Author Topic: Failures I have known  (Read 39546 times)

Offline Boofer

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Failures I have known
« on: January 27, 2013, 04:56:17 PM »
Not so long ago, Tiarella voiced a desire to have a forum subject or thread where pics could be gathered in one place. This probably is not what she was looking for, but I felt it might be helpful to have a Thread of Shame where dirty cheese laundry could be hung up for all to see and hopefully benefit from.

I offer these painful lessons in my cheesemaking efforts:
  • Pressing too hard, long, and warm with Kadova moulds produces this problem.
  • Not properly initiating and controlling rind protection may produce this in a washed-rind.
  • Not paying attention while pressing with a stack of weights may produce this artistic diversion.
  • If the form factor of your cheese is too thin or your rind development is too aggressive or your floc factor is too high, then maybe you'll have a melty washed-rind like this.
  • Just trying an experiment in liqueur-washed rinds and the wrong recipe model (Esrom; form factor is thinner) with too little objective direction may produce this.
  • Experimenting with acidic fruit in a cheese make may totally destroy your dreams of blueberries & cream...twice!!!
Yes, there are others, but they are early failures so they are granted Beginner's Lack of Luck & Experience status.

If anyone else has a need to come clean and air their errors ???, feel free to sign up here. If you do, it would be helpful to highlight appropriate pics or threads and include a brief description of what you think went wrong. ;)

-Boofer-
« Last Edit: January 28, 2013, 02:06:21 PM by Boofer »
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

mtncheesemaker

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2013, 11:53:16 PM »
LOL! Thanks for sharing! Reminded me of my own jaded past...

Offline Boofer

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2013, 02:03:17 PM »
Just trying to keep it interesting.... ::)

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

AndreasMergner

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2013, 09:32:27 PM »
Boofer, I like the idea of this thread a lot! 

I have a bunch of failures and thought it was just me.  Boofer, cheese demigod, could not possibly have made the type of mistakes I have made.  :)  Good to know we all started out somewhere.  I may post some failures once the sting has faded a bit.

Offline Boofer

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2013, 12:44:24 AM »
Good to know we all started out somewhere.
You know, if you look really closely, you can see that I'm still fumbling in the dark with some of my makes. Whoopee!

Eh, when you step up to the plate, sometimes you just foul out. :'(  But you gotta try! ;)

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

AndreasMergner

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2013, 01:42:11 AM »
Yes, but you are making some exceptional and very interesting cheeses.  When you are in the cheese Danger Zone there's always the risk of....danger...and bad cheese.   ;D

mjr522

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2013, 02:53:23 AM »
Unfortunately, some of us are sufficiently blind that even the Safe Area of cheese making is the Danger Zone.  :-[  Like the time I failed to distinguish between 1 1/2 tsp and 1 1/2 Tbsp for a 30-minute mozzarella.  It turns out 1 1/2 Tbsp of citric acid is quite a bit for 2 gallons of milk...

You also might have seen my recent cam make where I had a messy mistake:

[img width= height= alt=wet curd pile on cheese mat]http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/530762_281415091983938_1888296182_n.jpg[/img]

I just figure, if I keep making mistakes, but don't repeat them too often, sooner or later I will have made most of the mistakes out there and can get along without making them regularly.

Offline Schnecken Slayer

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2013, 06:17:02 AM »
My first attempt at Jarlsberg was obviously way too wet and, after drying the rind and waxing, it started weeping and cracked.
It still tastes alright although very crumbly - I cut it in half and let it dry out some more before vacuum sealing it.
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10508.0.html

My second attempt is only about 2/3 the height and so far is fairing well. (Although I got carried away while waxing and did it in red also. The yellow seems a bit more elastic)
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10842.0.html


-Bill
One day I will add something here...

Offline H-K-J

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2013, 04:24:00 PM »
My first Swiss went totally and literally to piece's :-[
It took months of questions and a lot of help from the more knowledgeable people on the forum before I attempted it a second time.
I am happy to report it is doing fine at 3 months of ageing ;D
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tnbquilt

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2013, 05:22:13 PM »
I like this thread!

I have added too much rennet (because the recipe called for too much). This causes a very firm rubbery texture.

Not enough culture causes a bitter flavor. I used 1/4 tsp versus 1 tsp.

Not calibrating the PH meter before use caused me to end up with really low ph levels. Really low ph produces a hard, dry and tangy cheese.

Not soaking in the brine long enough causes a low salt level which results in bitter cheese.

Not cooling the brine before putting the cheese in it causes the cheese to absorb liquid and swell up. It was still edible.

tnbquilt

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2013, 05:34:32 PM »
On Boofer's list I have done the 3rd one and came out with that whop-sided cheese. It was still delicious.

Also on Boofer's notes he had one where he was washing it with liqueur and I had that same problem with an Ale Washed Trappist cheese a few months ago. The outside was the same color, and it wiped off like his did. The taste was horribly bitter. I was using a recipe out of Mary Karlin's book, and I'm still not sure what happened to cause that. I was washing mine with a water, beer, salt mixture.

BobE102330

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2013, 06:17:02 PM »
...Not cooling the brine before putting the cheese in it causes the cheese to absorb liquid and swell up. It was still edible.

That (hopefully) explains it.  My first cheese with raw milk is a Montasio that puffed up in the brine and feels a bit spongy.  Hopefully it will still be edible when it is appropriately aged.  It smells good on the outside.

flac

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2013, 05:46:45 AM »
Saving my spot for later. I will end up with some note worthy errors soon enough.

Offline Vina

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #13 on: January 30, 2013, 08:04:53 AM »
Boofer, I like the idea! Thanks!

Offline Tiarella

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #14 on: January 30, 2013, 11:46:37 AM »

I have a bunch of failures and thought it was just me.  Boofer, cheese demigod, could not possibly have made the type of mistakes I have made.  :)

"Cheese Demigod"  Yeah, that's the perfect way to describe Boofer!  :D  I like it.  I had been thinking "Cheese Ambassador" because of his unfailing graciousness and encouraging kindness but I think the demigod concept fits!!   ;D. Tha avatar he's chosen certainly fits that too!