Paste not developed after 7 weeks? Advice

[medomak]

Hello,

I was hoping folks on here could check my work and offer me advice on why my paste is full of holes.  I've attached pics from cutting the curd to cutting open the cheese if that helps any.

8 quarts whole milk, fresh, home pasteurized.
Heat to 88*
Add 1/2 teaspoon flora Danica culture
Add 1/16 tsp penicillin candidum
Add 1/64 tsp "pinch"  geotricum candidum
Rehydrate ~5 min, then stir up and down for 45 seconds
Add 1/4 tsp rennet diluted in 1/4 cup cool water Stir 30 seconds, then top stir 15 seconds
Set for 90 minutes (didn't use floc, b/c was unsure about the multiplier...6.5?)  and temp went from 88* to 86*
Cut curds into 1 inch cubes.  Let heal for 5 minutes.  see pic
Stir curds until shrink slightly in size and edges round. ~7 minutes.  Let curds settle
Dip off whey
Ladle into 2 molds in ripening box.   see pic
Let settle two hours, flip, let settle two hours, flip, let settle two hours, flip...sit overnight.  Flip next morning.
Remove from mold after 24 hours.  see pic
Ripened at 41-45* in ripening box in fridge

Opened one after 5 weeks (no pic), edges were relatively soft, paste was kind of runny at the edges and interior was still solid, chunky, and had holes.  Flavor was nice, though.

Opened the other one (pics attached) after 7 weeks.  Edges were much softer, paste was very runny at the edges and the interior was softer, but still more solid, chunky and the holes.  The flavor was MUCH more developed and very nice.    But I'm trying to solve the interior paste consistency...both the holes and the solid aspects. 

I get the sense that these cheeses are thicker than they should be, but I feel like I'm following the directions in the recipes and I'm using the only Camembert mold I've seen sold. 

Any insight?  Ripen longer? Ladle less curds into the molds for a thinner cheese?  Did I wait too long to cut the curd or stir too much?

Thanks in advance...

Dave

[Tomer1]

Seem like uneven ripening,
If you ripen longer by the time the center is like your current semi runny outside, the outside will completly run and you will possibly have seperation from the skin.

Now looking at your temp managment it makes sense.
A)you need to establish your PC\PC+Geo at a much warmer temp (12-15c) ,get a complete coverage and then move it to to fully ripen at 8c.
Basically your fridge is too cold.

[smilingcalico]

Off the bat I'd have to say your curds were too firm, thus giving you the interior holes and slightly bumpy exterior.  As this is an unpressed cheese (or pressed with the lightest of weight), softer curds will allow them to mat together more evenly.  Cut them, then let them settle.  Go straight to ladleing them into the molds.  Ripening in the fridge takes extra time.  The cold really slows down the ripening process.  You can easily go 10 weeks, and often longer.  Camembert typically likes about 55 degrees.

[george]

Dave, I think you pegged it about the thickness - for two gallons/8 quarts, I use 4 of those same molds, not two  - therefore thinner cheeses and faster ripening.  Everything else you've noted about the make (except I ripen in cave @ 52 deg) is the same as I do, and mine have been coming out nicely for a while now. 

[medomak]

Thanks everyone. 

Two follow up question:

1)  Am I right about a 6.5 floc multiplier?

2)  In the recipes that suggest stirring the curds until they shrink slightly and round out the edges, what do you think they are going for?  Less moisture in the curd before molding?  A change in ph?  Just wondering.  I'm certainly going to try ladling right after I let them heal from cutting the next make.

Thanks again.

Dave