Troubleshooting
Coagulation Is Too Slow
The set takes considerably longer than your process expects.
Short answer
A slow set most often comes from milk below the intended temperature, a coagulant that has lost activity, high-heat-treated milk, a higher pH than usual at addition, or a dosing error.
Work through the causes
01Temperature
Measure at addition, at two depths, and keep the vat covered during the set.
02Coagulant activity
Bottle age and storage history; compare against a fresh bottle.
03Milk heat treatment
Ultra-pasteurized milk sets poorly or not at all.
04pH
Inactive culture or a skipped ripening step leaves pH higher than assumed.
05Calcium
Long-stored pasteurized milk may need calcium support within permitted limits.
06Dosage and dilution
Confirm the measurement, and that dilution water was cool and non-chlorinated.
Still stuck?
Send us your milk source, temperature, pH and process notes. Luis reads these and answers them properly.
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