Cheese rose like bread

[Sue Harris]

We had a bit, actually a lot, of a disaster yesterday. Making Gruyere for the first time, we couldn't get to clean break, in fact no coagulation at all.  So, after giving it more time with no result, we added more rennet, and did get to clean break, carried on carefully with the instructions, all seemed well, this morning, our cheese had risen like a loaf of bread.

Our milk was fresh from the cow that morning, went straight into the chiller and was used in the afternoon.  All usual hygiene precautions taken.  We are new to cheese making - what went wrong?  We have never had either of these problems before.  (We use camel rennet, so, we always have to use half the amount stated in a normal recipe. Our recipe came form Debra Amrein Boyes "200 Easy home made cheeses")  Oh, but we don't add the calcium chloride on the advice of our cheese instructor.  We used pastured raw milk and we live in the tropics so there is no winter milk issue to speak of.

[Al Lewis]

Calcium Chloride is not needed with raw milk.  I'm no pro at this but it sounds to me like you definately have either a milk or rennet problem.  That cheese is creating a lot of gas in way too short a period.  If it were mine I would cut it open and see what the problem is.

[Sue Harris]

Thanks for responding. Well the rennet is fresh, and has been kept in the chiller, and handled with chlorine free dropper etc.  The cheese is just the texture of well risen dough.  The whey which was left overnight at room temp (destined for the chickens) has a layer of thick creamy foam, not unpleasant to the taste.  I think it must be something to do with the milk too, although this is the milk from the same supplier we always use.

I guess we have to mark it down to experience....our first major failure.

[Al Lewis]

Well it's not really your failure if the milk was bad.

[qdog1955]

Do you have make notes-----that might help locate a problem. You weren't making your cheese in the same place you make breads or beer, were you? Yeast contamination can be a real concern in cheese making, though I don't know what the reaction would look or act like---maybe some of the more experienced makers will pipe in.
Qdog

[Stinky]

I must admit camel rennet is new to me. And it works? 

[Sue Harris]

Yes we have notes - but can't identify anything problematical.  I really do think it might be the milk.  Yes camel rennet, we all use it here as it's what we can get.  It's very strong, but it works just fine.  It was found to be camel when clean break point was coming in about half the time expected.