Camembert - Adding Rennet Delayed Or Immediately After Adding Starter Culture

[steffb503]

so half the recipes I find add the rennet with the culture the other half add culture wait 90 mins then add rennet.
Which is correct or if both correct how does the end result differ?

[Oberhasli]

Hi Steffb503,

I have only ever used the recipe that calls for the rennet and cultures to be added at the same time and have had success with it.  Once I find a recipe that works for me and I can get the same results over and over, I stick with that.  But, having said that, I obviously have never tried the recipe that takes almost twice as long.  The threads in the camembert section have quite a few recipes people are using.  I had never seen the recipe that has you wait 90 minutes and then rennet, and wait another hour or so, or add salt to the curds before draining. 

Bonnie

[Caseus]

I had never seen the recipe that has you wait 90 minutes and then rennet, and wait another hour or so, or add salt to the curds before draining.

Bonnie, the Wiki: Brie/Camembert Cheese Making Recipe, last updated March 12th 2012 on this forum's Wiki, is just that sort of recipe in which the milk is cultured for 90 minutes, then rennet is added, then salting is done after the curds have been ladled into the forms. 

The recipe in 200 Easy Cheeses adds rennet and culture at the same time.  That's the recipe I'm probably going to use when I try my first Camembert.   

[Helen]

I would add the culture and then the rennet. If you take pH reading, you have to wait until your pH drops and then add the rennet. As such, I would wait for some time before adding the rennet.

That said, I use mother cultures and do not wait for 90 minutes.