Raclette - Liquifying At Day 40

[dmasterman]

Perhaps someone has seen this before -- I've only been making cheese for a year or so and this is new to me. The raclette cheese was firm until about day 40, when it softened. Then it split and oozed a bit of fondue-ish cheese. It tasted OK and didn't smell yeasty, so I salted it opened up the container to dry it out. The goo firmed up and it has looked like this for 10 days (today). Does anyone know what happened? From reading the forum's post, my guess is that the humidity was too high... but I wouldn't think it would get runny after 40 days! (I hope the picture comes through! The preview didn't show one)

[morfeo]

I'm kind of new too, but have you checked the temperature of your cave???

[dmasterman]

The temp is 55 F +/- 2 degrees -- it's a wine cooler. I've checked it with a temp probe occasionally for 4-5 hours and it is OK

[Tomer1]

Maybe its the bacterias signaling EAT ME!

[Helen]

Dman, how big is your cheese?

[dmasterman]

The cheese is 8" diameter by 2" high. Before it bulged, that is! It was from 4 gal of store milk (whole) put in a tomme mold. Final pressure: 150 lbs, 15psi
I've been looking for a 6" mold, but have not found one made of food-grade materials. There are PVC ones -- but I can't see using a potential poison. I think a 6" mold will be better.

[OlJarhead]

The cheese is 8" diameter by 2" high. Before it bulged, that is! It was from 4 gal of store milk (whole) put in a tomme mold. Final pressure: 150 lbs, 15psi
I've been looking for a 6" mold, but have not found one made of food-grade materials. There are PVC ones -- but I can't see using a potential poison. I think a 6" mold will be better.

Have you checked cheesemaking.com?

[opalcab]

I think your cheese was Yelling EAT ME and you did not listen

[ArnaudForestier]

The cheese is 8" diameter by 2" high. Before it bulged, that is! It was from 4 gal of store milk (whole) put in a tomme mold. Final pressure: 150 lbs, 15psi

Just a note, but 150 lbs on an 8" cheese would only be 3 psi.

Did you taste the cheese?  Was it bitter?

[dmasterman]

YOU ARE RIGHT! I opened the Raclette up and it was creamy and yummy! One of the best cheeses I've made so far! Thanks for the help. I also opened up a Gruyere that was a bit older and starting to act the same -- it is perfect! Guess I'll send some to my daughter for her birthday 

[dmasterman]

The cheese is 8" diameter by 2" high. Before it bulged, that is! It was from 4 gal of store milk (whole) put in a tomme mold. Final pressure: 150 lbs, 15psi

Just a note, but 150 lbs on an 8" cheese would only be 3 psi.

Did you taste the cheese?  Was it bitter?

Thank, ArnaudForestier. I read my spreadsheet incorrectly -- 3psi was it. I'd need 330 lbs for 15 psi. Don't think my press could handle that!

Even though it tasted wonderful, there was a big hole in the middle, where the curds didn't meld. Perhaps 3 psi was not sufficient...

[ArnaudForestier]

Glad it tasted good, dman.  My first thought was just excess proteolysis. 

Not sure where you're getting the psi calc, but by my book, over an 8" wheel, you'd need 750 lbs to get 15 psi. (applied weight/area=psi, 754/(3.14*4^2) = 15 psi).  I don't actually know why you'd ever need that much pressure (cheddar, perhaps - but even that can be done with different techniques and lower pressures, as learned from more experienced others), actually, and a raclette would need very little.