Free Cheese Yield Calculator (Van Slyke)
Estimate how much cheese a milk volume will produce using the Van Slyke formula. Set your fat, protein, and target moisture for an instant yield.
Milk intake
Milk composition
Cheese specification
Yield uses the Van Slyke formula with 93% fat recovery and casein at 78% of protein.
Your cheese yield estimate
Van Slyke formulaEstimated cheese yield
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kg of cheese
What is that cheese worth at today's market prices?
Vesper tracks daily cheese and milk spot prices, forward curves, and forecasts across EU markets. Value your make against the live market.
How the calculation works
How does the Van Slyke cheese yield formula work?
The Van Slyke formula estimates cheese yield from milk fat and casein. It credits 93% of the fat and most of the casein (the protein that binds into curd) to the cheese, applies a 1.09 factor for retained salts and minor solids, then divides by the dry-matter fraction (1 minus moisture) to give finished cheese weight.
Why does casein matter more than total protein?
Only casein coagulates into curd; the whey proteins largely drain off with the whey. The calculator estimates casein as roughly 78% of total protein, the standard share for EU bovine milk.
What moisture level should I use?
Gouda and Edam-style cheeses sit around 37 to 41% moisture. Harder cheeses such as aged Gouda or Parmesan are lower (30 to 35%); fresh cheeses are higher. Higher moisture means more finished weight per 100 kg of milk.
How accurate is this estimate?
Van Slyke is the industry-standard first approximation and is accurate to within a few percent for standard hard and semi-hard cheeses. Actual yield varies with make procedure, fat recovery, and standardisation.