Author Topic: Problematic CAM  (Read 1596 times)

wilje645

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Problematic CAM
« on: April 27, 2016, 07:04:22 AM »
Hi there,

This is my first time making cheese and I chose to make a Camembert.
My CAMs have been in an aging box for a bit over two weeks now and there only just getting a good amount of PC on them. The sides are covered and bottom was covered till everytime i turn them I lose abit more mold off them.
questions
1) Will i still have something eatable since its taken over two weeks for the mold and rind to really get going?
2) When i last turned my cheese i found a couple of really small blue molds starting and i used a knife to scrap them away and then resalted the whole cheese, was this the right thing to do? ive read that you shouldnt salt the PC once it is growing as it may inhibit growth.
3) since resalting the surface of the CAMs its now very moist i havent put the lid back on fully to try and dry them more, should i pat dry them?
4) how do I stop the mold coming off everytime i flip them
5) My cheeses are'nt in a fridge at present, i live in a mud house so the room temps dont change much at all (kinda like a big cheese cave), my CAMs have been in the maturing box but at room temp. is this why its taking so long to get good mold growth?to higher room temp? also ive read that if you mature your cheese at a high temp ie above 12c then you will end up with a strong tasting cheese? can someone shed light on this?
Also once the whole cheese is covered in PC i was intending on wrapping and moving them to my fridge is this a good plan?

I hope all my questions make sense
Thanks in advance

Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: Problematic CAM
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2016, 10:30:47 AM »
Hi Wilje.
First up, welcome to the forum.
It's hard to say why the PC would be so slow to get going and a little more information would be useful. What sort of temperature and humidity are we talking about? Are the cheeses on some sort of rack in the aging box?
I've found with my Cams that the mould grows faster on the sides than on the top and bottom. I think this is because of the salting, with the sides getting less salt. That would seem to suggest that salting the cheese again would be a bad idea in terms of the effect on the PC.
I have had other moulds grow on Camemberts and this will be more likely if there is little or no PC to offer competition. You can spot treat these with brine and/or vinegar if you really have to but be sparing.
Moving the cheese to the fridge when you get a good coverage of PC is a good idea, either wrapped or in an aging container.
I think that you can still be optimistic about getting something edible even if it does not end up as you expected.
- Andrew

wattlebloke

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Re: Problematic CAM
« Reply #2 on: April 27, 2016, 11:02:57 AM »
And welcome from me too! I have learned so much from this forum, not only by asking questions, but also by searching old posts. I'll be interested to see what someone with more experience has to say about your dilemmas, but with my limited experience, here goes:

The first couple of weeks of a Cam's life are tricky until, with luck or experience, you get the conditions right

1) Will you still have something eatable? Probably, but it mightn't be what you thought it was going to be like. It will still be cheese!
2) I, too, scrape away blue mold spots, but don't resalt.
3) I pat dry mine with paper towel for the first few days if they are visibly damp;
4) I used to have trouble with mold coming off when I used bamboo mats, now I've gone to plastic its much better. And I flip every day while waiting for the mold to establish;
5) Depending on which part of Oz you live, room temp, even in a mudbrick or rammed earth might still be warmer than the ideal 13 C, +- a couple of degrees,
I reckon wrapping in cheesepaper and bunging in the fridge is a great plan.

And hey, you'll discover that the forum readers LOVE photos! Happy making :)

Edwin

Offline Al Lewis

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Re: Problematic CAM
« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2016, 12:47:36 PM »
Welcome to the forum.  As for your cams, I suspect the fact that you are keeping them in a box to form a rind is your first problem.  I find that PC grows quite well in the open air.  If you sit your cams on cheese paper the mold won't stick, actually it grows onto the adjoining surface, and come off when you flip them.  I typically put mine on a shelf in the cave for up to 7 days while the PC grows, flipping daily.  Then I move them to a fridge for ripening.  If the box you have them in has a lid it's probably too much humidity which could be causing your blue mold problem.  You can see that I had the same "sticking" problem when I first started here.
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Offline OzzieCheese

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Re: Problematic CAM
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2016, 04:50:57 AM »
Hey Wil.. Welcome from me as well.. Also, I applaud your first effort being a Cam.. BY any chance do you have any notes on how you made them?  To answer I hope--
1. Yes it will still be cheese will it be a soft Cam - that will only be revealed in the fullness of time.  You could have created a new cheese so don't give up.
2. Blue can be controlled just by dabbing with a little vinegar and, no you shouldn't re-apply salt as it will disrupt the PC activity.
3. The wet surface is caused by the salt - it, like sugar is, hydroscopic and will draw the moisture from the surrounds air and cheese alike.
4. ummm. not sure on that one.  I flip mine every other day so the mold doesn't have time time set into the ripening mat.
5. Here is how I've been making these types of cheese http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13412.0.html

PM me if like but add the questions on the forum as there are others here way more experienced than I - Oh BTW Pics really help to determine the problem as well.

-- Mal
Usually if one person asks a question then 10 are waiting for the answer - Please ask !