Author Topic: Camembert Mkaing - Slip Skin & How Avoid  (Read 6040 times)

rose_gardens

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Camembert Mkaing - Slip Skin & How Avoid
« on: July 04, 2010, 04:06:01 AM »
Two weeks ago I made my first camembert. It looked really really good with a nice fluffy coat of white mold. My recipe said to take it out of the ripener and wrap it in cheese film a week to ten days after the mold grows. I just went to wrap the cheese and found that it was stuck to my mat. When I pried it loose the rind  on the underside of the cheese stuck to the mat. Inside, the cheese was firm in the middle but liquidy around the edge just inside of the rind. You can see all this in the attached photo.

Next time I will turn the cheese every day or two  Does my cheese have "slip skin"? I put in Geotrichum Candidum in ~ 1:5 proportion to Penicillium Candidum. I tasted the cheese and it is slighly bitter but not objectionable. The recipe calls for about 4 more weeks or ripening.  Any idea if this cheese can ripen and make it OK? Any feedback on what to do differently next time. Thanks.


mtncheesemaker

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Re: Camembert Mkaing - Slip Skin & How Avoid
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2010, 01:26:01 PM »
Hi Rose;
I would suggest you quit using those bamboo mats; cheese seems to stick to them worse than the plastic ones. And definitely turning the cheeses daily is a good idea. I usually wrap my cams when they have a nice allover covering of mold.
What temp were you aging them at?
I'm not sure whether that is slip skin or just uneven ripening. If it tastes OK, you might wrap it and put it in your regular fridge for a while, and eat it.
Pam

Cheese Head

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Re: Camembert Mkaing - Slip Skin & How Avoid
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2010, 01:29:11 PM »
Hi rose gardens, in addition to Pam:
  • You are correct, with white mold cheeses you have to turn regularly to minimize sticking plus I would recommend using a plastic food grade mat rather than bamboo sushi type mats as they can harbor unwanted molds and fungus even if cleaned well. If you Search on bamboo you'll get several hits. Similar recent post here.
  • Yes your cheese has slip skin, edible info here.
  • I don't think your cheese will last another 4 weeks, I'd continue eating now, or it would be a good experiment, or as Pam says put in cold kitchin fridge to slow it right down.

rose_gardens

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Re: Camembert Mkaing - Slip Skin & How Avoid
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2010, 05:02:25 PM »

Pam, John,

Thank you for your replies. Very helpful.

My wife and I ate the soft portion and it was good.

I will use plastic mats and turn regularly next time.

I will also watch the aging temperture and drain a bit longer.

Thanks again.

rose_gardens (Bob)

iratherfly

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Re: Camembert Mkaing - Slip Skin & How Avoid
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2010, 06:17:58 PM »
I would also look at the initial draining/curd cutting of the cheese to make sure it is drier to begin with. The slip skin issue attacks most people in their first camemberts but once you get a feeling for it it will not happen again. The balance is between:
1. cutting the curd early enough and in the right size so it releases the excess whey and your cheese is not over-moist
2. Maintaining a good aging container in 90% relative humidity (often on this board mentioned as "RH") - open and close the lid to make sure it isn't 100%+ humidity but also don't dry the cheese with 80% RH. You will get a feel for what 90%-95% look like after the first couple of times you do it
3. Wipe the container! No water beads should be on the sides or lid as they go back into the cheese and contaminate it. The cheese also need to be elevated so that it doesn't sit in its drained whey. You may want to consider a paper towel on the bottom that you replace every time it gets soaked. Turn the cheese regularly so that the top side gets on opportunity to drain and the bottom now becomes the top and drains. This also helps equalizing and moving the minerals in the cheese to ripen it on all sides together
4. Temp control. Keep it at arounf 50F-55F until fully bloomed, then transfer to high refrigeration. A surface ripened cheese is a bit like frying a vegetable; it matures from the outside-in. Do it too hot or too quickly and your veggie will be fried to a crisp outside but raw on the inside. This is exactly what the skin slip is about. Your rind is in the condition of a 30-40 days old cheese and the core paste is in a 7 days old cheese condition. Does that make sense?

rose_gardens

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Re: Camembert Mkaing - Slip Skin & How Avoid
« Reply #5 on: July 04, 2010, 07:18:04 PM »
Yes, tremendously helpful!  This info is not all in the recipe and seems vital ... thank you.

shotski

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Re: Camembert Mkaing - Slip Skin & How Avoid
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2012, 12:23:57 AM »
4. Temp control. Keep it at arounf 50F-55F until fully bloomed, then transfer to high refrigeration. A surface ripened cheese is a bit like frying a vegetable; it matures from the outside-in. Do it too hot or too quickly and your veggie will be fried to a crisp outside but raw on the inside. This is exactly what the skin slip is about. Your rind is in the condition of a 30-40 days old cheese and the core paste is in a 7 days old cheese condition.

Two questions. What is the proper aging time after wraped? in the fridge or at 10C ?

and if left long enough will the inside eventually age and turn out as it should?

ok that is 3

Thanks for help

John

iratherfly

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Re: Camembert Mkaing - Slip Skin & How Avoid
« Reply #7 on: December 17, 2012, 10:24:35 AM »
Ooops sorry, I missed your post back.

Refrigerate between 4°C and 10°C. That would be fine. You want to slow down the development but you don't want to freeze the cheese. You must keep it alive and breathing happily.

If left long enough in the fridge - yes, the inside will ripen. That's normal Camembert. If you are talking about the cheese with the slip skin, then probably not a good idea because the skin area will be full of ammonia. Many times if you have slip skin the rind no longer develops the inside through this big layer of ammonia and air so the inside won't develop.