Bad Brie?

[hentsand]

BRIE THAT HAS AN "AMMONIA" TASTE IS A CHEESE THAT "HAS GONE OVER THE HILL". IT IS BEST WHEN FRESH AND "RUNNY". THE BEST WISCONSIN BRIE I HAVE EVER HAD WAS FROM "KOLB-LENA" CHEESE CO. IN LENA, WIS.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS NOW GONE.

PRAY TELL, DOES ANYONE KNOW OF ANY WISCONSIN CHEESEMAKERS WHO MAKE ANY BRIE, CAMEMBERT OR LIEDERKRANZ TYPE CHEESE. ANY LEADS WILL BE APPRECIATED. THANKS. hentsand@ix.netcom.com

[CheeseisGood]

It's funny. I'm a big fan of brie and I recently tried a brie de meaux which I felt was milder and less ammonia-tasting than other bries. Perhaps you just got a bad one as others have suggested.

[jpmcgrew]

I will say it again any cheese should NOT even have the slightest hint of ammonia Brie should be a pure white even when it's white it can have a slight ammonia smell if it doe's it is entirely unacceptable. I mean who would want anything that smelled like a cleaning product. A good brie is so good that you can even eat the white mold. It's almost impossible for me to get a decent brie where I live and it makes me really sad. The same goes for any soft cheese I adore St. Andre but if it's old it makes me gag if it's good I can't get enough.

[BabyMia]

It is my understanding that there is such a thing as aged brie. At Wegmans (They have the finest cheese section I have ever seen), they sell their own brand of brie in the following categories: Mild, Medium, and Intense. I adore the intense brie (I like ALL brie). The smell of the intense brie (What I understand as aged brie) does not smell like amonia to me, but has a definate mushroom like aroma. Does not bother me that much, although I can understand why others may be turned off by it. I find its flavor fabulous.... but it is an aquired taste. :-)

[BreezyCooking]

There's a HUGE difference between "mushroom-smelling" brie & "ammonia-smelling" brie.

[jpmcgrew]

Originally Posted by BreezyCooking

There's a HUGE difference between "mushroom-smelling" brie & "ammonia-smelling" brie.

Ditto! When I live in a town that sells a lot of brie it's heavenly but where I live now it's sometimes good but usually not and since it's already wrapped in slices I have no way of telling besides exp date. No cheese should have any kind of ammonia smell. I wish I could go to France on a cheese bender not to mention everything else.

[BabyMia]

Then I guess I have been lucky enough to never encounter ammonia brie. Phew

[julieann22]

Not to argue for the sake of arguing, but here is another opinion from a cheese master.

Stinky Brie Cheese | Reluctant Gourmet

[Rocklobster]

I am one of those people that has no problem with the amonia smell. I just don't eat the rind. I have never had problem with any stinky cheese. Sometimes I can only eat a bit or don't particularly like the flavor, but have always tried just about anything.

Years ago, we went on a trip for a few days in the summer and I left instructions for my son to throw out the garbage. Like a typical teenager, he didn't so when we returned the back summer kitchen smelled horrible because there were animal by products rotting in the bag in mid summer. Anyway, I got rid of the bag and aired out the back room. Later on that evening, I had a piece of farmers cheese that was very fermented(really fermented) and was eating some at the kitchen counter. My wife came in to the kitchen and emmediately said "I thought you threw that garbage bag out. The horrible smell is still very strong in here". It was the cheese I was eating. She wouldn't let me keep it in the fridge because the smell made her sick. I loved the stuff....

[taxlady]

Danes love their stinky cheeses. I like them too. They joke about having a cheese in the fridge that needs to be tied down with a string.

When my DH tried his first stinky Danish cheese, he got a look on his face that I can't describe, but I immediately asked, "Are you alright?" Yes, just surprised by the vicious attack cheese. He admitted it was good, but surprising.