Cheese Lab Analysis and Conlusion

Jonathan Li 9/18/15

Period 4

Cheese Lab Conclusion

In the Cheese lab, we asked a question that what are the optimal conditions and curdling agents for cheese? Our whole class found out that Chymosin, Renin, or Buttermilk mixed with Acid and Base, and Chymosin and Renin mixed with hot water bath, is the curdling agent and condition of making cheese. By requiring only 5 minutes of making cheese, having Chymosin, Renin, or Buttermilk mixed with acid, is the most efficient way of making cheese. Then,  Chymosin mixing with base,  takes 15 minutes and with renim and buttermilk, mixed with base takes 10 minutes to make cheese. Finally, Chymosin  in the hot water bath, takes 20 minutes which is the 2nd longest time between curdling agent and optimal conditions, and the longest time which is renin in hot water bath takes 33 minutes. This data supports our claim because they all eventually make cheese.

Our data was unexpected, however, because the temperature of the hot water bath was actually colder than what the normal temperature was to be. This cause chymosin and renin in the hot water bath to have a longer time than usual with 20, and 33 minutes. In the future, I recommend that check to see if the  water bath would be at its’ normal temperature. That way, we can prevent from having any invalid  or inaccurate data.

The cheese lab was meant to demonstrate that as activation energy lowers, the process of making cheese speeds up. For example, when chymosin, renin, and buttermilk is mixed with the acids, with enzymes, the time of making cheese is faster. Having activation energy in the hot water bathes, as shown, made making cheese longer. From this lab, I learned that whenever objects have activation energy, the reaction slows down whereas enzymes having no activation energy , the reaction speeds up, which helps me understand how activation energy affects the rate of reaction. Based on my experience from this lab, I learned that cheese can be made in many different ways with curdling agents and optimal conditions, and that it cannot be made fresh unless at room temperature.  

Curdling table	Chymosin	Renin	Buttermilk	milk(control)
Acid	5	5	5	20
Base	15	10	10
Cold
Hot	20	33
Average of controls	13	15