# Plugra butter help



## kenny yamada (Jan 5, 2017)

Hello,

I used this butter a lot in 2005 at a bakery, and haven't used it since. I bought a 36# case yesterday and noticed it had a strong peppery, grassy, feed like flavor and smell that I hadn't noticed in my previous uses with this brand. The expiration isn't for another 4 months and I bought a unit at a grocery store down the street to compare and had the same odor and taste. 

I was curious if any have noticed this smell and taste or if it's just me? Other butters I use don't have this smell or odor, and as far as I know plurga isn't a cultured butter but wouldn't even expect a cultured butter to have this odor or taste. I also noticed there is no USDA grading on the butter either which I thought was odd.


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## WB616 (Jan 4, 2018)

Call the company and give them the batch number, there may be something wrong with it.


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## kenny yamada (Jan 5, 2017)

I would consider that as a possible culprit; but I bought a single unit at a grocery store with the same issue, so I assuming it wasn't a particular batch


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## Pat Pat (Sep 26, 2017)

A batch of butter yields thousands, and they usually all get delivered to the same town.


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## kovic (Sep 27, 2014)

Bad batch, call your supplier and ask him to contact the company. He will have more weight on them to have a recall. Oh and get a credit and new butter  by the sound of it you wouldn't want to bake anything with that flavour profile!

Good luck!


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

kenny yamada said:


> I would consider that as a possible culprit; but I bought a single unit at a grocery store with the same issue, so I assuming it wasn't a particular batch


Also consider your supplier as a potential source of problem. Increasingly I have been experiencing freshness problems with dairy, both milk and butter products, from some markets. I really question their storage temps and processes. When asked, they blamed the shipper.


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## kenny yamada (Jan 5, 2017)

Thanks for the replies.

I actually did contact them even before I posted on here as well as my supplier. It's not to helpful really, I mean they said they would give me a coupon to replace the one I bought at the grocery store and contact my supplier. It's really hard for me to believe it's a bad batch as a large company like that would have rigorous quality control checks, but I guess it's still possible. 

The unit I bought at the grocery store to compare to my box have different expiration dates and the locations are 40 miles apart so I don't think it's likely there from the same batch but definitely possible. 

I did notice they don't have the USADA rating listed on the package (I forgot to ask them what it is), I read from the USADA website that grade A and B butter can have a slight to pronounced off (feed, and other) flavors. 

I was hoping anybody who uses plurga regularly could chime in and see if they've had the same issue? I don't think it's my perception as other butters I use don't have that odor and flavor. 

It could definitely just be a bad batch, it's sad though because I would like to use a plastic butter like that at that price point but I could never reorder any of that butter again as I don't trust them and don't want any hassles.


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## WB616 (Jan 4, 2018)

kenny yamada said:


> Thanks for the replies.
> 
> I actually did contact them even before I posted on here as well as my supplier. It's not to helpful really, I mean they said they would give me a coupon to replace the one I bought at the grocery store and contact my supplier. It's really hard for me to believe it's a bad batch as a large company like that would have rigorous quality control checks, but I guess it's still possible.
> 
> ...


Have you tried Kerrygold? That's my go-to and from what I can see from online listings, it's cheaper. Although that may be different in your area.


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## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

kenny yamada said:


> Thanks for the replies.
> 
> I actually did contact them even before I posted on here as well as my supplier. It's not to helpful really, I mean they said they would give me a coupon to replace the one I bought at the grocery store and contact my supplier. It's really hard for me to believe it's a bad batch as a large company like that would have rigorous quality control checks, but I guess it's still possible.
> 
> ...


There's definitely no way the Plugra should smell/taste like that. I've used it and it has a neutral odor. It's entirely possible it's not a "bad batch" but more it was stored along with some other odiferous foods and picked up those flavors. There's lot that can happen from the factory to your walk in. Bottom line is, the product you received is unusable and you need to be adamant when you call the supplier. Often suppliers will push back when you ask for a return or credit and you sort of have to be firm and stand your ground. I hate having to sum up the inner b*tch but I do it when I need to if I want them to step up to the plate.


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## Pat Pat (Sep 26, 2017)

If you get the butter from a restaurant supplier, the problem could very well be with them.

I get informed quite often from this one supplier that the product I ordered went bad during storage and they wouldn't be able to send it to me.

On the other hand, my other supplier sent me everything, bad or good, and I had to check the products myself and request an exchange if needed.

It's all in their business practices, I guess.


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## kenny yamada (Jan 5, 2017)

Thanks for the replies. Considering the supplier is definitely something I will check in to.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

brianshaw said:


> Also consider your supplier as a potential source of problem. Increasingly I have been experiencing freshness problems with dairy, both milk and butter products, from some markets. I really question their storage temps and processes. When asked, they blamed the shipper.


I have noticed this poor QC on many food items.
Even eggs and milk well within the sell by date...canned products like tomato sauce, dry packaged soups and even cereals.
I am not talking about the lower cost products...I was unhappy with more than one product from KA during the Christmas baking marathon.
My suspicion is producers may have dropped to lower quality feed/mix ingredients in order to bypass the need for raising prices.
I have had to stop trying to resolve the issues at the point of purchase and go straight to the top altho they seem to want to hand out coupons which the OP has pointed out are useless when you need the flour or oats or whatever RIGHT NOW.

mimi


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## Caminech4 (Jan 15, 2018)

I’ve had this problem as well here in Orlando, and I thought I was crazy because nobody else picked up on it! Definitely a peppery taste to it, and I can pick it up in buttercreams as well. I’m slightly relieved to see your post, but sorry you are having the problem too!


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## halcyon (May 9, 2018)

I recently decided to start expanding my butter horizons. First up was Kerrygold, which I loved. Then Plugra. My first thought upon tasting was PEPPER! What's up with that? I guess I'll have to use it up, but I don't plan to give it another shot just to see if it was a "bad batch." There are too many others to experiment with. And there's always KG. Mmm. (I'm in NYC, btw.)


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## capricciosa (May 30, 2015)

Lots of companies sell different grades to different suppliers - often in the same packaging. Each supplier/grocery store negotiates a contract with the manufacturers with a minimum quality grade and maximum price point, so the same base product from the same company could vary wildly between suppliers. When I worked at a wholesale club's bakery, the name brand bacon we sold was in an identical package to the bacon sold next door at our open-to-the-public sister store but ours was a lower grade and contained end-cuts and slices that were too thick/thin to be sold at full price.

I don't know about Plugra specifically, but it could be worth looking into with your supplier.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Butter is an animal product. What the animal eats has a huge influence on the taste--grass fed in the summer vs. hay fed in the winter, or wierd tasting animal feeds.

Also butter, as with most fats, absorbs odours quickly, culprits are usually smelly storage facilities.


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## kenny yamada (Jan 5, 2017)

It is interesting that both plurga butters I tasted, one from a grocery store and the other in bulk from the supplier, tasted the same as what halcyon tasted in NYC. I was wanting to use a drier butter to test out on my croissants, specifically to see if it made the outside of the croissants crispier (a shorter splintering crust when bitten in to), and to see if they stayed crispier for a longer period of time. I think the subject is a bit of a rabbit hole given so many variables, like one being the average humidity, temperature of where I live (near the coast in los angeles). 

I took a class in Fr and made some croissants using wuthrich butter and the flours were French of course and cant really get those flours here, but the croissants stayed crisp with a short texture. I used the same percentages of ingredients except the butter with different results. I'm not sure how different my oven is, I think I have a pretty decent home oven its a twin fan convection electrolux, the oven I used in the class was a commercial convection, brand?

I'm using a standard 80% butter right now which Im happy with in terms of flavor and laminating. I live in Ca which is pretty big dairy state and prefer to use butters that come from here because they are fresh.

There was an interesting topic discussed in the class about the final thickness of each layer in final roll out. I think the final thickness of each layer has a significant affect on texture shortness. Ive seen from a well respected school/book use 55 layers with final roll out at 3 to 3.5 mm which would be .055-.064 thickness for each layer, compared to the class I took which recommended the final roll out thickness of each layer being no less than .1 mm which for 55 layers would be 5.5 mm. I currently pretty much do 49 layers at a final roll out thickness of each layer being about .08 mm. I guess one thing to try would be rolling out thinner; I did have some issues (I would have to re test to confirm) with rolling to thin and the dough layers coming together to much. 

I think I will have to do more tests to come to a more finalized opinion. Ive tried using higher protein flour which allowed me to roll thinner but I think the over all texture changes with increasing gluten. I tried increasing the hg flour quite a bit and made the dough butter percentage 9%, with a roll in % around 26%, which held up; I should probably right down my results thoroughly so I remember, Ive tested croissants almost every other day for 9 months, but still haven't really gotten the texture I wanted in the class I took . Right now Im using 4% dough fat with 28% roll in with around 10.5% (a little lower) gluten.


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## kenny yamada (Jan 5, 2017)

Caminech4 said:


> I've had this problem as well here in Orlando, and I thought I was crazy because nobody else picked up on it! Definitely a peppery taste to it, and I can pick it up in buttercreams as well. I'm slightly relieved to see your post, but sorry you are having the problem too!


I just saw your post today, that's a relief for me too I thought I might be off as well. Thx for sharing


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