Trouble getting Camembert curds to drop straight when I turn them in their hoops

[cheeseydreams]

Hi All,
Wondering if anyone could offer some suggestions / tips to help me. Every time I make camembert I seem to have problems getting them to drop straight in their hoops when I turn them. This usually happens at the 3rd and 4th turn (approximately 3hrs and 7 hrs after hooping).
I have tried letting the curd set for longer to make it more firm, but this has had limited success.

Aside from the ugly shape, the rest of the cheese seems to work well - good mould coverage, nice flavour and texture etc, so not sure how to fix the problem.

Any and all suggestions are appreciated.
Cheeseydreams

[Andrew Marshallsay]

I assume that you are using the bottomless hoops.
I make my camemberts in moulds which have a bottom in them. I take the cheese out in the cheesecloth, turn it by hand in the cloth and then return to the mould.
No problems.

[Al Lewis]

What size are the molds you are using?  Diameter x height?

[mjr522]

I've had that problem--I also look at it as a challenge to see if I can flip it fast enough so that it is falling straight down instead of falling at an angle.  Sometimes I've successful, sometimes I'm not.  Luckily for me, I'm don't really care if they turn out ugly, just how they taste.  Good luck!

[Danbo]

Some of my hoops are to high which makes flipping hard.


If one of my cheeses does not flip right, I can usually save it by gently shaking the hoop a little from side to side - then most times it will fall right into place..


:-) Danbo

[Schnecken Slayer]

Check out http://www.cheesemaking.com/Camembert.html

The next stage is to allow the whey to drain off as the acid production continues. During this, the forms need to be turned on a regular basis. The way to do this is to place another draining mat and board on top of the form then CAREFULLY and quickly flipping it over. This is best done before the curd settles too far into the mold. The curd mass should drop evenly to the new draining surface with no breakage. This initial turn will set a nice smooth surface for the final cheese.