Author Topic: Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...  (Read 2773 times)

Baby Chee

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Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...
« on: February 02, 2010, 01:32:13 AM »


But, what the hell is this stuff?
Why did the middle so evenly run so fluidly?

This was a batch of Cam where it was all done to spec., but the aging went odd.
50º+ aging for the first 5 weeks, then it dipped down to 35-40ºF for most of the remaining 6 weeks.

Opened today.
What remains tastes excellent: creamy camembert!

Could the cheese have frozen or something?
Anyone aware of what would cause this odd effect?

2 of my 4 cams were opened and both were identical.
Soupy middle, good outside meat and shell.

linuxboy

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Re: Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2010, 01:56:35 AM »
What was your finish pH and salt level?

iratherfly

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Re: Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2010, 07:53:42 AM »
Wow, very strange!
Looks like this cheese was cooled from the inside outward faster than from outside inward as Cam should.
Do you always age it at 50F beginning-to-end?  I do 55F first but then reduce to 40F after full bloom and wrapping (usually day 12-14). Seems to even out the aging throughout quite well.

Could it be some funky milk or contamination? Perhaps acidity issues?

Baby Chee

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Re: Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2010, 02:45:57 PM »
pH wasn't tested: my tester isn't calibrated so I never used it.

The cheese tastes, smells, looks right, so if it is infection, it had nothing with anything except a brick of mush inside.

My last Cam that was fine but had too much salt (double rolled the outside due to infection) was aged around 55ºF for the initial phase and then put in a fridge for the remainder.  These were put in a fridge at approximately 55º for a couple weeks, then wrapped and left at 50ºF for a while then dipped down close to freezing and stayed at 40ºF approximately for the last 6 or so weeks.

The problem might be the room it was in: back room of a garage in ND super cold weather.  They were wrapped and left on top of a freezer where the surface might have chilled the cheeses below the 40ºF room and caused a mild freezing.  After two weeks I though it could be a problem and moved them onto a plastic table surface.  Somehow I have the feeling THAT caused the problem.

Great tasting 1/2 cheese.  The inside could be used for making cheese sauces, like an Alfredo sauce.  Nothing awful about the stuff, it's just liquid.  The ammonia smell is NOT overwhelming on these cheeses.


FRANCOIS

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Re: Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2010, 10:10:04 PM »
This is perfectly normal for high moisture and or low fat cam.  There is nothing wrong with that cheese, it's just over ripe for the make. 

Baby Chee

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Re: Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2010, 02:52:22 PM »
That's good to know!  I thought the whole mass would go runny instead of a center brick.

It certainly tastes good.  The inner milk can be used for sauces, just needs a thickening agent.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2010, 12:40:58 AM »
Sure look pretty (excepy the watery part). So Francous are you saying over ripening lowfat camemberts become watery in the middle?

FRANCOIS

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Re: Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2010, 01:28:49 AM »
Low fat or high mosture will do this.  Increase your fat level and you'll get more body, drop your mositure and it will be more firm and less likely to flow.

I battled this when developing a cheese previosuly so I am pretty familiar with the issue.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2010, 01:45:35 AM »
I see thanks hon!

Baby Chee

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Re: Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2010, 05:14:09 PM »
This was definitely high enough fat: whole milk and a little cream.

The moisture must have been too high.  I'll let them dry a bit further next time.
Still loving them, though.  That center isn't useless, either, just milky.

The_blue

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Re: Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2010, 09:37:50 AM »
I had the same (but worse) when i didn't drop the temperature after bloom. I forgot about it and came back 2 weeks later then dropped it in the fridge.

Was like water inside :(

Baby Chee

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Re: Looked like Cam, Smelled like Cam, Tasted like Cam, but...
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2010, 07:36:56 PM »
You can use that milk for sauces!

Unless it smells wicked.
I used mine in sauces: perfect.
Substitute it for milk or cream.