Cambozola Ripening

[hed]

Off on my first adventure with Cambozola, so far things are looking promising, I am about 12 days into the process, and I have a healthy looking layer of penicilium candidum growth covering the entirety of my cheese. I first pierced holes to give the penicilium roqueforti some air about 1 week ago and re-pierced once through the candidum layer to retain openings.

My question is whether I should at this point continue to re-pierce the holes and ripen the blue cheese for another 3 or so days, or should I leave the growth and wrap them up now and continue their ripening that way? Most recipes I have seen say to wait 10+ days after piercing. I would like to give the blue time to develop with enough air, but also dont want to over ripen the outside of my pen.cad. to the point of risking slip skin.

Just wondering if any of you knowlegeable people out their have any thoughts on this? Thanks!

[Frodage3]

Hi hed,
I haven't yet made a cambozola but would love to learn from your experiences. Do you have any photos you could share?

[valley ranch]

I'll go for that, Pictures are always nice. I'll wait to hear what suggestions come up. It's good to hear from you.

I'd like to here more about Slipped Skin, been hearing about it, but not sure how it happens.

Richard

[awakephd]

I'd like to here more about Slipped Skin, been hearing about it, but not sure how it happens.

Richard, generally it means that you slipped up somewhere ...

... you're welcome.

[valley ranch]

As below?:

The most alarming outcome though, has to be ending up with Slip Skin.

Slip skin, or toad skin as it is also called, is an ugly looking and disappointing defect that can occur on mold ripened cheeses such as Camembert or Brie.

It is recognised mostly by a developing gnarled and bumpy rind, which will start spreading in the first 10 days, and the feeling of the mold covered rind moving or slipping around the centre of the cheese when it is picked up or turned over.

This unsightly and undesirable outcome appears to be caused by a number of factors, including any one of the following:

[awakephd]

That was my poor attempt to make a bad pun.

To give a more serious answer, slipped skin is when the layer of cheese just under the rind has over-developed, making it much more liquid-ish compared to the rest of the cheese. As a result, the rind can easily tear away, i.e., slip off - thus, slip skin.

I would say it is more likely to happen if you ripen them entirely at 50-55°. If, like many of us, you keep them at 50-55° only until they are well covered with PC, then move them to the cold fridge for the rest of the ripening, it is much less likely.

I have had some camemberts that got a little slip-skin-ish, due to staying too long at 50-55° ... but after putting them in the cold fridge, they seemed to equalize.