Sour Smell Lancashire

[Iezzo]

Hello all!

   First post as this is my first issue encountered in my budding (awesome) hobby, so be gentle.

A week out after making my first Lancashire (Recipe courtesy Mrs. KK ) and I have a really horrid smelling cheese.  The original product came out of the mold rather nicely (should have made pictorial documentation, but hey, now I know) but 3 days ago my all day affair (cheese) started to develop a distinct vinegar (maybe ammonia smell) as well as some peach fuzz.  The mold I can deal with as I'm simply following the many many posts worth of solutions and wiping daily with vinegar and salt, but the smell is boarding rancid.  I was initially concerned that the humidity was too high in my cooler (in the basement about 62*F) so I removed it from the cooler and placed it (covered) on top or my cave yesterday.  Today I have a repeat of the mold and an increase in the smell.  Let me show you:



^^Before Cleaning^^




^^After^^


Notes:

Some limited weeping at day 4,5,6.  Removed liquid and container dried after each day.
Coarse texture due to my improper materials (coarse cheese cloth) and hey I'm still learning.
I'm going for a natural rind as would appear to be common of the cheese type (correct me if I'm wrong)
 

Should I be concerned?  What can I do to remedy the issue?  Should I toss my cylindrical disasters and caulk it up to experience?
     

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

I've made lancashire once before, and have a second in my cave now.  It seems to me you might need to lower the temperature a bit.  62F is around 17C, and that's a bit warm.  You want things down around 10-12 C, or 50-54F, for maturing.  A few days at 62 is ok when you're air drying the cheese; that is, after taking it out of the mold, put the cheese on a sushi mat, or better a plastic grid, and turn it morning and evening, until it's dry to the touch.  Then, move it into your "cave" where it shoudl be 10-12 C or 50-54 F. 

If you're getting a lot of moisture in your cooler, then the humidity is probably a bit high as well.  If it normally is in the small plasitc container that it's sitting on in the photo, then it doesn't look like there's a lot of room for air in there.  If that is covered tight, your humidity will get too high. 

I used to age my cheeses in a cooler, and you need to put a small thermometer in there and adjust the amount of ice until you find something that keeps things at the right temp.  I found a pair of 2 litre milk jugs, filled with water and frozen, would keep my in the right zone for about 12 hours before they needed replacing.  These also kept the humidity high, and water would collect on the bottom of the cooler.  So, I put down some large leggo pieces and on top of those I placed a cutting board.  This kept the cheese out of the moisture, which I had to wipe down each time I changed out the ice.

- Jeff

[Jaspar]

and still another use for leggos    now to find a way to use duct tape in cheese making hmmm.....

[Iezzo]

Thanks for the input Jeff.  The containers in the photos are what I keep them in just for portability.  I've gone the super cheap route and cut up a dozen coffee stirrers (small straws) into 4" lengths and put them in the plastic bowls.  So it's terribly similar to sushi mats.  Should I air dry it a little longer before I put them back into the cave?   What about the smell?  Is this normal?

[JeffHamm]

Hi Jaspar,

Who needs wax or vacuum packs when you've got duct tape? 

And Iezzo,

Hard to say about the smell, but I know the ones I've made have not smelled foul.  You could try air drying for a few more days if it is still wet.  I would take a teaspoon of non-iodized salt and sprinkle that over the top surface.  Leave it for the day.  This will pull out moisture and form a brine.  Wipe the cheese down with the brine that forms.  Flip the cheese and put a teaspoon of salt on that side, and leave it over night, and then again, wipe it down with the brine that forms. 

For air drying, check out a craft shop, where they sell cloth, and yarn, and sewing stuff.  You can often find plastic mats that are used for needle point or some such thing and these are great for sitting cheese on while they dry.  Also, if you can find an Asian food store, you can find plastic chopsticks which are usually inexpensive for quite a few.  Place a bunch of chopsticks over a cereal bowl, put your plastic needle point mat on top, and that's a great way to air dry your cheese for 2-4 days.  Flip it morning and evening.  You may have to dry or shift around the needle point map a bit if the holes are small and the moisture "plugs up" the holes.

Anyway, after a couple days it should dry out.  Then move it back into your cooler and get the temperature down to the 50-54 F range.  If it just goes rancid, toss it and try again.  You've got a good sized cheese there, and it seems to have knitted well, so it's now just the maturing steps you need to get on top of.  I think you're just about there though.

- Jeff

[Iezzo]

Thanks for the prompt advice I'll begin salting immediately and repost in a few days.   Viva la Cheese!

[Tomer1]

I had some camambert do that on me, faul rotten odor.
Its most likly somekind of contamination.  What milk were you using?

[Iezzo]

Store bought whole milk with the latest expiration date I could find. It was not ultra-pasteurized for what  it's worth. 

[smilingcalico]

Traditional Lancashire, from my understanding, is normally clothbound or waxed, however I wouldn't discourage a natural rind.  My thought on the rotten smell is that I don't think it was pressed heavy enough or long enough, or both.  But I'll admit that I don't use the modern make recipe, I use the old fashioned one. Based on the smell you sounds like my first day curds do when I finally blend them on the third day.  My recipe and make notes are posted if you care to read them, just search Lancashire.

[Iezzo]

Well so much for the recovery process.  My wife made the executive decision (as per usual) to chuck the wheels.  I did manage to cut one open and find that not only did I have a phenomenal knit but the smell seems to have permeated the entirety of the  cheese which I kinda feel points to some sort of contamination.  I will attempt the same recipe in two weeks with a better quality milk.

I'll update after the great milk off!

 Lehigh Valley v.s. Shop Right generic

[JeffHamm]

Hi iezzo,

Probably for the best.  Contamination is always a concern.  I use two buckets, one red and one blue.  The blue contains just water, the red has water and a cap full of bleach (though you can use any steralization substance, like iodine, etc that you're comfortable).  Everything goes in the blue bucket, then dip in the red bucket, before it touches the milk.  All the way through the make.  When you're going to stirr, it's blue, red, stirr, etc.  The mold goes in before the curds go in for the press.  The large pot gets a rinse with hot water than a cup or two of the sterilsation water before the milk goes in.  Basically, be careful to keep everything very very clean.  You want to create an environemnet that is perfect for growing bacteria, so you need to be perfectly sure you're growing the bacteria you want. 

Also, and I do think this was the source of your problem, get the temperature down and the humidity down.  I think it was too warm and moist.  Around 80-85% humidity, and cool (10-12 C) is what you want.  From the looks of the wheel you had, you're curd making and pressing are good.  Now, just the aging bit. 

- Jeff

[Iezzo]

Thanks for all the input Jeff +1 cheese.

I like your bucket process, I may have to borrow it.  No, really when are you home so I can use them?       

I have also begun to collect Arizona iced tea gallon jugs to use as rotating ice packs, as they fit like book ends in my cooler.


As for humidity, and likely related air flow, would the recommendation be to crack the lid of the cooler to prevent increased humidity? 

I see a hydrometer in my birthday future. 

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

Put ice in your cooler the night before you make cheese.  Rotate new ice in that morning.  Wipe down the cooler every time you change the ice, dump any water that collects on the bottom, etc.  If you crack the lid, I think more moisture will just get in and condense on your ice packs, so basically, you have to try and play with it until it works.  Colder air, though, will be the most important thing.  Get a small thermometer.  Colder is better than warmer, as this just means it takes longer to age, while faster can be yuck!   Also, find a cool spot in the house to put your cooler.  Basements are good if you have one.

- Jeff