Optimizing Traditional Protocol for Rennet Cheese Production via Forced Hydrodynamic Oscillations

Milk coagulation during the mix equilibrium is a critical stage in the traditional rennet cheese production protocol. The resulting milk curd is cut and stirred to form cheese grains. This time-consuming and energy-intensive process is not effective enough for large-scale cheese production. The application of forced hydrodynamic oscillations during coagulation makes it possible to eliminate the stages of cutting and stirring. Optimized oscillation frequency and vessel geometry yield curd and cheese sheet that meet traditional processing standards. In this research, low oscillation frequencies reduced the fat content in whey to 0.08%, which is significantly lower than the standard of 0.40%. However, higher near-resonance frequencies increased the fat mass fraction to an unacceptable 2.00% because excessively intense vibrations triggered splashing and structural instability. The protein content in whey remained below 0.8% in both scenarios. A negative correlation occurred between the change in the amplitude of the milk wave under forced vibrations and the viscosity changes during stationary coagulation. This phenomenological dependence allows for a direct assessment of rennet coagulation under forced vibrations. The cheese samples produced via the wave method were similar in pattern and texture to those obtained by traditional technological protocol. The wave method reduced the processing time by 0.5–1.5 h, depending on the cheese type, and minimized the loss of milk fat into the whey.