18 days and no mold on Cam

[steffb503]

I am making another attempt at this cheese. I am using raw goat milk and following Steve Shapson's recipe.
It has been in it's ripening box for 18 days and still no mold growth. The temps were slightly cool around 39-40 . Can that be the problem. He calls for 42-44 I think.

[mtncheesemaker]

Maybe that's too cool. I ripen mine around 50F +/-. I know that when I put them in the regular fridge after about 4 weeks, they will continue to ripen but more slowly.
Did you add the mold to the milk?

[Alex]

Steff, this is a regular fridge's temp. therefore the rippening will take longer. May be you didn't add enough PC or not enough salt. It should have start blooming after 10-14 days under this condition.

[steffb503]

I did add the Pc to the milk and I did salt  it. I have now raised the temp to 40 but I think it might be too late.

[iratherfly]

Way too cold. It also lowers the dew point of the air int he aging container so the humidity isn't as effective.  I would also check salt.
 
Did you have geo growth at all?  If the cheese is slightly more yellowish outside and the rind is really just this gooey-soft-slimy exterior than you have Geo and PC can grow on it if you just make it humid enough.  At this point a good way to encourage quick growth will be to mix Geo and PC in brine of filtered and 3% salt. Put it in a clean (sanitized) spray bottle and let it rest for 12 hours in room temp to activate.  Then just spray the cheese once every day or two. (keep the bottle in the fridge in between, you only need the 12 hours in room temp on your very first use).

If you don't have Geo growth and cannot grow rind even if you spray it for 3-4 days than your issue might be with acidity. Your curd is at a pH level that didn't/doesn't/no longer enables bacterium growth, or a competing bacteria starved the Geo/PC to death.

Another thing is;  is your cheese on the bottom of the refrigerator? if so, move it to the top. You can get 5F warmer out of this simple switch.  If not, check the temp in your vegetable drawer, maybe that's a better spot.

Anyway you look at it, you may still save this cheese but it may not be an optimal quality batch (we all have those batches...).  The thing is that Camembert is a surface ripened cheese and it gets much of its flavor, aroma, acidity and texture from the quick development of the rind which ripens it from outside-in. You want the enzymes that turn the curd into cheese to be affected by the bacterium at the same time. At day 18 (this is a 21 day cheese) the enzymes are well on their way breaking down fats and proteins but the character of the rind is missing.  Another thing to remember is that the rind bacterium actually protects the cheese by consuming all the nutrients of competing pathogens and bacterium and starving them to death. That gives you cheese safety which is especially important with raw milk.

Let us know how it goes. Post photos so we can see!!