Author Topic: My 4th Gouda  (Read 8098 times)

Offline Boofer

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #15 on: April 30, 2013, 05:02:33 PM »
I read a post about the gouda blowing up like that once. Herman said that they put something in their cheese to keep it from happening, it had something to do with feeding the cows silage in the winter.
From one of my Maasdams, "Also, where I had used sodium nitrate as per Jarlsberg guidelines to control late-blowing in Jarlsbergs I've made in the past, I acquired and implemented Holdbac with this make to achieve the same purpose biologically."

The Dutch use sodium nitrate (saltpeter) to control late-blowing. The Holdbac is an improved, biological corrective.

A clarification.

Another datapoint.


That's pretty impressive rind control to not have it burst wide open like a ripe melon. My hat's off to you, sir.  ;) 

Pretty scary too. You may be in for a Gouda similar to my Leiden, which is just a cumin-dosed Gouda from what I gather.

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« Last Edit: April 30, 2013, 05:09:37 PM by Boofer »
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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #16 on: April 30, 2013, 06:04:52 PM »
Thanks Boofer.  Some interesting information.  I would think the probability of butyric acid bacteria in the milk would be low (it's pasturised and homogenized store bought milk), but we'll see when it's cut open.  If it is that, then the cheese will be inedible and, presumable, have off smells, etc.  Otherwise, and what I suspect, it's the buttermilk producing CO2 and the rind, pressed under whey, was tight enough that none of it is escaping, hence the large swell.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

- Jeff

Offline Boofer

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #17 on: May 01, 2013, 11:53:29 PM »
Sounds reasonable. Yes, I have been made to believe that the butyric acid bacteria would be rare.

I think the bit of insurance from the little bit of Holdbac that I add would be worth it if I ever encountered the problem.

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Offline Tiarella

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #18 on: May 04, 2013, 10:02:58 AM »
Thanks Boofer.  Some interesting information.  I would think the probability of butyric acid bacteria in the milk would be low (it's pasturised and homogenized store bought milk), but we'll see when it's cut open.  If it is that, then the cheese will be inedible and, presumable, have off smells, etc.  Otherwise, and what I suspect, it's the buttermilk producing CO2 and the rind, pressed under whey, was tight enough that none of it is escaping, hence the large swell.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

- Jeff

Jeff,  I'm curious about how one would recognize if cheese is contaminated or not.  My brother tells me that a few of the most deadly contaminants are odorless and that my "smelling of leftovers to see if they are still good" is a bit useless.  That made me wonder about cheese contamination, especially since frankly, some stinky cheeses DO smell inedible to me even though they are "fine".   ::). What do you think about it?   -Kathrin

JeffHamm

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #19 on: May 04, 2013, 07:11:02 PM »
Hi Tiarella,

Most contaminations produce bad smells, and the description in Boofer's thread of butyric acid bacteria contamination is for the cheese to become foul and inedible.  So, if I have that and not a CO2 build up, then it will be easily determined.  I'm thinking the likely culprits are CO2, either from the buttermilk or, possibly, a wild yeast got in.  I suppose there are some contaminations that don't get picked up by the sniff test, but there are a lot that do. 

In someways, this cheese is contaminated (in that something is producing gass that wasn't intended to), but it is determining what that contamination is that becomes the challenge.

- Jeff

JeffHamm

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #20 on: August 23, 2013, 08:06:08 PM »
Ok,  this is now 5 months old, and it's down to 958g.  I cut it open, and it is full of holes like a swiss cheese!  Also, had a blue contamination inside, though contained enough that it could be cut out.  It doesn't smell foul, and I've had a wee nibble.  Tastes like a swiss.  A touch bitter on the finish, but so far, no ill effects.  I did make a Beaufort a few weeks before this one, but in between I had made a Lancashire and a Feta and neither of them showed any contamination from the PS I used in the Beaufort.  I've never had a wild PS contaminate any of my cheeses before, so either a weird coincidence, or somehow I got some PS into this cheese and it really took off.  The odd thing is that the strain I have is not supposed to produce a lot of gass, leading back to the wild PS theory.

Still not sure if this should be eaten or binned. 

- Jeff

P.S.  I've had another nibble, and while there are no ill effects, the bitterness that was noticable right out of the cave seemed more pronounced (to me, but Vanessa didn't even notice it before, so ?).  It doesn't taste anything like gouda.  I'm thinking this goes in the bin.  The taste, once warmed up, is not great, there is clearly some sort of contamination (yeast, or a wild PS), so unless Vanessa likes it, I'm not sure this is worth keeping.  Oh well, only the 2nd cheese to get binned, so not a bad run.

P.P.S. Ok, it seems I'm being overly particular.  Vanessa thinks it's fine.  So, we'll eat it.  Not one I would want to replicate, but edible.
« Last Edit: August 23, 2013, 11:49:39 PM by JeffHamm »

Offline Boofer

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #21 on: August 23, 2013, 11:55:55 PM »
Boy, you've been busy today, Jeff. Lots of cheeses out for inspection. :P

Sorry to hear about this poor cheese. Oh, I see there's an opening for it here. ::)

I think these little disappointments we experience give us perspective for the other things that we do. Or as my Mom would say "It's character-building." In the military, it was always "Suck it up...and drive on!" :)

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #22 on: August 24, 2013, 02:42:53 AM »
Yah, mistakes are learning experiences.  Unfortunately for me, I didn't try anything new and from my notes, all looks well.  I'm assuming that some sort of contamination got into the cheese, yeast or perhaps a wild PS strain (yeast I think the more likely).  At first I thought it was the buttermilk producing gas, but I've used cubes from that batch since and have not had a repeat, so they are off the hook.  Which probably means I owe them an apology. 

- Jeff

JeffHamm

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #23 on: August 24, 2013, 10:59:21 PM »
Although Vanessa thought this was edible, and we each had a nibble with no side effects, I found there was a bitterness that ended up just being unpalatable.  I've binned this as, well, life is too short to eat bad cheese.

- Jeff

Offline Boofer

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #24 on: August 26, 2013, 01:40:48 PM »
I've binned this as, well, life is too short to eat bad cheese.
Agreed. I've tossed a few non-miracles myself. Sometimes things just don't turn out. :'(

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hoeklijn

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #25 on: August 26, 2013, 02:58:58 PM »
The bitter taste and the big crack inside would suggest a buteryc acid bacteria contamination (late blowing). How it is contaminated (together with the blue?) is of course a different story. 

JeffHamm

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #26 on: August 26, 2013, 06:36:13 PM »
Thanks Herman.  Who knows, but from somewhere contamination entered the room and decided to stay.  Fortunately, this doesn't occur often.  However, it also means I've not had much luck with my gouda's.  Must try again.

- Jeff

hoeklijn

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #27 on: August 27, 2013, 05:40:24 AM »
Yes, you're really unlucky with your Gouda. By the way, a young Gouda is only between 4 and 6 weeks old. Personally I prefer them much older...

Offline Boofer

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #28 on: August 27, 2013, 12:57:03 PM »
Yes, you're really unlucky with your Gouda. By the way, a young Gouda is only between 4 and 6 weeks old. Personally I prefer them much older...
Yes, more like 4-6 months might be better. I have sampled a commercial 4-year-old Gouda in the past...not an everyday cheese for my tastes. :P

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Re: My 4th Gouda
« Reply #29 on: August 27, 2013, 09:34:15 PM »
I've had two turn out pretty good.  I still have some of my first gouda, which is approaching 3 years old.  The third one is close to 2 years old.  Those are both good (though the latter was quite we under the wax).  My second I opened at a month, and it was very mild, and needed more ripening time.  This one, well, it's in the bin.  Will try again.  I would like to get a decent gouda as a younger cheese make though.  Will eventually get there.

- Jeff