Author Topic: Failures I have known  (Read 39553 times)

Offline Boofer

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #60 on: July 04, 2013, 05:01:53 PM »
Well, I didn't have a lot of confidence in this little sideshow from the beginning given my past history. This cheese effort was too salty. The blueberries didn't dry out the paste so much, but they didn't contribute any fruit flavor either.

I think I'll hang up my fruit-in-the-cheese ideas and do something anything else. :o

This mess was deposited in the compost pile. :(

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« Last Edit: July 04, 2013, 05:06:55 PM by Boofer »
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Offline Al Lewis

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #61 on: July 04, 2013, 06:39:26 PM »
Looks a bit like the wine washed colby I attempted.  Not a great idea either.
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JeffHamm

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #62 on: July 04, 2013, 07:05:57 PM »
A shame Boofer.  It looks like it should have been good, but as we know, there are cheeses that look like they should be incinerated and biosecurity called in except they taste to devine!  Others, look fine but taste of brimstone. 

- Jeff

tnbquilt

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #63 on: July 24, 2013, 12:16:35 AM »
My turn to add to the family album. I wanted to make a cheddar with cranberries. I didn't boil the cranberries, and I used way too many of them. Now the vacuum seal bag continues to swell up and I keep having to let the air out. Sailor says that it may be Clostridium which is not a good thing. I suspected it had gone south when it continue to poof out the bag.

I will try again, with about 1/4 of the cranberries, and I will chop them and boil them next time.

Offline Boofer

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #64 on: July 24, 2013, 12:42:16 PM »
Thanks for having the courage to post this, Tammy. It can be demoralizing to have one of these episodes but your sharing may help prevent someone else's misstep or failure.

Eh, now buck up and make another cheese! ;)

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jwalker

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #65 on: July 24, 2013, 12:44:50 PM »
I was thinking of doing a Stilton with Fruit Cocktail , but after seeing these , I think I'll pass on the fruit cheeses. ;D

Just kidding  ;D  I've never really gotten the fruit with cheese thing.

My mother loves to eat aged Cheddar with slices of apple , perhaps that's the way it should be done , with the fruit on the side.

tnbquilt

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #66 on: July 24, 2013, 09:00:00 PM »
I had a  cheddar with cranberries that was excellent, it came from Wisconsin of course. I tried to buy one here at the store, but it was not real cheese, it was that mushy processed cheese food stuff. Either I'll figure it out one day, or I'll find a place to buy it.

As long as the ratio of good cheese is higher than that of cheese in the trash, I'll keep trying.

Now I have 8 gallons of milk coming on Friday, what to make?

JeffHamm

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #67 on: August 24, 2013, 02:40:48 AM »
Well, if this was a Swiss I would probably be fairly happy.  However, this is supposed to be a Gouda?  After aging it out 25 weeks, and watching it blow up like a football, I finally cut it open.  It heaved a sigh of relief at the release of pressure.  It's edible, but not a great cheese.  Sometimes you hope that your mistakes will turn out to be a chance encounter with fate and a wonderful new best cheese ever will be the result.  But alas, hope is the thing with feathers, and our dreams fly off a the crack of dawn when we finally have a taste and find it to be, oddly swiss like, but a tinge of bitterness.  There was a sizable wild blue mould colony under the rind in the middle of the face opposite the large blow out cavity.  I've cut it out in this photo, and you can see where it was at the top of the cheese. 

P.S.

Tasted a few more nibbles, and the bitterness was just unpleasant.  It also had a strange flavour, like eating uncooked pasta (bought, not homemade).  So, the final call was to just bin it.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2013, 06:35:48 AM by JeffHamm »

tnbquilt

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #68 on: August 24, 2013, 02:58:56 PM »
I did have a Swiss that looked like that once, it swelled up and I didn't put it back in the cave, I just let it sit out until it blew itself apart on the inside. It was delicious.

I'm sorry for the loss of your cheese, we know you worked hard at making it and were looking forward to eating it.


chewie

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #69 on: August 24, 2013, 08:57:25 PM »
I was coming here today to add a confession of sorts.   all this time I thought I'd had sanitation down well enough.    major NOPE.   I thought I'd try steaming all my things in the large pot.   set it out to cool on a bleached large pan.   with tongs.   and guess what?  my goudas now don't have ANY mold on them.    :-[   I am so embarassed.   one of the reasons I post this is for any other newbies who think their normal dishwasher/handwashing routine is good enough for cheese making .  ITS NOT.   at all.   these 2 wheels are developing so very nice, not a spot on either, not a single speck!!!   

I am using the book http://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Cheese-Making-Home-World-Class/dp/1607740087/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377377734&sr=1-1&keywords=artisan+cheese+making   because it has recipes that are mostly 2 gallons, which is an easier amt for me to work with.   I sold a few goats and they are slowing production at this time of year, so this way I am using milk that is very fresh.   

I feel so stupid.   all this time, I just assumed.   amazing thing, sanitation.    ::)

Offline Boofer

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #70 on: August 24, 2013, 10:02:53 PM »
I feel so stupid.
And with this post, you've eliminated that stigma...sharing insight with others here. ;)

A cheese to you for giving an enhanced perspective. Thanks, chewie.

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jwalker

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #71 on: August 25, 2013, 01:31:36 PM »
I'm sorry for the loss of your cheese.

An autopsy is scheduled for later this week.
Services will be held next Sunday at 11:00am.
Food and refreshments after interment.

We take our cheese seriously here. ;D

My condolences as well Jeff. :'(


Offline Tiarella

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #72 on: August 25, 2013, 03:08:55 PM »
I feel so stupid.
And with this post, you've eliminated that stigma...sharing insight with others here. ;)

A cheese to you for giving an enhanced perspective. Thanks, chewie.

-Boofer-

For another thought on sanitization......there's me.  I know enough about how stuff travels through the air, lands everywhere, etc to think that it's likely a losing battle for me to try to sterilize stuff completely.  maybe if I lived in a high rise apartment with elevator providing a little distance from dirt, pollen (okay, presume air circulation system with filter too), etc.   But I live surrounded by gardens, pollen and yeasts blowing everywhere, have cats (who stay off counters thankfully) etc.  AND.....around the world cheeses are routinely aged in natural caves (yes, it's true that there are complex constructed cave systems also) full of molds, yeasts, etc and we actually add them to cheese....and PAY for them too!  And, my brain muses on how cheese has been made for hundreds of years, even before sanitation was a concept.  (except perhaps for the Swiss according to forum member Alps). I believe that cheese was made in households with livestock IN the house, flies everywhere, etc.   

Now, I'm not a slob, I do like my kitchen to be clean and have even been known to use a sanitizing spray with thyme oil as the active ingredient.  (I don't want to put bleach into the environment so I don't use it)  But I'm not pretending I'm sanitizing everything and I'm believing that all cheese-eating ethnicities would be extinct if it was up to sanitization to make cheese making safe.  And yes, I DO know that people do sometimes die from contaminated cheese and that's a shame.  I wonder sometimes at the proportion of raw milk to pasteurized milk related problems.

I bet people who know a whole lot more than I have some differing viewpoints that are valid and might identify some delusions in my thinking and I welcome that.  I like to learn and I don't mind being wrong.  In the meantime I'm learning what to watch out for....... :o

chewie

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #73 on: August 25, 2013, 07:00:36 PM »
that's what I thought too--good grief, cheese has been around forever, and there was a time that doc's didn't even wash between patients!   but, when I made 4 cheeses that have turned to slimey black and orange things smelling of ripe baby diapers, and then, using the same milk, kitchen and tools, and recipes and make 4 rounds of very pretty cheeses, i'm sold on sanitation!~

and I admit to being in love with bleach, but as to not interfer with my cheese making, I put all my stuff into my mega big pot and steamed it good and long and hot.   used tongs to remove the items, dumped the water into the sink (to use later in water bath, washing, etc.) and proceeded.   took veyr little time, and i figure that extra time has now paid off very well--i will probably be able to eat this cheese, even in front of ppl!   

I am keeping those funky wheels to see what happens to them btw.  and, I bleached the dickens outta my dorm 'cave' too.   

Offline Boofer

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Re: Failures I have known
« Reply #74 on: August 26, 2013, 01:51:42 PM »
I was looking back a bit and discovered this forgotten make. It seemed like it belonged in the Family Album.

Fortunately, more recent Gouda makes have been a little more encouraging. ;)

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