Hi all,
Here are the specifics.... these are my personal notes:
Cheese Name Farmhouse cheddar (you tube)
Date 12/12/2011
Ingredients Qty
Milk 2 Gal
Culture 1/4 tsp MA 011
rennet 1/2 tsp
calcium chloride 1/2 tsp
Procedure Step Time Total Time Temp Ph
Heat Milk to 86-88 30 30 87 6.9
Add Calcium Chloride 1 31 87 6.9
Add Culture 5 36 87 6.9
Let Culture Ripen (40-60) 40 127 87 6.7
Accidentally put right in fridge after pressing instead of air dry.
Did 2 weeks at 65% RH and then into tupperware for last two weeks.
Vac sealed on 12-28-11 and into cave @ 55 degrees.
I know it has only been 3.5 weeks since I vac sealed the cheese, but the recipe said it could be enjoyed in as little as a month... so I figured that I was ok. I know longer is better, but this cheese was horrible.
Tasted the cheese over the weekend and it was horrible! My girlfriend described the taste as rancid.
Here are a few observations.
Within a week I noticed a small amount of whey in the foodsaver bag. I did not immediately cut open the bag and dry off the cheese because it did not appear to be a significant amount. When I actully cut the bag open to try the cheese 1-22-12 I'm guessing about 3 tbs of whey came out. So the cheese was soaking in that whey for the past 3 1/2 weeks. Could that have killed my cheese??
The cheese actually looked very nice. Nice consistency and kind of flakey. No mold that I could see.
Also, I did not initially air dry the cheese at room temp for a day or so as the recipe called for. Live and learn.
So.... hoping that the cheese will taste better in a few months, I have resealed it and put back into the cave for a few more months.
Did I majorly screw up the recipe or was it just not aged enough?
I also have a Cheshire vac sealed, a gouda, and a cantal.
I just had a swiss sitting out for about 3 weeks at room temp.
I don't see any eyes but I think it needs to go into the cave now.
Should I vac seal it or just leave it in its natural rind?
Thanks all!!