Cheese lab

In the curdling lab, we tried to find the optimal PH, temperature, and curdling agent for making cheese. We realized that Chymosin and Renin did significantly better in a more acidic PH. We also learned that Renin did better in a more basic setting. When looking at temperature, it is clear that Renin did much better in the hot water. If my ‘supervisor’ would like a more acidic cheese, then she should use either Rennin or Chymosin. If She wants cheese in the fastest possible time, then she should use Chymosin in a warm setting. Chymosin got 20 minutes, and Renin got 33 in a warm setting. This evidence supports my claim because it quantitatively answers the question to our lab.

There are many things that can go wrong in this lab, so don’t take every quantitative piece of data literally. First, there are inconsistencies with the amount of renin or chymosin added to the milk. Every student had a pipet to use; however, there is no precise way of getting the right amount. This could lead to slower/faster curdling times. Second, the temperature of the hot water wasn’t perfect. Although the warm water tub was set for body temperature, it actually was a few degrees too low. This is bad because even a slight temperature difference can affect the speed of the reaction. Third, judgement… Everyone in the class has a different idea of curdling. One student might believe a small bubble/clump on the very bottom of the test sample is curdling, and another student might wait until they see big lumps. This doesn’t make one student wrong, but it does make wiggle room for inconsistencies.

I have two recommendations for you in order to improve the lab. First, Use a graduated cylinder to measure the amount of renin/chymosin. It will deliver more accurate testing. Second, use a thermometer in your warm water tub so you know what the actual water temperature is. The purpose of this lab has multiple meanings. It teaches us how sensitive enzymes/proteins are to their environment. It also taught us how curdling agents work to improve the speed of the curdling of milk.

This lab is related to the vodcast about enzymes. When we put the milk in the ice water, nothing happened. This is because the conditions caused the protein to denature. If you put that denatured protein back into warm water, it would renature and be normal again. This lab taught me about how cheese is made, and also how proteins work. I also know what happens to my milk when it gets all lumpy!