Any cheesemakers out there? Weird cheese problem

[Ariel301]

I made a 3 pound cheddar with goat milk on Sunday. Normally I have no problems with cheddar, but this one did something weird. It was sitting at room temperature to develop its rind before aging and I noticed that it seemed to be swelling a little. Out of curiosity, I cut it in half...and it is full of little holes like a sponge and smells sort of like bread! I can't imagine how it would get contaminated with yeast, I was very clean as always with everything while making it. Anyone know what this is?

 

[patandchickens]

It could be yeast contamination or it could be contamination with gas-forming bacteria, including (but possibilities not limited to) some pathogenic ones.

The general advice is to toss it, if it swells within the first week or so of making. On account of there is no easy way of knowing whether it is from a harmless organism or not.

Presumably it was some germ (of yeast or bacteria) that drifted in at some point in the process and was happy despite the lower pH that the culture gives the curd/cheese. It happens. Continue being clean in your cheesemaking and it probably won't happen again for a long while though

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Ariel301]

Thanks.

Oddly, a friend of mine made some sheep milk cheese at her house two days after I did my cheddar, and hers began to rise like bread while she was pressing it! Must be something in the air...we've been having lots of wind and rain lately.