Author Topic: Worried about cheese smell  (Read 9415 times)

Leaf

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Worried about cheese smell
« on: August 23, 2013, 01:27:08 AM »
Hey there!

As you can guess, I'm pretty new to cheese making -- I made ricotta and chèvre several times last year but the lack of good milk where I live dampened my enthusiasm. Last week I stumbled upon a farm's brand that looks like everything I need to start getting serious about cheese making and I find myself worried about one last thing.

(And now I hope I'm in the right section of the forum!)

I live in a student's apartment. My room is fairly large so I could build something looking like a cheese-storage rack in a corner or even a wardrobe without any trouble. But as I said in my header-line, what I'm worried about is the cheese smell creeping everywhere. If I was living alone, it wouldn't really be a problem, but I share a common kitchen (plus the corridor leading to said kitchen) with two other people and our walls are thinner than paper.

So what I would like to know is how pervasive the smell of an ageing cheese is. Is there a way to contain it or should I wait until next year, after I move, to try and make anything more complex than feta? Would it be realistic to build a small storage place in a wardrobe and hope the cheese smell stays contained behind the door? (remember, paper-thin walls)

Thank you!
Leaf

(I supposed Ageing Cheese was the right place to ask about ageing smell, but if it's better in Cave Storage or any other board, please feel free to relocate it.)

mjr522

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Re: Worried about cheese smell
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2013, 02:05:25 AM »
If you make cheeses that don't really smell, then smell shouldn't be a problem.  If you want to make stinky cheeses, then, the answer to your question is-it depends.

I do wonder about your idea of building a cheese storage rack for aging.  Cheeses generally need to be kept at cooler than room temperature to age properly.  Are talking about building a refrigeration unit?  There are lots of options for aging at proper temperatures with limited space.  Look around in the cheese cave board and see what people have done.  It might help you get a better idea about what you want to do.  Once you have that idea, then your question about smell can be revisited.

For example, if you go with a fridge type cave, then my experience tells me the smell should mostly stay in the fridge except when the door is open.  (From my experience, most house hold fridges stink, but you only notice the smell if you are close to the floor when the door is open.  The cold, stinky air sinks out of the open door and spreads across the floor.  Try it...)

jwalker

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Re: Worried about cheese smell
« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2013, 02:13:36 AM »
All good cheeses stink!

You might wanna wait till you get your own place.

Somedays when we've been gone all day , I open the door and start looking for where the cat has pooped , then I remember , It's a cheese makers house , fugget about it !

It sounds bad , but it's all good.

It smells bad , but it tastes good.

The cats poop outside , no litter boxes for me ! :o

mjr522

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Re: Worried about cheese smell
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2013, 02:36:56 AM »
All good cheeses stink!

Surely you must like some cheeses that don't stink...right?  :-\

jwalker

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Re: Worried about cheese smell
« Reply #4 on: August 23, 2013, 11:50:36 AM »
All good cheeses stink!

Surely you must like some cheeses that don't stink...right?  :-\

Yeah , cottage cheese , Brie , Cam , come to think of it , I like just about all cheeses. ::)

And now that I think of it , if the OP makes cheeses that get waxed right away , there's really no problem with smelling up the place.

Offline Boofer

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Re: Worried about cheese smell
« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2013, 02:27:50 PM »
All good cheeses stink!
"Stink" is a rather negative characterization. ???

A cheese can be odoriferous or malodorous. Some cheeses have a sweet dairy scent that promises a savory delight to the senses.

Hey, Leaf, you can make a very nice, fairly easy Gouda within a week and seal it up in wax or vacuum-seal and there is no smell. If you want to avoid a cheese odor problem, I would put any washed rind cheeses on hold.

Would you please update your profile to include your location? Thanks.

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

Leaf

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Re: Worried about cheese smell
« Reply #6 on: August 23, 2013, 02:32:54 PM »
Mike Richards, jwalker and Boofer -- thank you so much for your quick answers!

Quote
I do wonder about your idea of building a cheese storage rack for aging.  Cheeses generally need to be kept at cooler than room temperature to age properly.
Actually, my wardrobe was built right along the outside wall and gets quite cold once the worst of summer heat is past, so I was planning to use it mid/end-September to maybe April/May (after that, anyway, I'll have to stop in order to prepare for moving).

Of course, I wasn't planning to make real stinkers right away, mostly some cheddar, gruyère, gouda, feta, try my hands on some cantal... cheeses that can be waxed and/or don't need to age all that much before I can eat or gift them. I'm waiting next year for my dreams of morbier, fontina, parmesan, cancoillotte, danish blue and other cheeses I *know* will smell quite a bit before they're ready to be in my plate.

Quote
Would you please update your profile to include your location?
Sorry, will do right away! I'm from Quebec, Canada.

Thanks again!

Spellogue

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Re: Worried about cheese smell
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2013, 12:18:23 AM »
I don't know about gruyere, but the feta and Gouda won't create an odor crisis. Cheddars can be quite fragrant, but not in so much a stinky way.  Most folks are familiar with the smell of a strong cheddar and aren't overly offended..  Mozzarella and halloumi would be good choices too, as would Caerphilly.  Surface mold ripened cheeses are borderline.  I've made camemberts and Valencays that smelled wonderful throughout their aging, earthy and mushroomy,, but some smelled pretty funky.  Ammonia odors can also be an issue with PC ripened cheeses .  Most of the crotons and other geotrocum ripened cheeses I've made simply reek, even though they taste heavenly.

If you can rig up a decent working cave, I say go for it with the milder cheeses. Life is too short to delay your cheesemaking adventures.

jwalker

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Re: Worried about cheese smell
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2013, 02:30:25 PM »
All good cheeses stink!
"Stink" is a rather negative characterization. ???

A cheese can be odoriferous or malodorous. Some cheeses have a sweet dairy scent that promises a savory delight to the senses.

No , "stink" is good.....3. Slang To have something to an extreme or offensive degree: a family that stinks with money;

"A cheese that stinks with flavor" ;D

"Odoriferous"........... The might call it odoriferous, or they might say it just plain stinks.

"Malodorous"................You can use the adjective malodorous as a nicer way to say that something's stinky.

See , even in the links you posted , it still all comes back to "STINK" , not negative at all , but stink in a good way. ;D ;D ;D

https://www.google.ca/webhp?source=search_app#q=stinky+cheese&safe=active

I do so love a "stinky" cheese !