Surface Mold Ripened Cheeses - High Ripening Temperature => Bitter Flavour?

[george13]

Would a speed-up in protein and fat breakdown as opposed to a more gradual pace, cause bitternes in a mold rippened cheese trated with PC and GEO.  It is definately not rennet in this case, the only reason I can come up with, is that the initial aging temperature may have gotten slightly above 50, and I may have kept it in somewhat higher humidity early on.   Will this bitternes go away ? 

[dadzcats]

Can't say I'm an expert - I've only made a few of these - but I did have the pleasure of hearing an expert speak this past weekend.  He indicated that a cam or brie that is wrapped after aging and is too damp will take on a bitter flavor.  Recommended drying for a few days before wrapping.

[iratherfly]

In theory, high temp would do that but going over 50 is not high. 54°F is quite normal for bloomies so I don't think that was it. Higher humidity or insufficient drying/draining could cause that though and the effects would be the same. This could also happen if the cheese is on a mat/rack/shelf that is too dense for it or not ventilated well enough so the cheese is basking in the pool of moisture that has collected on the bottom. This however, usually shows as premature rind growth, wrinkly, detached, loose or slip skin, maybe an excessive goo between the skin and the paste of the cheese, as it turns into ammonia outside before maturing inside.
If you have gotten none of that, than bitterness could be related to rennet used or to excessive use of CaCl2.

Milk quality could also cause bitterness: Milk may be contaminated or may contain antibiotics from the animal feed that resist the growth of your cultures. It could also be related to gas buildup due to animal diet -very common during the winter in colder climate (or in industrial supermarket milk year-round). If no grass pasture is available and animals are fed grain, corn and silage. The cheese may produce bitter gases. This aside, the milk changes during the different seasons and stages in the lactation cycle and may have some strange balance in it in the off season.
 
Lastly, I may have something to do with possibly adding something to the cheese such as proprionic bacteria (shermanii) or lipase. Not using those in the right cheese at the right time could give you all kinds of wierd bitter results. (trust me, I tried).

What are you trying to do? What ind of cheese is this?

[dthelmers]

This could also happen if the cheese is on a mat/rack/shelf that is too dense for it or not ventilated well enough so the cheese is basking in the pool of moisture that has collected on the bottom. This however, usually shows as premature rind growth, wrinkly, detached, loose or slip skin, maybe an excessive goo between the skin and the paste of the cheese, as it turns into ammonia outside before maturing inside.

This is a good description of my first try at Chaource. I see that my needlepoint mat is too fine to drain well; surface tension holds the liquid in the openings. What size opening would be best? I'm going to order some form McMaster-Carr.