I made my second Camembert-style cheese just under six weeks ago, aiming for something akin to Mal's (OzzieCheese) "Malembert," though with a few differences:
1 gallon P&H whole milk (3.2%?)
1 gallon P&H 2% milk (2.0%)
3 cups UP light cream (20-25%?)
1/4 tsp MA011
1/16 tsp MD088
1/32 tsp PC
1/64 tsp GC
1/8 tsp CaCl (crystals, dissolved in ~2 Tbs non-chlorinated water)
1/2 tsp single-strength calf rennet, diluted in ~1/4 cup non-chlorinated water)
4-1/2 tsp pickling salt
Heat milk to 90°F, add cultures and molds, ripen for 90 minutes.
Add CaCl, rest 5 minutes
Add rennet, stir in, still milk, set for 60 minutes (should be a very firm curd)
Cut into 3/4 - 1" cubes, rest five minutes
Stir gently for 15 minutes, then allow to settle for 15 minutes
Ladle curds into 3 6" molds. Flip every 15 minutes for 1-1/2 hours.
Leave in molds overnight, 10-12 hours.
Remove from molds; pH = 4.7
Sprinkle 3/4 tsp salt on top of each cheese; wait 8-10 hours, then flip and sprinkle 3/4 tsp salt on the other side.
Ripen in ripening boxes in the cheese cave until well covered with PC, then move boxes to fridge.
If you compare to Mal's make (
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13412.0.html), you'll see that mine is pretty close, except 1) not quite as much fat (?); 2) larger and fewer molds (3 instead of 6); and 3) a bit more salt -- I don't remember the percentage of salt I was aiming for, but I based it on Caldwell's book.
Compared to my first Camembert make (which was thinner, and had less fat), these have taken a long time to ripen. They got covered over in white PC with the yellowish GC underneath quickly enough -- within a week? I think? -- but then for the longest time, as they stayed in the cold fridge, they didn't seem to be doing very much; maybe a little soft on the edges, but still quite firm in the center. But finally, in the last week or so, they began to feel distinctly more squishy. Interestingly, each of the three seems to be on a different timetable -- one has clearly been further along than the others, and one has clearly been much further behind -- but all three are definitely progressing at last.
I couldn't stand waiting any longer, and so I opened the furthest-along one of these this weekend -- and wow, is it ever good. The paste is gooey on the outside, shading to creamy but firmer on the inside. The taste is marvelous -- tangy and a bit salty (maybe I did get too much salt?) -- and unlike my first cam, the rind is quite pleasant as well.
This definitely gets repeated!
