Havarti Disaster

[JaimeMacNCheese]

So, upon delivery of my cheese trier yesterday, I couldn't help myself and tried the tiniest bit of my first hard cheese - a red pepper havarti that has been aging at 55 F for about 3 weeks.   I was hoping for the creamy, buttery flavor of most havartis, but instead it tasted rubbery, a teeny bit bitter and just "off."  It tasted the way cheap store-bought mozzarella can sometimes taste - almost plasticy.  NOT what I was hoping for.

Some details:
I used the recipe from Debra Amrein-Boyes' "200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes" (scaled down for a 2-gallon batch) which does not include the brining step that I've seen in most other havarti recipes (and which I had some concerns about from the get-go).  I have more details in my make log at home and will update this as soon as I can with that info, but I do know that I was OBSESSIVE about sanitation and followed the recipe to a T.  I used pasteurized,  unhomogonized milk from a local creamery, and the milk was about 3 days old (from the time of milking). 

My Questions:
1) I'm sure some of the flavor deficit is due to lack of salt.  Could I try brining the cheese now, or has that ship sailed?  Is the damage irreversible?
2) Could the bitter flavor and rubbery texture be a result of insufficient aging?  The curds tasted sweet (and squeaky) before pressing, and I know the milk was fresh and handled in a sanitary manner.  I use liquid animal rennet from NECMC, and (if memory serves) I believe I used 1/8 tsp.

As a newbie to making aged cheeses, I have to admit that this feels a little like teenage heartbreak.  I was SO excited to taste my first effort, and now I'm just wondering what went wrong. 

Any insight at this point is greatly appreciated (I realize that it will be difficult to diagnose the problem without more detailed info/photos), and I will try to update this post tonight with the details from the log.

Thanks guys

[BigCheese]

Welcome to the club! I know the heartbreak. I'll leave others to diagnose for you, but I will say that Debis Havarti recipe (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,1491.msg28602/topicseen.html#new) has worked very well for me. I have only tasted one of the week old wheels, but it was on its way to a good place. I even followed the water bath, nervously.

[DeejayDebi]

First off 3 weeks is very young even for Havarti. If you really think it needs more salt try brining again but the bitter could just be because the flavor hasn't developed yet. Secondly I wasn't happy with the recipe in 200 cheeses either. I don't know why I even tried it when I liked my recipe as it was. I posted a recipe here that works great everytime and has a really low melting point - try it's - it's easy!

[JaimeMacNCheese]

Thanks for the support, guys   I ended up re-brining the cheese and putting it back in the cave for another 4-6 weeks to see what happens.  Unfortunately, our house was burgled not long after I made the original post and my cheese log was destroyed (along with many, many other, and more sentimental belongings).  So, my apologies for not updating this post before now. 

DeejayDebi, I will definitely be using your recipe next time.  Every havarti I've seen you post looks A M A Z I N G. 

[DeejayDebi]

Gee Jamie sorry to here your house go burglurized that would really upset me for a good long while. I just can't understand that sort of thing. Just plain evil for people to think that way. So sorry to hear that. Prayers for safety and peace of mind headed your way.

I think you'l find the Havarti method I posted pretty simple and tasty. You can add all sorts of god things to it as well. Good luck!

[Sailor Con Queso]

Deb - I tried the fresh water soak on a Havarti 2 weeks ago. I did NOT like the soft rind that it left and I had unwanted mold forming before I even got it air dried. You seem to like that technique. Yes?

[DeejayDebi]

Yes I do like it but you will have to watch the water bath. The time suggested by Mr. Wallace is way to much for a small 3-4 pound cheese. You may find as little as an hour is sufficent and you must dry it with towels well before air drying. I didn't have any mold problems. I wash a lot as you know the green blue molds give me a rash.

Not sure how to word this but as soon as the cheese starts to feel slick remove it and begin brining. That seems to be sufficent. I need to find the origainal experiment post and add that statement.

[BigCheese]

I did the water bath on my 2 recent 8 lb batches. Neither of them got very slick at any point, but I did get to the point where I felt like they might fall apart, and since Debi had said she got to that point, I took that as a good sign. I tasted one at 4 weeks and did not have much character and unfortunately the dill barely came through at all. Store-bought dill is the pits but we had none of our own at the time. I am hoping at 8 weeks it will be more relishable.

[Cheesetart]

I made one several months ago based on Debi's recipe/method.  When I first tried the cheese, I was slightly diappointed in the flavor -- it was not what I expected.  But it was an early cut.  I waited a few more months, tried it again, and it was a completely different cheese.  The flavor had developed quite nicely.  I've learned that it truly does take time for a cheese to develop its flavor/personality. 

[DeejayDebi]

Yes one thing about this water bath method is unlike the original recipe I posted it takes much longer to develop. I guess thats because the water drops the acidity so fast it takes longer to develop a true havarti flavor. The no water bath havarti begins to develop flavor after only a month or so.

I am still not sure which I like beter - as I rarely eat a cheese before the 5 to 6 month period due to using raw milk both have become great cheeses by then.