Is Asiago supposed to swell? Could LH culture cause swelling? I have a 4 week old Asiago (1st time making this cheese) based on the recipe at cheesemaking.com but it is smaller batch made with 3 gallons milk. It's aging in the cave at 54 degrees 85% humidity. This morning, I have noticed a slight bulge on top that wasn't there before. Any advice?
Evelyne
Yes - don't panic! Asiago doesn't normally swell it could just be the milk. If it were anything else you would smell something odd kind of sour or yeasty.
eroch, no advice for this batch, assume it is actually swelling, not slouching as cheese is moist. FYI there are some ideas for causes in our Wiki: Body Defects, Mechanical Holes (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=9359.0;last_msg=67218) article. Also if you search the forum on work "Swell" should find several threads.
I decided to cut the cheese in half today. It's full of holes, smells and tastes like swiss cheese an also has the same texture.
When making the cheese, I was distracted when I added the cultures and wasn't 100% confident I had put the right one in. So, there is a possibility I used Meso Type B instead of the recipe's thermophilic...
If I did put Meso Type B, could the cheese be unsafe to eat even if it smells and tastes good? I'm the only one who tasted it so far, I don't want to make anybody sick.
Evelyne
Changing cultures will not make anybody sick. If it tastes good - eat it.