Author Topic: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?  (Read 8323 times)

vogironface

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Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« on: December 30, 2009, 03:45:57 PM »
These little guys are 9.5 days old and look to be nearly covered in mold.  Several days ago the other side looked like this and I flipped them.  I could wait longer for a more fully covered cheese if it does not hurt anything.  What are your thoughts?

1/20/2010
Modified original post to add make notes.  Not bad for my first camembert but the cheese has some ammonia smell and after taste.  No slip skin but soft only on the edges.  Comments welcomed.

1 gallon whole milk
.1g flora danica
1/4 tsp cacl2
1/32 tsp sam 3 p. cad.
.08g m-50 tablet rennet

7:10 added cacl2,culture and p. cad. at 85 degrees Fahrenheit
7:19 added rennet at 85 degrees Fahrenheit
floc time 11:00 with a  factor of 5.5 added 60:00 for total rennet time of 1:11:30
8:37 cut curds horizontally with 1/2 inch curd knife but not vertically.  Scooped curds into molds immediately thereafter.
placed the molds on a cookie sheet and left in the oven with light on.  About 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
-  flipped frequently and increasing intervals and at 12:15 went to bed.  Next morning I salted both sides, 1 tsp per side and placed in the molding box in the cave at humidity of about 85 and temp at 54 degrees Fahrenheit.
-  After 2.5 days lowered temp to 49 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mold appeared at end of 6th day. 
-Flipped cheeses on day 7
- fully covered by day 10 with mold and wrapped.  Moved to the kitchen fridge at 42 degrees Ferenheit and 39% humidity.
- Flipped about every 2 days.  Opened to inspect every week. 
- Day 31 opened to eat because I smelled some slight amonia smell from the cheese.  No slip skin and a beautifull soft pate about 3.8 inches thick with a hard center.  The aftertaste is somewhat unpleasant but edible.
-  I am happy as a first attempt.   
« Last Edit: January 21, 2010, 05:53:53 AM by Ben »

Alex

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2009, 04:17:43 PM »
Looks good Ben, You can wrap them.
Next time, don't wait until one side is completely bloomed, turn them every other day until evenly bloomed.

Happy New Year !!!

mtncheesemaker

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2009, 11:54:35 PM »
I think they look good, Ben. I find sometimes that mine aren't 100% covered with white and sometimes they are. Seems like when I unwrap them, they're all good.
Congratulations! Now the other hard part: waiting!
Pam

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2009, 03:42:07 AM »
That looks very nice Ben. Looks like you have a great cheese in the making. Congrats!

vogironface

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2009, 03:55:05 AM »
Pam,

From what I have read the hard part is just beginning.  Isn't it pretty easy to get the mold to take and cover the cheese?  I keep wanting to think I am half way there but I really think I am starting the hard part.

Alex,
Thanks for the tip.  I will flip every day next time.

I have searched the forum to try ad find how to sterilize the supplies used in molded cheeses to prevent cross contamination.  Is this done with bleach?  If so what is the process?  I would like to keep my cams cams and my blues blue.
« Last Edit: December 31, 2009, 05:07:28 AM by Ben »

Alex

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2009, 07:00:18 AM »


Alex,
Thanks for the tip.  I will flip every day next time.


You missunderstood me Ben, not every day, every second day is just right.

vogironface

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2009, 07:43:59 AM »
Got it Alex, you were clear in your first post but I did not read it carefully.  Every other day from now on.

Tea

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2009, 08:35:20 AM »
I have to agree with Alex too.  My recipe tells me to turn every 2-4-5 days.  But I have had too many cheeses rip their rind during the turning process, no matter how careful I tried to be.  I have found that if I turn every day this situation very rarely happens.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2010, 03:26:57 AM »
Agreed! it gives the soft delicate cheeses to much time to sink into the mat and stick. Turning more often also seems to encourage more even mold development.

FRANCOIS

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2010, 06:38:46 AM »
9.5 days is a bit young to wrap.  You could get premature mold death if it is not established enough.  Commercially cams are wrapped anywhere form 11-13 days depending on recipe.

mtncheesemaker

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2010, 04:33:06 PM »
Hi Ben;
Yes, the mold seems to grow easily and quickly. The hard part for me is getting that nice mold growth and not getting slip skin during that period.
Did you notice any skin slippage while wrapping? I've only ever had slip skin develop once after wrapping and then it was very slight. It was actually very good cheese although the middle was still "firm". I'm going to check my notes and compare my days to wrapping with Francois' suggested times.
BTW, there is a good paragraph on soft cheeses I read in a book I just got,  Italian Cheeses, the Slow Food Edition. If I can figure out how to post it on the thread about Camembert info, I will.
Pam

vogironface

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #11 on: January 01, 2010, 05:03:02 PM »
Pam,

I felt no evidance of slip skin.  Things were very firm, of course hey were only 10 days old when I wrapped them.  I always thought slip skin developed later in the process. 

I have not seen any discussion on the time of wrapping and stage of development of the mold relative to slip skin.  I wonder if it has an affect.  I bring this up because it seems that we all have such a wide range of experiences with this cheese.  I imagine there are a lot of variables and I wonder how the stage of mold development fits into it.  We have discussed geo and temps and moisture a lot relative to slip skin.  Anyway, just thinking aloud.

mtncheesemaker

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #12 on: January 01, 2010, 05:44:25 PM »
I hear you! I wish I could say that I've nailed this cheese but every time I make it I hold my breath. Never sure how it's gonna turn out.
Just ordered a pH meter so hoping that'll help all my cheeses.
Pam

Baby Chee

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2010, 12:04:10 PM »
Your leading edge appears to have that electric lime green mold I get on my Camemberts!

My latest batch got it slightly on top of the white mold, so I hope it doesn't spread.  My second Cams had it BAD and they were a stinky mess.  If that is the same mold, I was told on here that it comes from too much moisture in the cave.  After I made sure to clear out draining water, it lessened.

Missy Greene

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Re: Are these camemberts ready to wrap?
« Reply #14 on: January 02, 2010, 01:58:04 PM »
Hi Ben,
 On another note, where did you get those great round cheese mats???