Topic
How dosage is expressed, what changes it, and how to test responsibly.
Use the dosage stated on your product label as the starting point, then adjust until you reliably hit the set time your cheese style needs. Dosage cannot be carried over from a different coagulant, because clotting strengths differ.
Coagulation strength describes how much milk-clotting activity a coagulant delivers per unit of product, usually expressed in IMCU. Higher strength means you use less product per litre — not that the cheese will be better.
Yes. Too much rennet can set the curd faster and firmer than your process is built for, which makes cutting and draining harder to control. In cheeses that are held or aged, excess coagulant is also associated with bitterness.
Start from the dosage stated on your product label, then adjust so you hit the set time your cheese style calls for. Dosage is not a single universal number: it depends on the coagulant's clotting strength, your milk, temperature, pH and the style you are making.
IMCU stands for International Milk Clotting Units. It is the standard way to express how much milk-clotting activity a coagulant has, which is what makes dosage comparable between products instead of guesswork.
