1st attempt camembert

[timkrav]

hey guys! I will be trying my first camembert the following week. I have a couple of questions.

I see that some cheeses are runny and others look perfect, what are the possible causes of runny cheese?

I have been looking at camembert recipes and about 50% say - cut the curd and stir for 60 minutes and others say do not cut and do not stir. Does cutting and stirring affect the firmness of the cheese. Please advise, I am trying to make it firm and as close as possible on the first run.

[H-K-J]

when you cut and stir the curd you expel more whey, therefor you will be making a dryer firmer cheese.
when you just ladle the curd to the mold you are going to have a much more moist cheese

[Boofer]

Also, consider the amount of time you allow the curd to retain the whey before cutting...flocculation time. Larger floc values produce a moister cheese.

A floc factor of 2x for hard, drier cheese like Parmesan compared to 5x for a Reblochon, Camembert, or similar moist, soft or semi-soft cheese.

-Boofer-

[timkrav]

thanks for your replies/ After more reading I think i will be pusuing the stabilized route. Trying to find more info right now. I see there are some posts on this board about stabilized cheeses, but they were never finished. if someone has info, it would be greatly appreciated.