I'm Deflated !!!

[rsterne]

We just finished the warm phase of a Jarlsberg, and it did exactly the same thing as our Emmental did 6 months ago.... It expanded nicely, and then suddenly, overnight, collapsed back to its original size.... 

The Emmental was vacuum bagged, so we thought perhaps that had something to do with its collapse, so on this Jarlsberg we waxed it instead.... We realized that perhaps it might split the wax shell when the Propioni Shermanii did their thing (it didn't), but figured it could not be worse than the fate of our flat Emmental.... They both spent 2 weeks in the Cheese Cave at 55*F initially, and then were placed in a warm room at 70*F.... After about a week of nothing, they both started to expand, getting taller by the day, until they had grown maybe 20% in height, and were nicely bulged.... Each morning when we turned them, we were greeted by a chubbier cheese, until suddenly one morning we weren't.... 

In both cases, the collapse occurred after 2.5-3 weeks of bathing in warmth, and was sudden and appeared to return the cheese back to (nearly) its original size.... When we opened the Emmental after 4 months it had lots of small holes, but not round, instead rather "squashed" in appearance.... It tasted just as it should, was wonderful in French Onion soup, and at 6 months made a delicious Fondue.... We are delighted in the results, except for the disappearance of what was promising to be lovely eyes (before the collapse).... Now it appears we are on the same course with our Jarlsberg, which is back in the cave at 55*F.... 

To make things ever stranger, right after making the Emmental (in fact while it was bulging nicely), we made a Gruyere, and as per the recipe used 1/32 tsp. P. Shermanii, which is supposed to give it that "Swiss" flavour.... The main culture was Su Casu.... However, it never experienced a warm phase, having spend the last 6  months (unopened as yet) in the Cheese Cave at 55*F, in a vacuum bag (also unopened).... Well, guess what?.... After a few weeks, it too expanded over a period of a few weeks, and then collapsed, in fact it now actually has a concave top and bottom....   



Have any of you ever experienced the collapse of a promising Swiss style cheese, where the P. Shermanii did their thing but then the cheese suddenly deflated?.... If this is a common thing, and since it tastes as it should, I won't worry about it.... However, if there is something we are doing wrong, any help would be appreciated.... 

Bob

[bansidhe]

Ive never made this cheese but if I understand correctly the eye formation of this cheese is better when the size is at least 4 pounds.  Perhaps, there was not enough "cheese" structure around the eyes that were forming and thus the collapse.  What would happen if you didnt do the warm phase as long?  That is put the cheese into the final cool phase a week or so earlier...?

[paulabob]

I don't know the answer.  My baby swiss worked perfectly, but my emmental never expanded right, and has a kind of crack in the middle, like maybe I overpressed at the start?  I love swiss style cheese, and have a mutschli to dig into soon.   Hope that one worked (no eye formation for it though, so chances are better).

[rsterne]

Well a week before the collapse, the swelling had barely begun.... Figuring out how long to leave it to put it back in the cave a day before the collapse would be next to impossible.... and I'm not sure that would do anything anyways.... You are correct that the larger the cheese, the larger the eyes will be, and also the eyes don't grow well in corners, which is why I use a mold with radiused edges.... Then we have the case of that strange Gruyere with only a pinch of PS and no warm phase, and it did the same thing.... 

My Emmental looked decent, just a lot smaller than when fully inflated....



I assume the eyes would have been larger pre-collapse.... 

Bob

[Bantams]

How strange!
Are there any horizontal cracks in the wheel? Are those holes indeed CO2 holes or just mechanical openings (I can't tell from the pic)?

[rsterne]

Pretty sure they are eyes, like I said the thing increased in height at least 20% or more, then suddenly deflated.... There are no horizontal cracks in the Emmental, which his the only one of the three I have opened so far....

Bob