you are making.

The Cheese Forum states;

“The reason for the different multipliers for different cheese type recipes is because the curd at time of cutting will have different strength, young curd set will more readily release water when cut versus older curd set will release less.”

So as I mentioned in my previous post;

A soft cheese usually has a higher flocculation time, and a larger curd cut, keeping more moisture in the cheese.

A hard cheese on the other hand has a lower flocculation time, and a smaller curd cut, releasing more whey for a firmer, drier cheese.

I hope this explains the flocculation method in more detail.  I tried this method during the last Caerphilly that I made, and I did notice an improvement in the curd structure during stirring.

Try it out on the next batch of cheese you make.  I would be interested in your results.

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Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: Curds, Technique

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About Gavin Webber

Gavin Webber is passionate about home cheese making. He loves to make cheese in his spare time and shares the techniques, videos, podcasts, and recipes with his fellow curd nerds!

Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Comments

  1. Malin says

    28/03/2013 at 19:09

    Hi
    Im so happy I've found your blogg! I found you from a tips from a friend.
    I live in Sweden and have just started to make cheese in our cheese diary that we built in one of our stables. We have an old small farm. The diary is small with a 100 liter steampot. We buy ecological cowmilk from farmers in the neighbourhood. We do not pasteurize and our target group is gourmet customers and restaurants.
    My husband has worked in the musicindustri for ages an I've worked in the filmindustry. When we got a child we wanted to move to the country and to live close to nature and still make a living. My husband works as a bookingagent for a band Wintergatan http://www.wintergatan.net
    Ive learned cheesemaking from a French cheesemaster Michael Lepage. He also learned me the floccualationmethode. But to see when the flocculationen moment we dip the finger to see when the milk develope suddenly. Your methode seems much easier. I will try it tomorrow!
    I have learned a little different factors for some of the cheeses.
    Camembert normal flocc. 15-17 min and factor 3.
    Brie normal flocc. 12-13 min and factor 4.
    I will spend some time reading a on your blogg when I have more time
    Looking forward to come back!

    Malin

    Reply
  2. CassieOz says

    22/03/2013 at 11:08

    Gavin, I sent an email a while back but you may not have got it. Do you have any advice on 'standardising' rennet doses? How do I translate an internet recipe for 'single' or 'double' strength rennet or 'half a tablet' to the liquid rennet I get from my supplier? It's mostly an issue with soft, long ripening cultures like cream style cheeses that recommend very small amounts.

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    20/03/2013 at 16:23

    Thank you again Gavin. You certainly know a lot more about cheesemaking than comes across in your videos.

    Just to get clarification on one minor point, I presume the reason the 'factor' from flocculation to clean break varies is because different recipes call for greater or lesser amounts of rennet. And that the acidity of the milk is different so the rennet works differently. Is that right? I found that my cheeses were very crumbly and I wondered if I was adding more rennet that necessary – even though I was following the recipe – and the curd became too dry as a result. Consequently I have steadily reduced the amount of rennet to 2 grams in 8+ litres of milk (2+US gallons) though a new bottle of rennet seems to need 2.5 gms to get the same results.

    This is what is so fascinating about cheesemaking. It is part science, part craft, part skill and part experience.

    David

    Reply
    • Cheeseadmin says

      21/03/2013 at 01:06

      You are correct. The factor takes into account all of those things.

      Oh, and remember David, it had been a while since I made those videos! I have learnt a lot since then.

      Gav

      Reply
  4. Albert Campsolinas says

    20/03/2013 at 13:30

    Great post Gavin, as always!!!

    Thank you very much for sharing

    Reply
    • Cheeseadmin says

      21/03/2013 at 20:19

      You're welcome Albert.

      Reply
  5. Ian Treuer says

    19/03/2013 at 16:26

    I use the flocculation method for almost every make. It has helped me with decent curd set and I get better cheese using it, than I did before. Great explanation and useful video

    Reply
    • Cheeseadmin says

      21/03/2013 at 20:18

      Cheers Ian.

      Reply

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