Strong Ammonia Smell in Gorgonzola.

[bansidhe]

August 28, I made Gorgonzola dolce from Cheesemaking.com.  I had it in my 55 degree cave for a month.  The past 4 weeks its been in my fridge.

I was really excited about this cheese... but I now notice a very strong ammonia smell.  My questions are:

Is this now a failure?

If not, how can I reduce the smell?
If so, what could have contributed to this over rapid over ripening?

Thanks!

[Aris]

Very strong ammonia smell is a bad sign for a not that old blue cheese. It will likely gonna get worse so better eat it now. You can try cutting it into wedges and letting it air out in your cave for a day or two. My cheddared blue cheese still doesn't have an ammonia smell at over 4 months of age. Wrapping it in foil and vacuum packing it helped a lot. I have one blue cheese that developed ammonia because I wrapped it in parchment paper and put inside a plastic bag. 

[bansidhe]

Thanks!  It's been in a covered container.  I turn it every day.  things seemed to be going so well and then.. :-(. Well, I will definitely be cutting into it today..
We'll see how it goes.

thanks again

[bansidhe]

I opened the cheese up and inside it doesn't have a strong ammonia smell. here's a pic.  Not too bad, I guess.  I am a little surprised to see the center has good bluing but towards the outside it does not.  When I formed the cheese it seems the outside would have some of the best mold.  Anyway, This cheese seems to have developed a rind of sorts.  I did keep it in a covered container and the humidity seemed adequate in that there would be condensation, yet the outside of the cheese felt pretty dry.  Notice also the different colors.  This cheese is far from perfect but is an edible blue nonetheless.  Any tips would be appreciated.  Thanks

[Aris]

Nice internal bluing. My other blue cheeses also tends to blue mostly in the center. If you want a thinner rind and a more moist blue cheese. You have to pierce at day 3 or 4 and wrap in foil after 30-35 days. Then age for over a month. How is the flavor and texture? From what I observed in my blue cheeses, it needs time to get a creamy texture and to develop that distinct "blue" flavor which I find similar to acetone. I read methyl ketones is responsible for that flavor. 60-75 days is ideal aging time for me.

[bansidhe]

Thanks!  The texture is very slightly grainy...  very. When its a room Temp it is a bit creamier.The cheese does feel moist.. it's not crumbly except the exterior is definitely drier.It does taste like a blue cheese.  And now, after it's been "open" for a day it does not smell of ammonia.  So that's a plus. 

I have noticed that the paste seems a bit dark, except for around the blue where it appears lighter. 

[molly]

A cheese to you looks and sounds good to me although I think a true Gorgonzola is creamer with more moisture content. Cheese is like wine it needs to be allowed to breath and come to room temperature and it is far better.

[Aris]

Thanks!  The texture is very slightly grainy...  very. When its a room Temp it is a bit creamier.The cheese does feel moist.. it's not crumbly except the exterior is definitely drier.It does taste like a blue cheese.  And now, after it's been "open" for a day it does not smell of ammonia.  So that's a plus. 

I have noticed that the paste seems a bit dark, except for around the blue where it appears lighter.

On second thought, that grainy texture you noticed must be tyrosine crystals which is a good thing. It is abundant where the blue molds are concentrated. They breakdown the fat and protein resulting in tyrosine crystals. Next time age it in aluminum foil so it won't lose a lot of moisture. A wheel of Gorgonzola is 6-13 kg. It can get away aging unwrapped for months because of its sheer size.

[broombank]

my experience with blues is that the recipes invariably recommend too high temperatures and that the maturation tends to 'run away'. I had to throw out one Stilton which had become ammoniacal to the point i couldn't eat it. Actually yours still looks very edible. Its important to remember that even professional cheeses can smell of ammonia if not properly kept. When the recipes say 13C then do 11C when they say 9C do 7C. Gorgonzola should be soft and creamy and usually not strongly blue. Control of the ageing space is in my view the hardest aspect of cheese making to get right and also one of the most crucial. My last attempt at Castle Blue became as runny as a ripe Brie, as a result of too high maturation temperatures. It made a great pasta sauce but couldn't be eaten 'raw' without a spoon !

[bansidhe]

Thanks everyone!  I feel a bit better about it now.  I will definitely heed your words of advice for future blues!

[paulabob]

I did that same recipe and my cheese looked quite similar.  However my rind was blue/white then dirty looking (but still edible).

Was hoping for something creamier, but the taste was very good.