Wiki: White Mould Defects, Ripening

Camembert At 34 Days, Cut At 10C 50F, Body Excessively Liquid - CheeseForum.org
Semi-Lactic At 18 Days, Sticking To Mat - CheeseForum.org
Semi-Lactic At 18 Days, Sticking To Mat – CheeseForum.org

This Wiki article addresses ripening phase defects special to “White Mould” type cheeses such as Brie & Camembert which are generally made by adding Penicillium candidum. In addition to all the normal Coagulation, Surface, Aroma, Body, and Flavour defects, white mold cheeses also have their own special set of problems. This article is divided into the following sections:

Ripening – Curds Sticking To Mats

Description

  • Cheese sticks to mat when trying to lift cheese off of for turning and possible tears off rind when trying to remove cheese.

Causes & Remedies

  • Excessive mold growth has glued cheese to mat, no immediate solution, in future pat down mold more often, turn cheeses more frequently, change to coarser weave mat.
  • Poor circulation below mat has resulted in mositure buildup and yeast growth gluing cheese to mat, no solution except to cut off infected part of cheese, in future enable proper drainage a/d air circulation below cheese.

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Ripening – Aroma Ammonia

Camembert At 34 Days, Cut At 10C 50F, Body Excessively Liquid - CheeseForum.org
Camembert At 34 Days, Cut At 10C 50F, Body Excessively Liquid – CheeseForum.org

Description

  • Ammonia smell in young cheese.

Causes & Remedies

  • Cheese is past “A Point” and is overripe before correct age, causes are ripening/aging temperature is too high, reduce to slow down ripening schedule, or moisture content of cheese is too high, stir curds slightly longer to expel slightly more whey before ladling into hoops.
  • Excessive growth of Penicllium candidum from either excessive amount of Penicillium candidum used or cheese not wrapped as soon as white mould had completely covered the cheese.

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Ripening – Body Liquid

Description

  • Body of cheese is too liquid or runny.

Causes & Remedies

  • Excessive moisture in the cheese, stir curds slightly longer to expel slightly more whey before ladling into hoops.
  • Normal in very overripe white mould cheeses.

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Ripening – Body Firm

Semi-Lactic At 22 Days, Paste Too Firm - CheeseForum.org
Semi-Lactic At 22 Days, Paste Too Firm – CheeseForum.org

Description

  • Body of cheese is too firm and does not soften when aging from action of Penicillum candidum mold on body of cheese.

Causes & Remedies

  • Moisture content is too low, reduce amount and/or time of stirring before ladling into hoops. If still to dry, handle curd more gently during ladling.
  • Aging time is insufficient.
  • Penicillium candidum mould inactive.

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Ripening – Flavour Bitter

Description

  • Cheese when mature tastes bitter. Common bitter tasting foods or drinks are coffee, unsweetened chocolate, citrus peel, or quinine in tonic water.
  • Excessive bitterness is usually from over ripening and is considered a flaw in white boomy cheeses.

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Wiki: White Mould Defects, Blooming

Semi Lactic At 12 Days Uneven Mold Bloom - CheeseForum.org

This Wiki article addresses blooming phase defects special to “White Mould” type cheeses such as Brie & Camembert which are generally made by adding Penicillium candidum. In addition to all the normal Coagulation, Surface, Aroma, Body, and Flavour defects, white mold cheeses also have their own special set of problems. This article is divided into the following sections:

Blooming – Slow Bloom

Description

  • White mould does not completely cover cheese in normal 12-14 days after making.

Causes & Remedies

  • Ripening/aging humidity is too low, retarding bloom of white mould.
  • Ripening/aging temperature of cheese is too low, retarding bloom of white mould.
  • If dry salting formed cheese, excessive salting retarding or halting bloom of white mould.
  • If inoculating milk with Penicillium candidum, temperature of milk was too low, retarding bloom of white mould.

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Blooming – No Or Non-Uniform Bloom

Semi Lactic At 12 Days Uneven Mold Bloom - CheeseForum.org
Semi Lactic At 12 Days Uneven Mold Bloom - CheeseForum.org

Description

  • No or non-uniform/uneven bloom of white mould on whole surface of cheese.

Causes & Remedies

  • If on bottom, bottom of cheese is in draining whey, mould will not bloom if it has it’s “feet in water”, keep drained whey away from bottom of cheese and turn more often.
  • Uneven, too much or too little salting of surface of cheese, retarding or halting bloom of white mold in certain areas or of whole cheese.
  • If applying Penicillium candidum to surface of cheese (vs to milk), uneven application.
  • Competing pathogen.
  • Antibiotics in the milk.
  • Wrong acidity.

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Blooming – Thick Bloom

Semi-Lactic At 20 Days, Excessive Bloom - CheeseForum.org
Semi-Lactic At 20 Days, Excessive Bloom - CheeseForum.org

Description

  • Thick layer of white mould on surface of cheese. If left uncontrolled will result in “slip skin” or “toad skin” where it will slip off the body of the cheese.

Causes & Remedies

  • Excessive mould development from either excessive amount of Penicillium candidum used or cheese not wrapped as soon as white mould had completely covered the cheese.

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Wiki: White Mould Defects, Forming

Camembert Slumping 3 Hours After Removing Hoops & Salting Top - CheeseForum.org

Camembert Second Turn, Curds Still Sticking But Peeling Off Mat - CheeseForum.org
Camembert Second Turn, Curds Still Sticking But Peeling Off Mat - CheeseForum.org

This Wiki article addresses forming phase defects special to “White Mould” type cheeses such as Brie & Camembert which are generally made by adding Penicillium candidum. In addition to all the normal Coagulation, Surface, Aroma, Body, and Flavour defects, white mold cheeses also have their own special set of problems. This article is divided into the following sections:

Forming – Curds Sticking To Mats

Description

  • During forming stage, curds stick to mat when trying to lift cheese in hoop off of mat for turning.

Causes & Remedies

  • Turning cheese too early before curd dehydrates and knits to form a skin.
  • Use thin blade knife to separate – peel curds off of mats, on subsequent turn curds will knit and torn area will not show.
  • Switch to slightly courser weave mats.

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Forming – Curds Slouching

Camemberts Excessive Slumping As Cheeses too Moist When Removed Hoop - CheeseForum.org
Camemberts Excessive Slumping As Cheeses too Moist When Removed Hoop - CheeseForum.org

Description

  • After lifting hoops up and off cheeses, the newly formed cheese slouches/sags becoming barreled at bottom.

Causes & Remedies

  • Cause is cheese was still too moist/not sufficiently drained of whey when removed hoop support. If quick can fit the hoop back over the cheese and drain for an extra 1/2-1 day at room temperature, otherwise have to live with problem and with further turning barrel shape will even out between to middle.

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Camembert Slumping 3 Hours After Removing Hoops & Salting Top - CheeseForum.org
Camembert Slumping 3 Hours After Removing Hoops & Salting Top - CheeseForum.org

Wiki: Blue Mold Defects

“Blue Mold” type cheeses such as Stilton & Rocquefort are made by adding the mold Penicillium rocqueforti. In addition to all the normal Coagulation, Surface, Aroma, Body, and Flavour defects, they also have their own special set of problems. This article discusses the common defects special to blue mold cheeses, their descriptions, and causes organized by defect type.

Surface – Slow Mold Development

Description

  • Blue mold takes excessive time to develop on surface of cheese.

Causes

  • Ripening/aging room humidity is too low, increase.
  • Moisture content of cheese is too low, stir less or cook for shorter time or at lower temperature, or cut curds larger.
  • Extremely weak or dead Penicillium rocqueforti innoculant. This is unheard of as P. rocqueforti is an extremely hardy and resilient mold.

Aroma – Excessive, Early

Description

  • The aroma of cheese becomes excessive before correct ripening/aging time.

Causes

  • Ripening/aging room humidity is too high, reduce.

Body – Poor Mold Development

Description

  • Body of cheese has little blue mold development.

Causes

  • Inadequate amount of cavities in body of cheese in which blue mold can grow. Causes are not enough milling, cheese pressed too much, or moisture content of cheese it too high not allowing cavities to stay open.
  • Inadequate piercing of cheese not enabling air to enter body of cheese to activate blue mold.
  • Extremely weak or dead Penicillium rocqueforti innoculant. This is unheard of as P. rocqueforti is an extremely hardy and resilient mold.

Wiki: Flavour Defects

While there are 1000′s of different cheeses, the variation of their ingredients can result in 100′s of thoushand of different cheese flavours. In addition, a flavour that is intentional and appealing to one, may not be too another. That said, this article discusses the common flavour defects in cheeses, their descriptions, and causes organized by flavour type.

Acidic

Description

  • Flavour of cheese is too acidic or sour as too much direct acid or lactic acid has been generated, depending on acidification method. The most common sour tasting food is lemons.

Causes

  • Too much starter culture.
  • Milk pre-ripened too long before adding rennet.
  • Leaving curds in whey too long after cutting.
  • Insufficient pressing resulting in excess whey left in cheese.

Bitter

Description

  • Excessively rapid breakdown of proteins in milk resulting in bitter flavoured cheese.
  • Common bitter tasting foods or drinks are coffee, unsweetened chocolate, citrus peel, or quinine in tonic water.

Causes

  • Too much rennet.
  • Too high ripening temp.
  • Too much moisture in the curd.
  • Inadequate amount of salt.

Solutions

  • None really for existing make. Can try and rub formed cheese with salt and age for longer (if not a fresh type cheese).

Yeasty

Description

  • Flavour of cheese is fermented, like rising bread or fermenting beer or wine. Fermentation is the product of yeast, normally unwanted in cheese.

Causes

  • Poor hygiene.
  • Close proximity to sources of concentrated yeast such as beer, wine, or bread making.
  • During aging, bottom of cheese was wet or too moist due to infrequent turning or improper shelf.
  • Cheese aged to warm, reduce to recommended temperature.
  • Salt level too low, add more salt.

Little

Description

  • Flavour is too mild, lacking flavour for that cheese type.

Causes

  • Inadequate aging.
  • Inadequate starter culture.
  • Inadequate starter culture ripening time.
  • Slow ripening either from low moisture content or low ripening temperature.

Off

Description

  • Flavour of cheese is off and tastes bad.

Causes

  • Inadequate cleanliness and sterilization, milk products are ideal environments for unwanted micro-organisms.

Wiki: Aroma Defects

While there are 1000’s of different cheeses, the variation of their ingredients can result in 100’s of thoushand of different cheese aromas. In addition, an aroma that is intentional and appealing to one, may not be too another. That said, this Wiki Article discusses the common aroma defects in cheeses, their descriptions, causes, and solutions organized by aroma type.

Ammonia

Description

  • Cheese smells of ammonia, often call ammoniated.
  • While undesirable to many, it is often preferred by Camembert & Brie aficionados.
  • Ammonia is often contained in household cleaning products such as window (i.e. in Windex product), drain, toilet, and bathroom cleaners.

Causes

  • Common in soft cheeses which are over-ripe, past “a point”.
  • Ripening cheese has little air circulation, for example in ripening box.

Solutions

  • Consume cheese before ammonia becomes stronger, normally the ammonia is only a smell and not a taste in the cheese.
  • If in enclosed container, vent to reduce build up of ammonia smell.

Rancid

Description

  • Cheese has rancid smell like old rancid cooking oil or old rancid butter that has been left too long in a warm environment.

Causes

  • Cheese has been aged in too warm an environment causing oil form within the cheese to liquidize and leak out and which has subsequently gone rancid.
  • Oil used to coat cheese rinds has gone rancid either as aged at too warm an environment or for too long for the type of oil used or because the oil before used was already partly rancid.

Solutions

  • For current cheese, none.
  • For future makes, if oily rind, correct aging environment temperature, if oil used on rinds has gone bad, correct aging temperature, or select oil type to match aging duration, or ensure oil used was fresh, not old and has been properly stored.

Wiki: Body Defects, Rubbery

Rubbery is a term describing a cheeses ability to stretch and return to shape, i.e. the bendability of a young Gouda cheese. This is different from plasticity which is the cheese’s ability to stretch but not return to shape, i.e common with warm mozzarella. Body poor rubbery defects are primarily an issue for Washed Curd type cheeses such as Gouda and Edam. This article discusses a description and causes and solutions organized by root cause.

Description

  • Texture of finished cheese is too rubbery.

Rennet

Causes

  • Excessive amount of rennet used in coagulation phase.

Solutions

  • Current batch, none.
  • For future makes, reduce amount of rennet to correct amount.

Coagulation Temperature

Causes

  • Overheating during making stage.

Solutions

  • Apply correct temperature control during coagulation phase of make.

Improper Washing

Causes

  • If washed curd type cheese, incorrect amount of whey removal and replacement by warm water or incorrect amount of stirring or time during washing.

Solutions

  • Current batch, none.
  • For future washed curd type cheese batches, adjust amount of whey removal and replacement by warm water up or down or amount of stirring or time during washing to obtain more or less rubbery final cheese.

Wiki: Body Defects, Plasticity

Body poor plasticity (stretchability) defects are primarily an issue for Pasta Filata (pulled) type cheeses such as Mozzarella and Washed Curd type cheeses such as Gouda and Edam. This article discusses a description and causes and solutions organized by root cause.

Description

  • Cheese will not stretch, has low plasticity.

Incorrect pH

Causes

  • Acidity level was not within 5.0-5.2 range.

Solutions

  • For current make, if acidity level is too low (pH > 5.2), then if direct acidifying, add more acid (i.e. acetic or citric), if acidifying via lactic acid producing starter culture, then ripen the curd longer.
  • For future makes, if acidity level was too high (pH < 5.0), then if direct acidifying, reduce amount of acid, if acidifying via starter culture then shorten the ripening time of the curd.

Wiki: Body Defects, Moist

Body excessive moisture defects of cheese are common and can be associated with most cheese types. This article provides a description and some common causes and solutions organized by root cause.

Description

  • Texture of body of cheese is too moist and thus too soft.

Rennet

Causes

  • Too little rennet used and thus too much whey retained in the curds.

Solutions

  • For current batch, try to dehydrate by lowering storage environment humidity. Note, too quick dehydration can result in surface cracking.
  • For future batches, use appropriate amount of rennet.

Improper Cut Curds Stage

Causes

  • Curds cut into too large pieces or stirred too little or for too short a time or at too low a temperature resulting in excessive whey retained in the final curds.
  • Cut curds warmed too rapidly which initially cause rapid expulsion of whey from surface of cut curds but then results in the dehydrated layer inhibiting further expulsion of whey from interior of the cut curd piece.

Solutions

  • Cut curds into size, and/or stir more often and for longer time, and/or at temperature dictated by the cheese making recipe/method.
  • Warm cut curds slower at rate dictated by the cheese making recipe/method.

pH Too High

Causes

  • Acidity level in cheese is not high enough

Solutions

  • For current batch, ripen longer.
  • For future makes, use more starter.

Poor Pressing

Causes

  • For pressed cheeses, inadequate pressing (pressure and/or time and/or temperature) resulting in excess moisture held in body of cheese. Note that the intent of pressing is to remove voids between the cut curds, ensure a good knit of the cut curds and to form a dehydrated layer of curds at the cheeses surface to act as a tough rind, it is not to expel excess whey, that is done in the curd forming stage.
  • Some formed cheeses are not pressed when made commercially or by artisans, however if large, they are actually pressed using their own weight. For example commercial Stilton cylinders are typically 8 kg / 17 lbs and are formed by turning the cut curds in large hoops where the cheeses own weight acts to lightly press the cheese. Scaled down such cheeses to smaller makes requires light pressing to arrive at the optimal moisture content.

Solutions

  • For current batch, try to dehydrate by lowering storage environment humidity. Note, too quick dehydration can result in surface cracking.
  • For future pressed cheese makes, use amount of pressure and/or time and/or temperature determined in cheese making recipe/method.
  • For future normally pressed by own weight type cheeses, apply light pressing dependant on batch size.

Poor Aging Environment

Causes

  • If formed cheese, aging environment’s humidity is too high resulting in excessive moisture retention in cheese.

Solutions

  • If formed cheese, reduce aging environment’s humidity to enable more dehydration of cheese.

Wiki: Body Defects, Mechanical Holes

Swollen and barrel shapped yeast contaminated Cheddar.

Body mechanical holes defects of cheese are normally associated with rennet coagulated pressed cheeses can appear in other cheese types. Some cheeses (like Swiss) intentionally develop fairly evenly spaced round-spherical holes commonly called eyes. Most unwanted mechanical openings are irregular shaped and randomly distributed. This article is not for intentional eyes but for unwanted mechanical openings and includes a description and causes and solutions organized by root cause.

Description

  • Body of cheese has unwanted irregular shaped and randomly distributed mechanical holes. These may shrink or disappear if a cheese is partially dehydrated during aging as the cheese shrinks in size.

Yeast Contamination

Swollen and barrel shapped yeast contaminated Cheddar.
Swollen and barrel shapped yeast contaminated Cheddar.

Cause

  • Yeast contamination of curds during cheese making phase causing the production of carbon dioxide gas within the cheese resulting in yeasty smell, unwanted holes, cheese feeling “spongey”, and in extreme cases the cheese swelling significantly. While the resultant cheese may be edible, it will generally have unwanted texture or flavour.

Solution

  • There is no solution for current batch of cheese.
  • The solution for future cheese making is better sanitation, remove sources of yeast (do not make bread at same time as making curds and forming cheese).

Coloform Contamination

Cause

  • Coliform is a bacteria found in feces that has contaminated the milk and thus the cheese curd. It normally results in random somewhat roundish holes in the cheese body (such as from uneven pressing) and in a bad sourish smell.

Solution

  • There is no solution for current batch of cheese.
  • The solution for future cheese making is better sanitation.

BAB Contamination

  • ‘Late Blowing’ or excessive eye formation is a defect caused by the growth of butyric acid bacteria (BAB), mainly Clostridium tyrobutyricum, normally after 4-6 weeks of ripening. The defect can vary from slight gas formation and slightly larger eyes than normal with almost no perceivable off-taste, to very intensive gas production resulting in a higher number of large eyes, cheeses torn open and a clearly perceivable taste of butyric acid.
  • Brine-salted cheeses such as washed curd cheeses are particularly sensitive to `late blowing’ due to the time it takes the salt to diffuse from the exterior to the middle and resulting in a sufficiently high salt concentration to inhibit germination of Cl. tyrobutyricum spores.

Poor Pressing

Natural rind 4 pound Gouda inadequatly pressed resulting in mechanical holes.
Natural rind 4 pound Gouda inadequatly pressed resulting in mechanical holes.

Cause

  • During pressing stage of cheese making, temperature was too high or pressure was too low or time was too short resulting in poor removal of holes between curds. Normally occurs on harder curd cheeses.

Solution

  • Press at temperature or pressure or duration as per recipe/method for cheese type.

Wiki: Body Defects, Dry

Excessively dry bodies of cheese are normally associated with rennet coagulated pressed cheeses although it happen on other cheese types. This article provides a description, causes and solutions organized by root problem to unwanted dry bodies of cheeses.

Description

  • Texture of cheese is too dry from low moisture content and thus excessively hard or tough.

Rennet

Cause

  • Too much rennet used resulting in excessive whey expelled from curds.

Solution

  • Reduce amount of rennet used.

Curd Cutting

Cause

  • Curds cut into too small pieces resulting in excessive whey expelled from curds.

Solution

  • Cut curds into larger size.

Curd Stirring

Cause

  • Cut curds stirred excessively or for too long or at too high a temperature resulting in excessive whey removed form curds.

Solution

  • Reduce amount of stirring of cut curds or reduce time or reduce temperature.

pH Too Low

Cause

  • Cheese is too acidic.

Solution

  • Ripen for less time or add less starter culture.

Poor Environment

Cause

  • If natural rind, ripening/aging environment’s humidity is too low.

Solution

  • Increase humidity during aging, or semi seal rind by oiling or seal rind by vacuum bagging or waxing.

Wiki: Body Defects, Cracks

Body crack defects of cheese are normally associated with rennet coagulated pressed cheeses although they can happen on other cheese types. This article provides a description and cause for cracks to appear in the body of cheeses.

Description

  • Body, interior of cheese has unwanted cracks.

Causes

  • Temperature during aging was too high causing air in internal fissures to expand resulting in cracks in final cheese.

Wiki: Surface Defects, Mold

Two 4 pound Gouda's with Canola oiled rinds, one with blue surface mold, second after brush and water cleaning.

Surface mold defects of cheese are normally cheese type dependent. Molds are common micro-organisms and some are intentionally used in cheese making for their effect on texture and flavour such as white for Camembert and blue for Blue cheeses. This wiki article is not for those but for molds on the surface of cheeses which result in unwanted textures or flavours, their common colour, causes and solutions. 

Blue-Green

Two 4 pound Gouda's with Canola oiled rinds, one with blue surface mold, second after brush and water cleaning.
Two 4 pound Gouda's with Canola oiled rinds, one with blue surface mold, second after brush and water cleaning.

Description

  • Blue to green colour on surface of cheese.

Causes

  • Contamination by airborne Penicillium rocqueforti mould commonly intentionally used in making blue type cheeses due to high humidity. Not dangerous, but visually unappealing when unwanted.

Solutions

  • Wipe or brush off of cheese and rub rind with mixture of vinegar and dry salt. Lower aging humidity and ensure that area is clean and cannot harbor mould.

Black

Description

  • Black colour on surface of cheese.

Causes

  • Contamination by airborne Mucor or pin mould due to high humidity. Not dangerous, but visually unappealing.

Solutions

  • Wipe or brush off of cheese and rub rind with mixture of vinegar and dry salt. Lower aging humidity and ensure that area is clean and cannot harbor mould.

Brown

4 pound Havarti with good white Geotrichum candidum mold and unwanted brown mold on rind.
4 pound Havarti with good white Geotrichum candidum mold and unwanted brown mold on rind.

Description

  • Brown colour on surface of cheese.

Causes

  • Contamination by airborne mould due to high humidity. Not dangerous, but visually unappealing.

Solutions

  • Wipe or brush off of cheese and rub rind with mixture of vinegar and dry salt. Lower aging humidity and ensure that area is clean and cannot harbor mould.

Pink

Description

  • Pink colour on surface of cheese.

Causes

  • More common in Penicillium candidum (white mould) cheese when aging area’s humidity is too high, reduce humidity.

White

2 kg Havarti with good white Geotrichum candidum surface mold.
2 kg Havarti with good white Geotrichum candidum surface mold.

Description

  1. White coloured powdery mold on surface of cheese. Smells earthy like sweet smelling root cellar with faint hints of fermentation.
  2. White fuzzy mold like on Camembert & Brie.

Causes

  1. Normally from Geotrichum candidum and actually a good protective mold but included in this article for completness.
  2. Normally from Penicllium candidum and normally only wanted on white bloomy type rinds such as Camemberts and Bries.

Solutions

  1. None, do not remove as good mold.
  2. Wipe or brush off of cheese and rub rind with mixture of vinegar and dry salt. Lower aging humidity and ensure that area is clean and cannot harbor mould.

Wiki: Surface Defects, Oily

This Wiki article discusses surface normally unwanted oily defects of cheese. Note that oily rinds is a common side product in Swiss type cheese making where those cheeses are held at room temperature for part of their riping to create the eyes in the cheese. Oily rinds are normally associated with rennet coagulated pressed cheeses but can appear on other cheeses types. This article discusses the description, cause (normally ripening at excessive temperature), and solutions to oily surfaced cheeses.

Description

  • Surface layer of cheese has small beads of oil on it.

Cause

  • The most common cause is cheese is being ripened at too warm a temperature or fat content of milk is high and milk fat is seeping or sweating out which if left unattended can result in contamination.

Solution

  • Wash rind with warm water to remove excess oil and age at cooler temperature.

Wiki: Surface Defects, Yeast

Surface yeast defects of cheese are normally cheese type dependent. Yeasts are common micro-organisms and some are intentionally used in cheese making for their effect on texture and flavour such as smear ripened cheeses. This article is not for those but for yeasts on the surface of cheeses which result in unwanted textures or flavours, their common causes and solutions, sorted by root problem.

Description

  • Typical excessive yeast smell is like rising uncooked bread or fermenting beer or wine and taste can be bread flavour.
  • Yeasts are common in the wild and in raw milk.

Excess Moisture

  • Most unwanted yeasts on surface cheeses are caused by air born wild yeasts fermenting on an excessively moist surface of a cheese.
  • One common location of excessively moist cheese surface is the bottom or the side against the mat or board. The cause is normally not turning the cheese frequently enough allowing excess moisture to build on the bottom or not providing a breathable mat or board, for example drying a cheese directly on an impermeable plate versus on well ventilating mats or breathable wooden boards.
  • A second common location of excessively moist cheese surfaces is all over the cheese if the cheese is in a sealed closed container without airflow and 100% humidity which also invites unwanted molds but enables yeasts to dominate as molds need oxygen to grow. The solution is correct humidity during aging.
  • Yeasts are remarkably resilient and once established, their removal is difficult, washing with vinegar will not remove them as it can only lower the pH to ~3.
  • Recommended treatment is to:
    1. Remove yeast contaminated curd with brush.
    2. Wipe the rind with vinegar then dry the surface of the cheese.
    3. Wipe rind with distillers alcohol then dry the surface of the cheese.
    4. Rub rind with salt then remove excess dry rind.
    5. Oil the rind.