# Pressing question



## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Heh Fellow Cheesemakers!
When following a suggested weight reading on a recipe during the pressing phase I have noticed that as some whey comes out of the press the pressure gauge drops some. Is it correct to torque it back to the poundage it was set to at the start? I have been doing this but never read anywhere if that was proper procedure or not. Thanks!
Lee

PS- you may have covered this but don't use Chymostar rennet for cheese you plan to age.
It makes it bitter. I found out the hard way with several 2 pound wheels of Manchego..whaaaaaaa
Only animal rennet will stand the aging process.


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## Guest (Mar 16, 2008)

Hi!
Yes you need to adjust the pressure as needed. I have not had any trouble aging cheeses made with Chymostar. I thought the bitter flavor comes from too much rennet. Also, I think quick Mozzarella gets bitter after a few days.

Christy


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2008)

While ideally I would like to exclusively use animal rennet in all my cheeses for authenticity purposes, the cost has been an issue especially since I have never noticed a difference in any cheese aged or not. But, I have only used it on cheeses 6 months or younger. How old was your cheese that became bitter?

In the 1990’s the way vegetable rennet was made changed. Instead of using a mold, fungi or yeast to grow the coagulant microbes they took genes from the DNA of animals and inserted them into a host culture. This produced rennet that is genetically the same as animal rennet not a yeast mold substitute. This was seen as a marked improvement over microbial rennets especially because it addressed the issue of bitter flavors imparted to aged cheeses.

I really like the Margaret Morris book but there are a few things that just don’t hold a lot of water with the artisan cheese makers I have talked to. Also, she works primarily with cow’s milk.

I’ve done Provolone before from a recipe that was given to me. It was so good, but I lost the recipe. I LOVE Asiago, and will defiantly try the Manchego, thanks!

Christy


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2008)

Hi Lee,
I contacted Jim at cheesemaking.com about the Chymostar causing bitterness in aged cheeses. This was his reply, I hope it helps 

Christy... a lot depends on your process and the style of cheese ... also using too much rennet can cause this ... the problem is incomplete protein breakdown which produces some bitter flavors ... many people use this rennet successfully but some do have problems with it ... I think the biggest problem they have is using too much rennet and not proper aging conditions .... proper cheese making and control of the time temp and moisture of aging will usually develop a good end product...

Great info, I'm glad you brought this up! Most recipes that call for 2gal milk will work fine (or better) with 3gal. Also, if you double a recipe you don't need to double the rennet, 3/4 tea is often enough for 4 gal milk. For aging I prefer 3-4lb wheels which would explain why I have never had a problem with bitterness.

Christy


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