Purple whey?

[cheesenbeermmm]

So I started on a soft cow milk cheese right before I went camping cause I needed the milk jug to be empty so i could freeze it for cold. Basic recipe...1/2 gal milk, 4 oz mesophilic starter, few drops of rennet. Well I didn't have the time before we left to drain it so i left it sit in the fridge till we got back. This was after about 24 hours at room temp. It is in a stainless steel 3 qt pot. Upon returning, I find that the whey is a deep purple. Can this be from pH level messin with the SS? Any thoughts?

 

[brewmonger]

So I started on a soft cow milk cheese right before I went camping cause I needed the milk jug to be empty so i could freeze it for cold. Basic recipe...1/2 gal milk, 4 oz mesophilic starter, few drops of rennet. Well I didn't have the time before we left to drain it so i left it sit in the fridge till we got back. This was after about 24 hours at room temp. It is in a stainless steel 3 qt pot. Upon returning, I find that the whey is a deep purple. Can this be from pH level messin with the SS? Any thoughts?

Uh... so how long did this sit in your fridge?

And no, this is definitely not from stainless steal. Its probably from a bacterial or mold growth. I would toss it, unless you want to take the risk of making everyone who eats it sick.

 

[cheesenbeermmm]

It was in the fridge for two to three days, but I think I might have figured it out. I previously cooked black beans in that pot, and may not have gotten it completely clean. Considering that I started the cheese in haste while packing for camping and trying to keep my 17 month old out of everything I was doing, this is probably the issue. But don't worry, it has already been dumped down the drain. It looked really cool though.