Red color on camambert--what is it?

[rosawoodsii]

I made Camembert with a gallon of goat milk and one of the cheeses looks fine, but the other has a large spot of red, which is now starting to grow white mold on it but was bare except for the color red for the first two weeks.  Could this be B. linens?  If not, what then, and is it safe?

The other side, btw, looks fine.

[Stinky]

I'd guess b. linens, but I'm not that knowledgable.

[Schnecken Slayer]

Does it smell like sweaty socks? 

[shaneb]

Is an ammonia smell okay or a problem? I have a ripening large brie which has a strong ammonia smell when I unwrapped it. I've read ammonia smells are normal for mould ripened cheese.

Thanks.

Shane

[Stinky]

I understand some ammonia smell is regular, but a lot is not a good thing. Maybe let it air out and see if it improves?

[OzzieCheese]

Hi Shane, This again is a 'It depends' answer.  The ammonia is part of the process as the cheese ripens from the outside in.  I can go back through my book to find out exactly but it is part of the re-solubilisation process (the gooey making bit).  So its to be expected but ... the 'Depends' are
1. Is it just as you open the container and then just dissipates and you are just left will a mushroom like smell.  If this is the case I'd just open the container more often and check the ripening temperature - should be in the 4 deg fridge by now..
2. Did you use Geotrichum as well. - this can create a 'Tan' coloured rind it using too much and can take over from the P.C. - nothing wrong here apart from the rind will be a bit stronger than normal and a bit tougher to eat.
3. Is the outside of the cheese soft and the centre just wont get harden up - Check the moisture as G.C is more tolerant of a lack of moisture than P.C.
4. if the ammonia smell hits you in the face and just won't go away your cheese is suffering and should be 'chalked up' to one of those things and another way not to make Cams.  BTW I found 7 ways to make ammonia before I got it right.

Don't give up.  this is my http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,12911.0.html

Hope that helps some.

-- Mal

   

[shaneb]

Thanks. I've moved it back to a ripening container for the moment with the lid cracked slightly. I have cut it in half and it looks to be developing nicely.

It does look like there's a touch of the red mould which the OP is seeing on their camembert. Is it the same or just where the paper has been resting?

I've attached a photo.

Thanks.

Shane

[shaneb]

Thanks Mal. Apologies to OP for hijacking your thread.

1. It is quite a strong ammonia smell still, so I guess it is stuffed and I left it in the cave too long? It is in the fridge now, but was in the cave at 12°C. I thought they were to stay in the cave until they start softening and then move to the fridge to slow the remainder down?

2. Nope, only PC. I don't have geo.

3. As per the photo everything seemed good on the softening front. It was feeling like it was starting to soften when I opened it to take a look.

4. Yeah I think this is a bin job unfortunately. It was looking so good. Oh well, I was planning on making another soon anyway.

Thanks guys for your help.

Shane

[rosawoodsii]

Does it smell like sweaty socks? 

No odor whatsoever.  I was surprised to see that the white mold was finally growing over the red area.  I hadn't flipped it for a couple of days, and previously the white mold was conspicuous in avoiding the red. 

This is my last Camembert of the season, since my goats have decided it's too darned cold to put energy into milk-making rather than keeping warm, so I was hoping it's edible and not funky.

P.S. to the hijacker   Ammoniated Camembert, IME, usually means it hasn't gotten enough air as  it ripened.  I got several like that until I started giving them more room to breathe. 

[shaneb]

Thanks Joy.  The brie had been wrapped in a double layered brie wrap (tissue paper?? on the inside and perforated plastic layer on the outside) for the last couple of weeks. I would have thought that there would be enough ventilation with that. The first couple of weeks it was in a ripening container. It was flipped twice daily from the beginning. Oh well, I'll chalk it up to experience. 

Shane

[rosawoodsii]

One thing about cheesemaking...we do get plenty of "experience", don't we? 

[pastpawn]

I heard (on podcast) that brown mold on cheese was B. linens.  Don't know if anyone listens to Gavin (Little Great Cheese podcast, Aussie). 

[rosawoodsii]

I've had brown mold on some cheeses that was vile smelling and caustic.  It ate right through the cheese wax.  At that point, I stopped aging cheeses in the cool basement of this old farmhouse.  I don't believe for a minute it was B. linens, but there may be more than one type of brown mold, just as there is more than one type of white mold.

And I still don't know the answer to my original question--is there more than one type of red mold, and if so, should I be wary?