Work out whey yield instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Whey is the mass balance remainder: milk mass less cheese mass. Around nine litres of whey arise per kilogram of hard cheese. It carries most of the lactose and the whey proteins, which is why recovering them as whey protein concentrate and lactose turns a disposal cost into a revenue stream.
Whey yield
Whey mass = milk mass - cheese mass, with milk mass = volume x 1.03
Component recovery
Component (kg) = whey mass x component % / 100
Whey has a very high organic load and cannot be discharged to sewer or watercourse without treatment or consent. Confirm discharge permissions before disposal.
It has a biochemical oxygen demand of 30,000-50,000 mg/L, hundreds of times domestic sewage. Discharging it untreated is prohibited almost everywhere.
It needs scale. Ultrafiltration and spray drying are capital intensive, so small dairies more often sell liquid whey for animal feed or send it to a central processor.