Hi!  I’m new here—came online to see if I could find an answer to a question about a cheese I unmolded yesterday.  The whey that had been pressed out during the final pressing (12 hours at 50# on the Farmhouse Cheddar from Ricki Carroll’s book) was coagulated in the drip pan to about the consistency of room-temperature butter.  No smell to it, but I guess it wouldn’t necessarily develop an off odor in just 12 hours.  I haven’t noticed this before, and I’m wondering if it means some bacteria or yeast got in.  The cheese itself so far looks and smells fine, but maybe it’ll take longer than this for the problems to show up.  Any insight is appreciated! 

Val

Is it like a jelly/slime, It might have been contaminated, I had this a couple times when making yogurt from commercial milk. If u are using comercial milk try a differant brand, if it happens again then something your using is doing it.

It’s raw whole milk, fresh the day before from my herdshare.  Yes, I would say it was like a slightly slimy jelly—really very much like room temperature butter.  I made ricotta from they whey and had no problems, but of course that’s cooked to nearly 200F. 

So should I just wait and see, with this cheese? 

Neil - 27 January 2009 05:38 PM

Is it like a jelly/slime, It might have been contaminated, I had this a couple times when making yogurt from commercial milk. If u are using comercial milk try a differant brand, if it happens again then something your using is doing it.

I would wait and see, keep the nose to it and keep checking. And I would salt the outside well just in case its acceptable to growth.

Thanks, I’ll salt it and keep a close watch!

I salted it for a couple of days and pulled quite a bit of moisture out, and I’ve gone ahead and waxed it and put it into my ‘cheese cave.’  I’m actually wondering if I should have waxed it, though.  Maybe I should store it bandaged instead?  I might unwax it and try that.

as long as the surface is dry then u should not have a problem, if it was still wet then u may end up with water pockets

Thanks, Indespensible!  :D I’m making my third farmhouse cheddar today, and I’m really going to be interested in seeing how these cheeses turn out!