Author Topic: Camembert - John's Batch #13  (Read 3215 times)

Cheese Head

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Camembert - John's Batch #13
« on: June 29, 2012, 09:56:04 PM »
Thirteenth Camembert batch based on Wiki: Brie/Camembert Cheese Making Recipe.

MAKING
  • Jun 29, 2012:
    • 4:10PM: Poured 2.75 fresh US gallons of Kroger cheapo brand store bought pasteurized homogenized whole cow's milk into Cuisinart Brand 3 US gallon stainless steel stockpot on cooker. Milk at 50°F, turned gas heat on low. Tricked and stirred in 3/4 teaspoon diluted CaCl2. Measured and sprinkled ~0.6 grams Danisco's Choozit Brand Mesophilic Starter Culture MM100, 4-5 puffs of Choozit Penicillium candidum VS strain spores, and 2 puffs of Choozit Geotrichum candidum Geo 13 strain spores onto milk and stirred in with bread knife.
    • 4:45PM: Milk at 86F/30C, turned gas off, covered and set aside for pH to drop.
    • 6:15PM: Melted ~0.8 grams powdered rennet crystals in 1 cup room temperature filtered & reverse osmosis tap water, trickled into milk and stirring in 1 min, removed stirring ladle and covered while waiting for curd to rennet set.
    • 7:05PM: Checked curd set, good, cut curds into ~1 cm/0.5 inch diamonds, set aside for 30 minutes for cut curds to heal and start expelling whey, stirred cut curds gently very 5 minutes to minimize clumping, help expel whey, and to break up any large pieces.
    • 7:30PM: Placed scissors lift under XL draining board far end away from sink to aid draining. Placed six cut course mats then six fine mats then six Camembert hoops on top.
    • 7:40PM: Ladled cut curds with new sieve ladle into small mesh seive to drain whey then placed in 6 hoops, all curds used and 1" / 2 cm left at top of hoops.
    • 8:00PM: Poked 3 fingers four times around perimeter to reduce amount of pockets of whey.
    • 8:30PM: Turned cheeses in hoops, curds sticking to mat.
    • 9:40PM: Turned cheeses in hoops, no sticking.
  • Jun 30, 2012:
    • 6:15AM: Turned hoops, poured just under 1/2 teaspoon dry salt on each top while still in hoops.
    • 3:00PM: Turned, removed from hoops, poured just under 1/2 teaspoon dry salt on each top.
    • 10:00PM: Turned cams.
  • Jul 1, 2012:
    • 9:00AM: Turned cheeses.
    • 9:00PM: Placed in humidity ripening containers in fridge cheese cave to bloom.
BLOOMING
  • Jul 2, 2012 Age 3 Days: Turned cheeses in containers in cave.
  • Jul 5, 2012 Age 6 Days: White bloom covered 1/2 cheeses, patting down bloom, left humidity container lids cracked.
RIPENING
  • Jul 6, 2012 Went on leave, wife also away, cheeses left undisturbed for 10 days.
  • Jul 15, 2012 Age 16 Days: Returned from leave, found condensation in humidity containers indicating excessive humidity and found highly excessive white mold growth on cheese surfaces, patted down, unwanted thick rind adn some slip skin around periphery of cheese, turned and placed back in containers in cave but without lid to dry and shrink rind of cheeses to try and reduce slip skin.
  • Jul 16, 2012 Age 17 Days: Cheeses drying and slip skin partially reduced, turned and patted down mold.
  • Jul 17, 2012 Age 18 Days: Cheeses further dryed and slip skin further reduced, turned and patted down mold, and placed lids on containers, partially cracked to increase humidity.
NOTES
  • Next batch try draining curds in humidity containers and turn two at a time into another container vs on tray.
  • Next plan holidays better!
« Last Edit: July 18, 2012, 04:04:16 AM by John (CH) »

Offline dbudge55

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Re: Camembert - John's Batch #13
« Reply #1 on: June 30, 2012, 12:03:47 AM »
Just curious about using geo only and no PC. Have you tried this before? I only ask because I have geo on hand but have to order PC.
Laissez le rouleau grand fromage - Dave Budge

Cheese Head

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Re: Camembert - John's Batch #13
« Reply #2 on: July 01, 2012, 03:24:31 PM »
Hi Dave

Actually I did use PC, info is hidden in first bullet. This is my first make with Choozit's PC Neige strain as ran out of my Choozit PC VS strain, my understanding is the Neige will give a stronger aroma/taste.

Also, as you have no PC you can use some ground up store nought camembert rind slurried in a littel milk, I did it that way for my first couple makes, there's a few threads here on doing that.

Cheese Head

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Re: Camembert - John's Batch #13
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2012, 07:30:48 PM »
New learning when making short ripening period cheeses like camembert, don't go on leave (it was unplanned) just after mold starts to bloom. Just got back home and found humidity containers not open enough and highly excessive white mold growth, now have slip skin and thick rind, darn. Updated records and added pictures above.

JeffHamm

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Re: Camembert - John's Batch #13
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2012, 08:35:03 PM »
They do look very fluffy though!  Was the inner paste still edible or had they ammoniated as well?

- Jeff

iratherfly

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Re: Camembert - John's Batch #13
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2012, 06:23:10 AM »
oooh!!!! really aggressive, that PC-neige!  Why did you close the containers all the way?

Nice containers by the way. What brand are they? I want to carry them in my shop. I am working on an affinage kit