LAB gone bad
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From the KNF library
Cho's recipe says to remove the cheese once the culture has run 7 days. Left in place, it melts and goes through a secondary reaction. (Cho, Recipe, p. 55)
The Basic Course recipe pours off only the clear whey and strains if needed. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 17) It also says the curd should be firm and smell sweet. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 17)
An office hours answer gives the smell guide for LAB: sweet turning sour, then yogurt water, then a normal acetone smell on opening. Rotten eggs or vomit means it is bad. (Office Hours Ep. 44, 15:58)
Drake's sources point to this order: lift off the curd, pour off only the whey, then smell it. Rotten eggs or vomit means discard it. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 17) (Office Hours Ep. 44, 15:58)
The library says nothing about dark mold, whether such whey is safe to use, or how long a batch can sit before it is too long.
Sources
- 15:58 Office Hours Ep. 44 (Aug 2022) — LAB Troubleshooting, Bacillus Subtilis Probiotics, Fish Amino Acid · “Sweet turning sour, then yogurt water, then a normal acetone smell on opening; rotten eggs or vomit means it's bad.”
- p. 17 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “Pour off just the clear whey into a glass bowl- strain if needed”
- p. 55 Cho, Recipe · “When LAB are produced after 7 days, remove the cheese, which is separated from LAB. If the cheese is left as is, the cheese melts and undergoes a secondary reaction.”
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