Homemade Raw Creme Fraiche

Okay, I think I get it now. You attempted to make crème fraîche using unpasteurized milk? Sounds like you managed to make cheese milk instead.

Raw milk is a soup of bacteria. Different bacteria thrive at different temperatures. It sounds to me like your culturing process failed but other bacteria took over after refrigeration. The cream should have thickened on the counter, an indication a certain degree of acidity has been reached. Too warm, too cold, insufficient inoculation.

Commercial producers of fermented milks begin with pasteurized milk, introduce specific cultures then control time and temperature to receive consistent -- and safe -- results.

I am sure that the raw cream will culture itself, but if you add some of the old to the new you will ensure that the good fauna take root quickly as well as create a more consistent creme fraiche.

JustSomeCook,
Using my old creme fraiche batch to culture a new one? I was told that raw cream cultures on its own, so a culture is never needed to make a new batch. Am I wrong? Is that why my creme fraiche doesn't taste like store-bought?

If it still smells like a cheese product it should be fine. House made Creme Fraiche will smell funky, especially if you use a funky cream. If it is growing funny colored stuff, bubbling, or breaks throw it away.

Two weeks in the fridge isn't too long for creme fraiche, but you might want to think about culturing a new batch off your old before a month.

If is smells bad, don't eat it.

Raw?