Camembert - Paste, Soft Outside & Hard Middle

[Bishop]

I seem to have made what I feel has been a comedy of errors with this cheese, I was wondering if anyone with more experience could unravel the causes.
      I made a batch of 2 large 250gm each Camembert 4 weeks ago, the recipe I used said they were ready to consume from 2.5 - 3.5 weeks old, so i decided to open the first at 3 weeks.  On opening the cheese two things were apparent, One I buggered up the volume of rennet (I used 1ml should have used 0.8ml with 4Lt of milk), and two the centre of the cheese was hard and the consistency of a cheddar.  After a few words I cant repeat (I think I said "how interesting" lol) I decided to place the 2nd cheese back in the cave for another week to see if there was any change in the hard centre.  Today I decided to open the 2nd cheese, I noticed it was weeping from the top edges, i cut the cheese in half and again the centre was hard and inedible.  Was this as a result of my impatience with a slow maturing cheese?  Or was there a misshap with the starter culture?

[Oberhasli]

Bishop,

Ya know - that cheese doesn't really look that bad.  But, I think your time line for ripening seems rather short for this cheese.  Usually, it won't even get a decent bloom before 2 - 3 weeks.  I usually age mine for at least 6-8 weeks.  You were doing something right - no slip skin and it looks like it was starting to age well.  I just think it could use some more ripening time.  Maybe the amount of rennet you added might have done something, but it wasn't off that badly.   I would definitely give it some more time in your "cave". 

Bonnie

[coffee joe]

I'm still trying to make a "Mistake" that looks that good

[Bishop]

Whats your thoughts on the moisture seeping from the top edges, I rubbed salt on it and before I new it I had moisture running down the side?  when I cut the cheese the corners seemed quite thin?

[mtncheesemaker]

I agree with Bonnie. I never find them ripe enough by 4 weeks like the recipes say. I find they are usually perfect at 7+. Usually I age them at +/- 50F for about 4 weeks, then put them in my regular fridge for 3 more.
I'm not sure about the moisture question. How much was it weeping? Was the cheese at room temp in the photo?
I think the cheese looks pretty good. How did it taste?
Pam

[Helen]

They look very much like the very young camemberts that you would get from the supermarket. I think that they just need to age a little bit more.

[ConnieG]

That's what mine have looked like when I've tried them early.  I know the conventional wisdom says you can't age them one their opened, but I think that means they won't reach their full potential once their opened.  I  have had very good success with them continuing to ripen when I've wrapped them in cheese paper and leaving them alone in the fridge for several weeks.  Reading this I got a half a camm and let it warm on the counter and it was quite nice.

Looking at the weeping in your picture, I'm wondering if you have been monitoring the humidity in your ripening process?  Is there a chance the cheese was too humid?  Did you wipe the condensation off your container?

[ancksunamun]

I wouldn't think it is a rennet issue as I recently had a Cam that I doubled the rennet over recommended doses and still got a perfect paste.

[Bishop]

Hi Ancksunamun, I'm thinking your correct about the rennet not being my biggets issue here, I did taste the edges and there definitely was a bitter after taste I put that down to using 1/5 too much rennet, are you using Calf or Veg rennet?

Hi ConnieG, I should have given more info to start with, it was wrapped in baking paper then again in cling film, there was condensation in the film but it doesn't reach past the baking paper, at the time of the picture I had let it air dry at room temp 15C/60F for about 1.5 hours hoping the condensation was from the surface not internal.

Hey Helen, funny you should say that I was wrapt this batch came out sitting high and bouncy like new puppeis in the window of the pet shop, in hind site they were holing ther shape so well because they were solid lol.

mtncheesemaker(Pam), the cheese was at room temp but the condensation was there immediately out of the fridge, it got dramatically worse when i rubbed salt on it, next I new I was wiping it up with paper towel.  The texture was nice and creamy, there was the bitter finish I believe that to be 1/5 too much rennet.

[ancksunamun]

Too much rennet will definitely contribute to your bitterness Bishop.

When did you wrap your cheeses? I don't wrap mine until they are fully bloomed (2-3 weeks) but your post sounds like they were wrapped early, and in quite a confined wrap. I use breathable cheese wrap with no issues.

[Bishop]

you're right ancksunamun it bloomed after 3/4 days & i wrapped it after being in the cave for 11 days, I definitely need to buy propper wrap I would say

[Webmaster]

This posted by Bishop was removed and reposted by Admin as original post caused Thread to not be visible (for some unknown reason).
Lets try again!

This next one looks better, Its seems the general consenses is these camemberts need need longer than my recipe advises 2-4 weeks maturation for "modern Camembert" this pic is at 2.5 wks, I have put it back together and its back in the fridge firmly wrapped.

[Bishop]

2.5 weeks

[iratherfly]

Looks much better! I think your error with the initial batch were either that the aging temp too high at the early stage of the aging and/or you kept it in the cave for too long and didn't move it to lower temp early enough.  There is also a possibility that there wasn't enough salt. Wrong wrapping can also cause this.

This cheese (especially in this size) should be perfect at 21-24 days. no more, no less.

Your new one looks much better but I suspect you may be using the wrong strain of PC (or too much of it, or you are not using Geo). It is way too fluffy and thick.  The French during affinage of this cheese pat it down with their hands whenever they turn it, kind of flattening the bloom and making it more dense. They do all the cheese in the cave at once with their bear hands so their hands transfer the bacterium from one cheese to the other. I suggest you do that. It would really help the quality of the cheese.

[Bishop]

Hi Iratherfly, I use Geotrichum Candidum direct vat set.  The recipe I use says to add the Geo to the milk with the culture and also a spec to the brine.  I will definitely be patting/handling them to pat the fluff down & I put best consumption dates on the wrapping. 

Thanks