Best (Cheap/Available) Wrapping Choice For P candidum Cheeses

[makkonen]

I've got a couple camembert rounds in the cool box that have just started to develop a nice coating of white mould. Based on the general consensus advice here, as well as schmidling.com, in a few days they should probably be wrapped and moved to the regular fridge. (Though the idea of keeping them at ~50deg and having them ripe in 3 weeks instead of 6 or 10 sure would be nice.)

I don't have the inclination to order special papers if I can possibly avoid it (I'm trying to develop a method that's more reliant on easily procured items -- storebought cheese for the p. candida inoculum, cultured buttermilk instead of DVI starter, etc.). Regardless of that, I couldn't order the papers and have them here in time to wrap these cheeses, I imagine.

So, I have aluminum foil, I have saran wrap, I have parchment paper. Probably got some waxed paper around here, too. Schmidling.com says aluminum foil, and the last time I tried a camembert, maybe a couple years ago, I seem to recall it working well (though I used the amount of salt from that recipe, resulting in inedibly salty cheese). Cheesemaking.com says their papers are paraffin-coated parchment inside microperforated polypropylene.

Seems like my best guess at approximating that would be wrapping in a layer of parchment, and then a layer of aluminum, possibly with a bunch of pinholes punched in it. I think I saw that someone used tinfoil with holes in it at one point, but I can't find it again to confirm. I think it was... not successful?

So, has anyone tried a few different methods and feels confident in a recommendation? Otherwise, I'll probably try an A/B test with foil and foil+parchment, and see if either gives noticeably better results.

Advice? Thoughts? Thanks.

[Cheese Head]

makkonen, congrats on getting the white mold using a small piece of store bought Camembert or Brie.

I started a new Topic on CheeseMaking.com's White Mold and Washed Rind Wraps, the white mold ones have a "paraffin coated thin white parchment paper bonded to a 20 micron opaque white micro-perforated polypropylene paper". The parchment part of those wraps is very thin, thinner than store bought parchment paper than I have seen but it should still work, if you can fold it tight enough. Then for an outer layer anything should work that reduces but doesn't eliminate moisture loss and air transfer.

I started a new Topic on Reynolds brand Aluminum Wraps, they have slightly micro-stippled finish but I got a reply from manufacturer saying it was not micro-perforated.

Before buying these, I used no wraps and I had small problems maintaining moisture content as cheeses are very small, they are very susceptible to non-optimal humidity.

[makkonen]

Thanks for the pointers.

I had a friend recommend going to a hairdresser's supply store and picking up the tinfoil sheets they use for hair highlighting. He said they were nice individual serving size and cheaper than the supermarket. I haven't checked it out, but it might be a good tip for the cheapskates among us. From what I saw at his place, they're pretty similar to those reynolds sheets. ...I guess there might be some worry about them being food grade. Hmm. I guess if those reynolds ones are available, there's less to worry about there.

I also wonder about the paraffin coating on the cheesemaking.com wraps -- they mention that it keeps the mold from growing into the parchment paper. I have a hard time imagining it getting through any parchment paper, though. I pretty much think of that stuff as a miracle substance. We'll see.

I guess next time I do camembert I should make 4 little rounds and stick them in 4 different situations. Vary the temps, vary the wrappings/lack thereof. Maybe 1 unwrapped in a plastic shoebox in the cave, one in foil in the cave, and then the same in the fridge.

But what I really want to do is forgo all that and make a monster 6"D x 2"H triple cream a la Saint-André. I was at Lowe's (home improvement store) the other day and saw 6" PVC, and it got me thinking. and the last few times I've been to HEB (grocery store) they've had pints of heavy cream on sale for 99 cents... I think I've got 8 pints in my fridge now. I can't resist -- but there's only so much ganache and ice cream I can reasonably make. Perhaps the fates want me making triple cream cheeses.

...and a stilton. Mmm.