Author Topic: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese  (Read 4810 times)

debdp

  • Guest
Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« on: March 25, 2013, 03:16:48 AM »
While I'm new to cheesemaking (about 6 months) I've stuck to cream cheese, queso blanco, queso fresco and chevre. I use raw milk and raw goat milk for my cheeses.  And until tonight have never had any problems.

I let the raw milk curd sit in the oven overnight and today. When I uncovered it the curd was a large mass.  The cream had gathered at the top, but below the curd had holes in it and most of the whey at the bottom. It doesn't smell off.  I've never seen it like this before. I used MM1 from Dairy Connection and Organic vegetable rennet. I used New England Cheese's online recipe omitting the calcium chloride.  I also had another pot of chevre in the oven (both were covered). So they both sat there overnight.

On internet searching troubleshooting I saw one spot that said it could be bacteria that caused the holes and mentioned yeasty smell or off smell, neither of which I'm getting in the cream cheese curd. It is currently draining but I'm leery.  Should I drain and taste or just toss?

Offline H-K-J

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: South East Idaho
  • Posts: 1,776
  • Cheeses: 145
  • Act as if it were impossible to fail.
    • Cookin with uh dash dogs hair
Re: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2013, 04:18:30 PM »
Continue on and taste, if the taste is off then you decide if you would eat it :o
Never hit a man with glasses, use a baseball bat!
http://cocker-spanial-hair-in-my-food.blogspot.com/

debdp

  • Guest
Re: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2013, 03:45:03 AM »
It wasn't bad, had a very mild tang, not as sweet as what I've made before.  I think I let it sit too long before draining. I'm noticing my raw cow milk sets up faster than the goat milk.

Offline Tiarella

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Chester, MA, US
  • Posts: 1,748
  • Cheeses: 81
  • Default personal text
    • Farm Blog
Re: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2013, 12:00:43 PM »
I had a batch once that had lots of holes in it and sort of bubbled forms.  I think that was contaminated.  When a batch sets up fast, pulls away from the sides and cracks in the middle I think I know that it set up faster than I expected but is okay.  The bubbled form batch went to the chickens.

cheeseslovesu

  • Guest
Re: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2013, 03:37:33 AM »
It sounds like you have the set temperature too hot. Usually the temperature for a chevre/cream cheese is 20 - 25C for an 18 hour set. The temperature in your kitchen should be warm enough to leave it on the kitchen bench. If the temperature drops too much just immerse pot in a water bath at about 30C.
Another thing to be aware of is the amount of rennet you add. For a soft chevre/cow cream cheese it is 4 drops to 10 litres of milk. Don't be tempted to add more. If I have a few litres of milk I only add one drop from a teaspoon.

I hope that helps, don't give up!
Cheeses Loves You

debdp

  • Guest
Re: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2013, 07:13:34 PM »
It sounds like you have the set temperature too hot. Usually the temperature for a chevre/cream cheese is 20 - 25C for an 18 hour set. The temperature in your kitchen should be warm enough to leave it on the kitchen bench. If the temperature drops too much just immerse pot in a water bath at about 30C.
Another thing to be aware of is the amount of rennet you add. For a soft chevre/cow cream cheese it is 4 drops to 10 litres of milk. Don't be tempted to add more. If I have a few litres of milk I only add one drop from a teaspoon.

I hope that helps, don't give up!
Cheeses Loves You

What I ended up finding out is my rennet was going bad.  I had it 9 months.  I was preparing to make another cheese (first time to make cheddar) and found a test for rennet on the New England Cheesemaking site and tried the test and the rennet failed.  I bought a new bottle of rennet and some tablets as backup.  With the new rennet I made cream cheese, chevre, my first goat milk cheddar and haloumi and so far everything has turned out great.  I don't even think I had used a tablespoon out of that first bottle in 9 months and had to toss it.  So now I have to make more cheese more often so not to waste the rennet  :)

Offline Boofer

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Lakewood, Washington
  • Posts: 5,015
  • Cheeses: 344
  • Contemplating cheese
Re: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2013, 11:34:21 PM »
I don't even think I had used a tablespoon out of that first bottle in 9 months and had to toss it.  So now I have to make more cheese more often so not to waste the rennet  :)
I never got into the liquid rennet for that very reason. I use dry calf rennet that I keep in the freezer. It has worked very well for me and I never consider that it is going "off'. YMMV.

I didn't want to feel pressured to make cheese just to make sure I used the rennet.

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

george

  • Guest
Re: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2013, 08:37:34 AM »
I never got into the liquid rennet for that very reason. I use dry calf rennet that I keep in the freezer. It has worked very well for me and I never consider that it is going "off'. YMMV.

I didn't want to feel pressured to make cheese just to make sure I used the rennet.
Or worry about whether it's still okay when using.

I'm with Boofer on this one, my dry calf rennet is still perfectly fine after almost two years using the same storage methods.  Using slightly more at this point (read: full measurement rather than scant measurement), but that's the beauty of the floc method.   8)

cheeseslovesu

  • Guest
Re: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« Reply #8 on: June 14, 2013, 10:31:24 AM »
I use a fair bit of liquid non animal rennet so I don't have any waste.

OK cheese heads - I have just purchased some calf rennet, which cheese should I try to make with it?? I am very successful at Colby and Romano...

High Altitude

  • Guest
Re: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« Reply #9 on: September 26, 2013, 02:54:00 PM »
I have only used calf rennet, and it has made superb Colby and Parmesan for me  ;D!  Make both!

margaretsmall

  • Guest
Re: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2013, 12:06:07 AM »
Didn't realize you could get dry calf rennet, is it available from any of the Australian suppliers? If not, would it survive posting from overseas?
Margaret

Offline H-K-J

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: South East Idaho
  • Posts: 1,776
  • Cheeses: 145
  • Act as if it were impossible to fail.
    • Cookin with uh dash dogs hair
Re: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« Reply #11 on: September 27, 2013, 03:04:14 PM »
Didn't realize you could get dry calf rennet, is it available from any of the Australian suppliers? If not, would it survive posting from overseas?
Margaret

I bought this dry calf rennet 2 years ago, it still works exactly as it did from the very first cheese I made with it.
Btw it is made in New Zealand  ^-^
Never hit a man with glasses, use a baseball bat!
http://cocker-spanial-hair-in-my-food.blogspot.com/

Offline Gürkan Yeniçeri

  • The one who masters temperature and humidity can make any cheese.
  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Canberra / Australia
  • Posts: 703
  • Cheeses: 36
  • It's not a hobby, it's an addiction, a good one.
    • Artizan Peynirci
Re: Odd curd result in makng cream cheese
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2013, 09:29:17 PM »
Didn't realize you could get dry calf rennet, is it available from any of the Australian suppliers? If not, would it survive posting from overseas?
Margaret


It would definetly survive posting but would not survive Australian Customs  >:(

You can get liquid calf rennet though. Ask to these guys http://www.australiandairyingredients.com.au/categories/Rennet-%26-Enzymes