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Calcimator

Starter Culture Calculator

Calculate starter culture amounts and acidification targets for cheese making.

Inputs

gallons
min

Results

Culture Units (packets)

1

Direct-Set Culture0.25 tsp
Target pH5.3
Acidification Time1 hours
Ripening Temperature86°F
Ripening Temperature186.8°F
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter milk volume in gallons.
  2. Select culture type (mesophilic or thermophilic) and your target set time.
  3. The calculator returns culture amount in packets or teaspoons, target pH, acidification time, and ripening temperature.
  4. Add culture at the displayed ripening temperature and allow the indicated acidification time before adding rennet.

How the result changes with Milk Volume

Milk VolumeCulture Units (packets)
105
3517.5
6532.5
9045

What each input means

Milk Volume
Amount of milk in gallons.
Culture Type
1 = Mesophilic (for cheddar, gouda, brie — ripens at 86°F), 2 = Thermophilic (for mozzarella, parmesan, Swiss — ripens at 108°F).
Target Set Time
Desired ripening time in minutes before renneting. Shorter times need more culture. Standard is 45-60 min.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    Milk Volume = 2, Culture Type = 1, Target Set Time = 60 = 3 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Culture Units
    Culture Units
    1 = 1
  3. Calculate Direct-Set Culture
    Direct-Set Culture
    0.25 = 0.25
  4. Calculate Target pH
    Target pH
    5.3 = 5.3

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