why does milk taste different after I leave it out for a while (not sure what to tag it but I’m assuming it’s chemistry)

449 views

why does milk taste different after I leave it out for a while (not sure what to tag it but I’m assuming it’s chemistry)

In: Chemistry

3 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Well for one, it’s warmer, which allows you to taste it better.

Cold drinks dull your taste by 1) sort of numbing/ desensitized your tongue (think about how you feel less when your hands are cold) and 2) the molecules are moving slower and become less aromatic. This is important because a lot of flavor is perceived through smell; when you taste it, you have your tastebuds sensing the flavors and components of the food or drink, but also smell travels together to form a more “full” flavor.

But also, if you leave it out for long enough, bacteria can grow and change the flavor. If it’s not too long, it shouldn’t make you sick but you may notice the flavor is different as bacteria have been feeding on the nutrients like complex sugars and breaking them into smaller sugars or other components.

Anonymous 0 Comments

I’m assuming you’re talking about homogenised and heat treated milk from a carton and not fresh from a cow. Because there’s a HEAP of different stuff going on if it’s fresh.

Do you mean if it’s left out to warm up a little? Because temperature really affects the taste of things. Cold things send a different reaction from the nerves to warmer things…. part of the taste is the sensation in your mouth.

Lots of taste is about the smell. The warmer the milk the more you can smell it because there’s more molecules in the air to smell.

Because milk is ‘fat’ based warmer fat is going to mingle in your taste buds better than colder more solid fats.

Or are you taking more long term ‘left out’… it’s slowly decomposing. The milk solids and liquids are separating, Bacteria is multiplying… and they are quite smelly and tasty in their own right.

Anonymous 0 Comments

It’s a temperature thing, but also a timing thing. Milk goes sour fairly quickly if it’s not refrigerated. A cup poured in the morning and allowed to sit for an hour before you drink it will taste drastically different from a cup.poured in the morning and left until evening before you drink it. Curdling or turning sour are gradual processes, and the taste of the milk throughout the course of the day will change gradually as a result.