Brie very 'earthy'

[Gregore]

This could be where it came from on your brie, my wife had a jar of kefir in my cheese fridge dormant as a back up .  One day I noticed all my cheeses with this acrid after finish , and dumped a whole bunch of them .

Months later it was still happening so I washed the fridge down , and noticed this jar , popped the lid and bam! That taste but in smell form . Her culture has made it out the  plastic screw on lid and all over my cheeses .

As hobbiests that make many types of cheeses we have to expect cross contamination and cheeses that do not match in flavor  the true form of the cheese we are trying to emilate .

[Dorchestercheese]

I think I'm smelling ammonia as earthy...should I be airing out my brie like some advocate for blues?

[awakephd]

Ammonia is part of the process that produces the softening of a brie or cam. The trick is to have enough, but not too much. Airing it out will help, especially airing it out for an hour or so before consumption.