Flocculation and clean break
Cheesemakers usually track two moments. Flocculation is when the milk first shows visible thickening. The clean break is when a knife or finger drawn through the curd leaves a clean split that fills with clear whey.
The interval between them is more informative than either alone. Many makers use a multiplier of the flocculation time to decide when to cut, because it adapts automatically when conditions shift.
Why your set time drifted
- Seasonal change in milk protein and calcium.
- A different milk supplier or a different heat treatment.
- Milk a couple of degrees cooler than usual.
- A coagulant bottle that is older, or that spent time out of refrigeration.
- A change in pH at the moment of addition.
About the author
Bixa Products — Editorial team
Educational content written by the Bixa Products team, a family-owned cheesemaking ingredient company specializing in rennet and chymosin. Technical guidance is written conservatively: where a value depends on your milk, process or product, we say so instead of guessing for you.
- Family-owned cheesemaking ingredient company
- 30+ years in the Latin American cheesemaking market
- Specialists in rennet, chymosin and milk coagulation