Which culture do you prefer for Brie/Cam and why?

[Myrrh]

I've seen several recipes for Brie or Cam that use MA101, MA4001, or MA11 with or without Flora Danica. I was wondering if anyone has speak as to the benefits of one or the other. I've made Brie with MA4001 and it was fabulous, MA101 and it had a much stronger flavor, and haven't tried MA11. I'm pretty early in my Brie making adventures, so it is hard to say how much of the differences I've seen/tasted were due to the culture differences, and how much to the make inconsistency. I'm hoping one of the experienced folk here would be willing to educate me. Thanks!

[darius]

I'd like to know, too. I haven't tried to make a brie or cam yet.

[Gustav]

I want to make a brie cheese this coming week & happen to have some MA11 culture, but not the others. I'll use it & provide feedback after a month & half or so with the results.

[arkc]

I don't know what MA101 is.  Did you mean MM101.  This is the one that Peter Dixon uses for
his Camembert recipe that is online.  I have used it for a few years and have been very happy
with it.

annie

[iratherfly]

I love using Danisco Choozit MM100. It is interchangeable with the MM101 (Essentially the same but the strains are switched so cheesemakers can rotate their use).  I think it's very balanced and traditional, and it also builds acid quickly.  It has lactis and cremoris as well as diacetylactis which release aromatic gases during aging and give it random small eyes as well as buttery flavor quality. Sometimes if I want more of that quality I add MD89 (just to double up on the diacetyls).  I find that Flora Danica has far too much of that butter quality with cow's milk so I don't use it. However I use  With goat's milk I like to use Flora Danica because it is very buttery (too much for cows' milk in my opinion) but this quality stands up to the sharp qualities of goat's milk.

MA011 is missing the diacetylactis altogether but in combination with MD89 would give you something quite similar to MM100/MM101

MA 4001 can also work. It too has lactis, cremoris and diacetyls, but you get less of them because each dose also makes room for thermophilus which in my opinion doesn't contribute much and goes to waste in a Brie, where the other 3 cultures are essential.

[Gustav]

I spoke to the bio chemist lady working here at Danisco & she said that MM100 works fine, but that she suggests that I use Probat 222 instead as the gas formation of this culture helps alot with the foramtion of the spores.

I've attached the 2 culture spec sheets so that you may compare them.
Tell me what you think though.

[Bishop]

Hi Gustav,
         are the spec/fact sheets you have available on the net or are you getting them on request from Danisco only?

[Gustav]

I don't think it's available on the net. I know the lady that works there in the lab in Midrand in South Africa.
If you need tech sheets on any of their products just let me know & i'll ask her to mail it to me.

They are nice to have right?

[arkc]

Would one of our 'gurus' on cultures please look at Gustav's links?

annie

[Sailor Con Queso]

The MM-100 does have some gas production, however the Probat-222 adds Leuconocstoc m. cremoris to the blend. This bacteria makes long colony chains that creates a thicker paste in the finished cheese. It produces more CO2 and it also adds more of a diacetyl (buttery) flavor.

Probat-222 and Aromatic B are the same except the ratios and the bacterial strains are different.

So, which one? That's just a personal preference. Try both and see which one you like better. I like Aromatic B.

[Webmaster]

Gustav, thanks for uploaded files, we didn't have the Probat one so I just added it to our Library. For others, our Manufacturer's Technical Data Sheets are stored in our Library by vendor then type.

[arkc]

Probat-222 and Aromatic B are the same except the ratios and the bacterial strains are different.

OK Sailor, so where did you get the info AND can we all access this type of info too?

Thanks,

annie

[Gustav]

no problem. Always happy to help, coz some other day I need it myself.

[Webmaster]

annie, sorry my poor choice of words, we didn't previously have the Probat data sheet in our Forum's Library.

[Gustav]

Here are some more data sheets that I dont see under Danisco if you want to add them.

Hope this helps.