Calvados washed rind "epoisses"

[amiriliano]

My "epoisses". It's actually a cow's milk + heavy cream camembert that was washed with 3% brine+ linens + Calvados (I can't gund Marc) every two days for 4 weeks and then left to age for 2 more.

It's delicious (and stinky) but not as "gooey" or "runny" as I would like.

What's the secret to getting oozy cheeses?

[andreark]

If it's actually a camembert, then it's a rennet curd cheese.   Epoisse is a lactic curd cheese that begins it's life as a very moist
and delicate cheese.  So it should take only 5 weeks or so to ripen and get very soft. 

I have a Taleggio type (rennet curd) that is really over ripe and almost runny, , , at least very, very soft.  This is also a rennet curd cheese but I let it ripen long enough to get 'gooey'. 

Maybe if you let your 'rennet type' ripen for a few more weeks, it will get runny like my Taleggio type.  This taleggio type is very
popular and delicious.  It just doesn't have the tang of a lactic cheese.

andreark

[amiriliano]

Thank you! I would like to use an epoisses recipe but havent been able to find one.

[Kern]

I found this when I typed in "epoisses" into the search box and looked in the entire forum:

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,8473.msg60094.html#msg60094

[amiriliano]

Thanks. I think I forget to do "entire forum". In the meantime I remembered I have Artisan Cheesemaking on my Kindle. I always default to Caldwell. Attached is the recipe.

[Boofer]

What's the secret to getting oozy cheeses?

This is extracted from "Introduction to Cheesemaking":
"The elasticity (cohesion) of the curd is dependent on the mineral calcium and this is "fractured" by acid and will then drain from the curd along with the whey. The greater the acidity at coagulation time the less calcium will have been retained and the less cohesive will the resultant curd would be. It will also retain more moisture since it becomes more porous with the loss of calcium. You might think of calcium as the natural "glue". How much "glue" you allow your curd to retain will depend on how firm or soft, or dry or wet, you want the mature cheese to be."

Other factors for oozy/gooey cheeses:

• larger curds at cutting
• greater flocculation factor...4x
• shorter cooking time
• form factor for cheese should be thinner to permit cultures on surfaces to ripen the cheese center in a timely manner.

-Boofer-

[FRANCOIS]

It's a typical rennet cheese. I used to work with a cheese maker that made it for years in France (the AOC version).

Runny cheese needs lots of moisture and low fat milk helps. Protein will turn liquid during ripening.

[amiriliano]

So I'm a little confused: lactic or rennet?

[FRANCOIS]

I've always known it to be a rennet cheese. The texture is all wrong for lactic.

[amiriliano]

If it's actually a camembert, then it's a rennet curd cheese.   Epoisse is a lactic curd cheese that begins it's life as a very moist
and delicate cheese.  So it should take only 5 weeks or so to ripen and get very soft. 

Per andreark

Worried with renneting won't ooze....

[FRANCOIS]

You are making a firm delineation where there isn't one really. A soft and delicate rennet cheese is virtually no different to a well drained lactic in terms of texture. I would think getting a descent washed rind on a lactic would be painful. In any event there is no problem with a rennet cheese becoming liquid.

[FRANCOIS]

A quick Google image search confirms it's a rennet cheese. It's ladled like a camembert.

[amiriliano]

Ok then I guess Boofer's tips are the key to "runny" cheeses

[Boofer]

Ok then I guess Boofer's tips are the key to "runny" cheeses

Here, follow this make....

Don't forget to name it Epoisses...not Taleggio.

Extracted from the family album, "Failures I Have Known".

-Boofer-

[amiriliano]

Thanks boofer