Author Topic: First cheese tasted horrible! Oh noes  (Read 2657 times)

Float

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First cheese tasted horrible! Oh noes
« on: October 12, 2008, 04:07:21 PM »
I bought the hard cheese kit from Cheesemaking.com and thought I followed the instructions to the letter for making the farmhouse cheddar. I dried it for about 4 days, during which time it got a gray mold on it.  I got as much of the mold off as I could then waxed it.

I aged it for a month, then thought I'd try a bit. The texture was dry and crumbly and the taste was...pretty bad.  It was really bitter and left an unpleasant aftertaste.   Noyt sure if I should re-wax it and try in again in a few months or just toss it.

I've been reading here that too much rennet can cause bitterness, but I followed the reciple exactly.  Why would they call for 3/4 tablet if this is in fact too much?

If it's not the rennet, what could it be?  Maybe the mold?  I thought mold was good...? 

Any help or advice would be great, thanks.

bundy

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Re: First cheese tasted horrible! Oh noes
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2008, 09:16:59 PM »
Hi Float
  i have made farm house cheddar and only used 1\2 tab per 7.6 ltr milk. i use store bought milk only.my cheddar turned out OK.
Bundy

Cheese Head

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Re: First cheese tasted horrible! Oh noes
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2008, 11:29:32 PM »
Float, sad to hear that not a good cheese.

I think the poor taste was more from the unwanted mold than from excessive rennet and that even while scraped before sealing, probably got baked into the cheese while aging, in which place it is probably too far gone to save, sorry. The question is what is the cause of the grey mold?

Can you give us more details? Milk type (fresh, pasteurized etc), starter culture, quality of cut curds vs ones pictured on this forum, how where did you dry it, etc etc?

I haven't personally made cheddar but will try to help where I can.

Float

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Re: First cheese tasted horrible! Oh noes
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2008, 01:33:41 AM »
I think the poor taste was more from the unwanted mold than from excessive rennet and that even while scraped before sealing, probably got baked into the cheese while aging, in which place it is probably too far gone to save, sorry. The question is what is the cause of the grey mold?
I think it was b/c it was very hot and humid here (70-80 degrees) and I didn't know to wipe the cheese at all. It just molded and got nasty in the wet heat here that week. I had no idea if the mold was okay or not...newbie, y'know   :D

I took a little core sample of the cheese I made after this bad one, and it has none of the bitterness.  I wiped this one  down with a salty cloth a few times a day, it was mold-free when I waxed it.  I think that one will be fine, and am excited to taste it again in a few months.

Thanks for the info, I threw away Cheese #1, but have already learned a bunch and am headed out to get the stuff for my first Gouda...


Cheese Head

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Re: First cheese tasted horrible! Oh noes
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2008, 11:29:32 AM »
Good luck with your Gouda, warm and humid for 4 days is not in my experience, good for a cheese, I normally dry my cheese for one day indoors in AC environment here in Houston @ 77F and 45% humidity and then 2-3 days in low humidity fridge and brine wash each day before sealing, or go to natural rind and just keep in humidity box in fridge. Knowing when dry enough to seal is hard to describe and to really comes from experience. If you seal inside plastic bag or vacuum plastic bag and get water inside, then too early. Luckily with plastic bag you can see water and correct, with wax you can't see/know if too early until finished aging and cut open and possibly find mold inside.