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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => ADJUNCT - Rennet Surface White Mold (Penicillium candidum) Ripened => Topic started by: bbracken677 on August 14, 2012, 02:30:56 AM

Title: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 14, 2012, 02:30:56 AM
Today I began my first make of Camembert triple creams. So far so good (I think).

Recipe:


1.   Made sure all items were present and available
2.   Sterilize molds, stirring spoon, knife,  2 gallon pot,  draining mats, thermometer tip and small bowl.
3.   Heat milk (1 gallon raw milk, 1 cup heavy cream) to 90F.   
4.   Once 90F is reached add  MM100 (1/8 tsp and  1/16 tsp per gallon of each LM57 and MD88 cultures as well as a dash of PC and Geo
5.   Allow milk to ripen for approx. 1.5 hours. (maintain 90F temp) Took less time: My records show that I had reached the desired Ph in 50 minutes
6.   Add rennet
7.   Use flocculation method (small bowl) to determine length of time to allow for curds to develop. Had a short floc time: 10 minutes so using a x5 multiplier, 50 minutes after adding rennet I went to the next step.
8.   Ladle curds into molds for draining.
9.   Flip the forms 4 times early on (every 2-3 hours) for even whey drainage.  Once the cheese begins to settle, flipping should stop. They should drain 24-48 hours, the cheese shrinking to approx. 1/3 of original height.  Once there, remove from molds and apply ½ teaspoon salt to top, then flip and get bottom and sides with another ½ tsp ea.
This is where I stand currently...given the time, current Ph, it looks like I will be salting the cheese tomorrow morning
10.   Move to the cave.  Aging at 48F and 95% humidity.
11.   Turn cheese daily until mold growth complete.
12.   Reduce temp to 42F…wrap cheese…monitor  “feel” of cheese.
13.   Hopefully, by 60 days the cheese will be ripened.


They look very nice currently. Didn't experience any problems except I let the heat get away from me and actually heated up to 93F before I caught it...temp at ladling was approx 89F.  I did notice that I had very little whey left....percentage-wise I got the largest harvest of curds from a gallon I have ever seen. Total whey was 2-3 cups, including what drained from the cam forms. Only about a cup was left in the pot.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 14, 2012, 02:34:43 AM
Pictures of the make up to current. Will post a pic of the cams once they are out of the mold tomorrow : )
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: george on August 14, 2012, 11:00:04 AM
Isn't 1tsp of culture a huge amount for a 1-gallon make?  Don't remember off-hand what I use for 2-gallon cam makes, but I'm using 1/8 tsp for 3 gallon makes of other cheeses (like butterkaese, etc).   ???
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 14, 2012, 11:20:14 AM
Typo! Thanks for the catch....I used 1/8 tsp.  I fixed it in the recipe.
Got up this morning and de-formed and salted the triplets and tucked them away in the bat cave.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: george on August 14, 2012, 11:28:16 AM
Oh goody, I was worried for a few moments there.  You spent so much time researching and prepping for this, would have been very very sad.   :)
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: Boofer on August 14, 2012, 02:58:46 PM
I'll be watching this make with keen interest. Never made a Cam, let alone one that should be really rich & creamy.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 14, 2012, 07:37:38 PM
The triplets are salted, and resting comfortably in the bat cave at 52F and currently 90% RH...working on getting the RH up a bit higher.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 15, 2012, 03:06:22 PM
Took them out today, to flip and to get a breath of fresh air....still struggling with humidity (or lack thereof) it's running about 91% in the mini-cave within the cave...not horrible, but not what I would like either. Not sure if that is humid enough for geo and pc development.  Temp is running a cool 50F.
No sign (that I can tell) of bloom yet....day 3.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: mtncheesemaker on August 15, 2012, 11:41:07 PM
Just a suggestion: you might want to get them off of that matting and onto something that allows the cheese to be off the bottom to allow for drainage and air circulation. Lots of folks use a plastic "egg crate" with plastic cheese matting on top. Much easier to clean also.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 16, 2012, 01:16:00 AM
Done did it...went and picked up something like that today....wasnt satisfied with the drainage and I already knew it wasnt allowing much air circulation.
BTW...finally got the humidity up to 94%....so that is taken care of as well.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: Boofer on August 16, 2012, 05:52:02 AM
so that is taken care of as well.
For being so on top of things and correcting your environment/process where it needs to be, I extend a cheese to you.  :)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 16, 2012, 11:36:05 AM
Thanks!  I checked the babies before hitting the sack last night and found RH was at 99% lol   
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 16, 2012, 12:12:16 PM
This morning I flipped them, and the smell was amazing.... I think I saw the barest hint of geo growth, but it's a bit too early to tell. Looked like a hint of a dusting of powder.

I can't wait...I am going to eat one now!  Not really, but  I want to...really badly   lol
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 17, 2012, 11:33:55 PM
Just checked my babies...and it's official....there is a discernible geo or pc growth!!  woohoo!  The smell was absolutely delicious....my wife thinks I am a nut. I carried the mini-cave into the living room and announced "I have mold growing on my cheese.....smell this!"   

She agreed, however, that the smell was heavenly even though she remarked on the mold growing "that's just gross!"   
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: Boofer on August 18, 2012, 06:20:06 AM
Just checked my babies...and it's official....there is a discernible geo or pc growth!!  woohoo!  The smell was absolutely delicious....my wife thinks I am a nut. I carried the mini-cave into the living room and announced "I have mold growing on my cheese.....smell this!"   

She agreed, however, that the smell was heavenly even though she remarked on the mold growing "that's just gross!"
Okay, it's official, you have arrived! Welcome to the Deep End of the Pool. Been there...doing that!  :D

-Boofer-
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 18, 2012, 11:58:41 AM
Thanks Boofer!  Appreciate the support!


I still want to taste a small piece just so I can connect flavor with development and odor....I must resist! (resistance is not futile!)  haha
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: george on August 18, 2012, 01:07:35 PM
....my wife thinks I am a nut. I carried the mini-cave into the living room and announced "I have mold growing on my cheese.....smell this!"

LOL - that reminds me of when I first started playing with cheese.  I didn't have anyone physically in the house that I could do that to, but my sissy didn't take long to start complaining that all I ever talked about was cheese.  I told her it was just payback for all those long drawn-out newspaper delivery, critter pee, critter poop, and chicken stories over the years.   ;D
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: Boofer on August 18, 2012, 02:44:13 PM
critter pee, critter poop, and chicken stories over the years.   ;D
Well, I was going to have breakfast.... Mornin', george!  :)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 18, 2012, 11:38:28 PM
LOL Boofer!


Funny thing, perhaps totally normal.

The smell of the cheese (that buttery yummy smell) seems to have dissipated .... not much of a smell at all.
Perhaps due to the emergence of geo or pc bloom?
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: george on August 19, 2012, 10:19:22 AM
Well, I was going to have breakfast.... Mornin', george!  :)

LOL - see?  I KNEW she was getting off easier because my only subject was cheese!  (Besides, you could always have some chicken for breakfast.)   ;D
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 20, 2012, 12:37:52 AM
Day 6 and the triplets have a nice covering of PC growth...almost uniform coverage...

Do I start patting down the pc growth now? Or should I wait until full coverage...which will probably be tomorrow or next day.

Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 20, 2012, 03:19:18 PM
Monday brings even more PC development...when I turned them I pressed/patted down the growth, even though, profile-wise, there wasn't much to press down.

Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 21, 2012, 01:37:47 PM
Ok....today I notice the corners are getting a bit soft.....I so want to lop off an edge for a taste!!   

lol  Everything seems to be going well....but!  In the immortal words of Steven Wright: "If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked

something."
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: Boofer on August 21, 2012, 01:57:16 PM
Not entirely sure, but it looks in that second pic that your cheese has developed an extreme case of what looks to be a canine version of poil de chat (http://heinennellie.blogspot.com/2009/03/poil-de-chat.html)......les cheveux du chien.  :o

-Boofer-
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 21, 2012, 02:03:51 PM
hahaha! 

I just had to toss a pic of my buddy in the mix....

You know, outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.

Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read......


Waiting another 2-4 weeks to sample the goodies is going to tax my patience severely.....but!  To get me by I will be making a few cheeses in the meantime....which will in turn tax my patience again...and again.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: Boofer on August 21, 2012, 02:18:03 PM
That's a good-lookin' dog.

I'll see your dog...and raise....

Six years old at the end of this month. What a gift she is!

-Boofer-
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 21, 2012, 02:32:57 PM
She's really nice looking!   

Dogs are special : )    Mine is named Tanner....my kids were never horribly original when it came to naming them. His mom was a predominantly black Cocker whom they named Coal.   She was everyone's friend and extremely smart as well!  She adopted my youngest, and wound up leaving us to go with Kat (Katherine) when she went to Memphis for her post-grad studies. Lived a long life of 16 years before finally passing last year.
Tanner, on the other hand, was my buddy....not everyone's friend, but extremely smart. He asks permission to jump up in my lap lol  he will touch my leg with a paw and give me that look.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: Boofer on August 21, 2012, 02:53:26 PM
Funny you mention that. We had two family dogs growing up, both black cocker spaniels. The first was a male, Kipper. When we lived in the Canal Zone, Kipper had iguanas as playmates. Not really, they just bit him when he tried to play with them.  :o

The second Cocker was a female named Coley (with an obvious nod to "coal"). She used to love to run...and climb trees!

Yeah, Knickie (Knick-Knack) is a lapdog. Loves to give kisses with her extremely long tongue. She's a runner too. Loves to run. Say "bird" or "squirrel" and she's hot after them.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread. Love my our dog!

-Boofer-
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: iratherfly on August 22, 2012, 06:46:52 AM
bbracken677, sorry to arrive so late at this thread. I hope not too late. Your cheese looks like it's getting slip skin. The rind is growing very fast and thick while the interior is not yet ripened or dry enough. I strongly urge you to reduce temperature and moisture dramatically for a few days.
Skin slippage is when the portion under the rind ages too quickly and the center of the cheese never does. Eventually it liquifies into a layer of ammonia between the immature body of the cheese and the dry rind, and the rind hangs loose and slips off.

Humidity control and watching out for this specific issue is the #1 most important thing in aging Camembert. This is the #1 reason for failure in Camemberts and it takes a few time to learn to recognize that this is happening when you still have enough time to save it. I think you still can put this cheese on track. Reduce humidity to 85% for 3-4 days and move the box to top shelf in the fridge at about 40°F-43°F. Turn the cheese in the morning and at night and rub it with your clean hands to tighten the skin a bit while spreading the spores across the surface. DO NOT WRAP IT YET.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 22, 2012, 12:44:22 PM
Thanks Yoav!  I have reduced the temp to 42F....I was working yesterday to reduce the humidity and I am glad that 85% is a good number...I seemed to be able to achieve either 85 or 99....hitting a number in between was giving me fits lol...

I dont think it has progressed much...I had suspicions which is why I was trying to reduce RH. There is only a tad bit of softness at the corners at the edge of the wheel. The rest is still pretty solid, and I have only had full coverage PC growth since Sunday/Monday.

Regarding wrapping...I had read enough here on the forum to make me think I shouldnt go that route since I only had 3 cams and can keep them in the cave under conditions they need. I figured full aging in the cave until taking them to the regular fridge.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 22, 2012, 05:08:53 PM
I have the environment down to 42F and 87 RH.....Should be fine. I had noticed that the very corners of the edge were getting softer, but not soft soft...just relatively softer than the center, which I felt was normal.   
Now I am thinking that I should lop off a piece to check it...the PC should grow back fine. Has that ever been done before without ruining the cheese?
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: JeffHamm on August 22, 2012, 05:30:31 PM
Leave them be.  They don't ripen properly if you start cutting into them, and the PC can often be very reluctant to regrow on the cut surface (so it's been said; I don't make cam's very often myself, and I do recall one thread where someone cut them in half and the mould grew back fine).  Still, it's best to leave them until you think they're ready (or just before you think they're ready) and then just open one for full consumption.  Then decide how much more time the others have, etc.  Little nibbles and repeated testing for these probably isn't the way to go.

- Jeff
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 22, 2012, 06:42:26 PM
Darn....lol .... been dying for a taste. Brewers get to sample...why not cheesemakers?   

"The world just isnt fair!!   Not fair at all, I tell you!"  So says the first mouse to the cheese in the mousetrap to the 2nd mouse.

Thanks for the advice!  Will just have to *sigh* tough it out.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: crazycacti on August 22, 2012, 07:50:04 PM
Time to get another recipe on the go to take your focus off the cams methinks!
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: JeffHamm on August 22, 2012, 08:01:23 PM
Yah,

I suggest trying caerphilly.  It's a hard cheese of the cheddar variety, but ready in 3 weeks.  It has it's own flavour profile, with a fresh sour tang to it, so it's not bland like some other early cut cheeses.  It's also a fairly straight forward make.  You can find a number of different procedures, most in the "hard cheddared type list".

- Jeff
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 22, 2012, 08:06:16 PM
Thanks!  I am working on a butterkase at the moment...but I have been considering making a caerphilly for an upcoming make. Also on the list is cheddar, colby and ...and...something else not coming to mind at the moment  : )

I have the raw milk to make the butterkase...awaiting delivery of the press today and will get started on that tomorrow. Then a few days later I may try my hand at the caerphilly.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: Boofer on August 23, 2012, 05:24:48 AM
Thanks!  I am working on a butterkase at the moment...but I have been considering making a caerphilly for an upcoming make. Also on the list is cheddar, colby and ...and...something else not coming to mind at the moment  : )

I have the raw milk to make the butterkase...awaiting delivery of the press today and will get started on that tomorrow. Then a few days later I may try my hand at the caerphilly.
Yeah, keep them cheese rollin' out the door...!  :D

-Boofer-
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 23, 2012, 01:42:56 PM
Flipped the cheese today...they look pretty good. Looseness in the rind seems very minimal. The cheese is still very firm.

Temp 41F and RH 85%.

Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: iratherfly on August 24, 2012, 08:54:30 PM
Thanks Yoav!  I have reduced the temp to 42F....I was working yesterday to reduce the humidity and I am glad that 85% is a good number...I seemed to be able to achieve either 85 or 99....hitting a number in between was giving me fits lol...
Good, Good. Looks good too. I think you may have prevented skin slip just on time. We will see when you open it.

Normally you want it to be at 92% to 95% RH during the cave period to avoid rind slippage and ammoniation.  You want the cheese to sit atop a ripening mat that allows a lot of air to come in from the bottom and prevent the cheese from ever sitting in its own whey or suffocating the bottom rind.  For that, the mat itself should be elevated in the box on some type of grille or platform.

How do you know your moisture in your aging box is correct?
Here's an easy little no-RH-meter-needed guideline. Look at the lid of your aging box:
- If it's dry : Your environment is not moist enough.  Solution: Close the lid more or add moist paper towels to the bottom of the box.
- If it collects tiny moisture beads:  You are probably within the range of optimal humid conditions.
- If the water beads are large enough to form droplets: (or if you find drops of water that fell on your cheese from the lid). Your environment is overly moist. Solution: Open the lid a bit more.

As the cheese ages it dries and becomes more solid so you will gradually close the lid more and more to maintain the same exact RH. I hope this tip helps.

Regarding wrapping...I had read enough here on the forum to make me think I shouldnt go that route since I only had 3 cams and can keep them in the cave under conditions they need. I figured full aging in the cave until taking them to the regular fridge.
It feels that cheese needs 1-2 more weeks.  Keeping it cooler and drier is as effectively as wrapping it.  Flip it every 2-3 days and rub it lightly to flatten/pack/dense/thin/firm/elasticize the rind and redistribute mold spores throughout the surface.  The flipping allows both sides to breathe evenly and also helps with shifting the minerals evenly throughout the cheese. If your aging works well, you will see signs of geo streaks showing from underneath the white PC rind as you get close to grand opening day.

The cooler temperature we put it in slows down the Geo, but the PC should continue to develop, so they will catch up with one another. You can safely finish the entire aging in the fridge in my opinion. The cave already did its work.

I agree with JeffHamm, don't be tempted to taste it now. Your cheese may recover but will never be as good as it potentially can be and you get absolutely nothing out of it -it will taste horrible; tough, sour, chalky, weird. It will tell you absolutely nothing about how this cheese is doing and give you no clue to the final taste of the cheese. Let it ripen, wait for the surprise inside the packaging when it's time to open it!  It would be like picking from a tree a hard unripe fruit, take a bite from it and then leave it open for 2 weeks to ripen.  Allow that cheese tell you its story!

The best thing is to keep making cheese so in a few weeks you will always have something new to taste coming up.  Believe me, I know the pain of waiting for cheese. Don't everyone here have it?
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 24, 2012, 09:16:27 PM
Thanks Iratherfly!  I have resisted the urge to taste (I cook alot, and always taste my creations in progress...seldom follow a recipe unless it is a first) as hard as it is...progressing on with the cheese making ... such fun!
As soon as I finish making one and it begins it's aging process I am ready to start the next one.  I like the research and learning as much as creating something.

And then there is always the antici.......




pation!

Bruce
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: iratherfly on August 29, 2012, 07:08:19 AM
what's the next one?
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 29, 2012, 11:38:32 AM
Made a colby yesterday, just havent posted notes and pics yet ....have plans for a tallegio, perhaps, in the next day or 2.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: iratherfly on August 30, 2012, 05:26:50 AM
Nice! Do share!
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 30, 2012, 07:43:55 PM
Pics of the 2 unwrapped cams...the 3rd is wrapped up and in the fridge as a comparison.  Day 18.

Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: iratherfly on August 30, 2012, 08:14:38 PM
Looks nice! ...a few more days!
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on August 30, 2012, 08:30:24 PM
Am thinking perhaps a couple of weeks....they are softening up, but the cams are pretty thick...a bit thicker than traditional. I am also not sure how much softer they would be at room temp..

I can't wait!!!   lol

Cheese party! 
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: iratherfly on August 31, 2012, 02:03:14 AM
They will probably come of age around day 28.  Many people like the center is still a bit chalky and not all the way (but not too young). It's definitely okay to have them before time.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on September 01, 2012, 02:34:05 PM
Today, performing my daily maintenance (which seems awfully close to just fondling the cheese  haha) I checked the one I had wrapped and it was actually further along in development than the 2 I had left unwrapped. It is actually just days away from being ready, whereas the other 2 are probably a week to 2 weeks away.

Therefor I have wrapped the other 2 as well. My methodology was to cut parchment paper to the appropriate size and then, with a pointy knife, poked holes in the parchment approximately 3/4 inch apart throughout the sheet. I would then wrap the cam in poked parchment and then give it a 2nd wrap on the outside with wax paper. That gives the cheese a chance to breathe as well as maintain a micro-environment for it.

Also opened up some space in the cave, since I could put those in the door   :)
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: iratherfly on September 03, 2012, 10:05:21 PM
If all 3 are in fairly humid conditions (90% RH +/- 5%) than the one that is wrapped may just be ammoniating faster toward the outside rather than aging evenly (which means it would be oozing towards the rind but harder/chalkier/sour towards the center of the wheel).  I would continue with the experiment and not wrap the other two. It may give you more time until you open them which is a good thing because you won't be under pressure to consume all 3 wheels at once before they spoil.

I am also not sure that this is a good wrapping solution. Perforations need to work from the outside in. The cheese needs to take in air without drying out or suffocating the rind. The wrapping on Camemberts is the final step as they are packed in a breathing wood/cardboard box and sent away to the markets. In some cases they sit in a fridge for a couple of weeks first or as they are trucked and flown from place to place so it is there to keep them alive, moist and breathing. Not as an aging helper. I only wrap mine if they are done aging (to slow them down. I then also transfer them to cold 37°F to halt any further aging without freezing them). When I do, I always use purpose made micro-perforated wrapping paper. These are very sophisticated and they create an air barrier around the cheese that mimics cave conditions on a microscopic level.  PM me if you want me to send you a couple of samples so you can play with them and see how well they work
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on September 03, 2012, 10:15:02 PM
I see....

The other 2 were in 41F and 85% RH conditions. It's possible the wrapping did increase humidity, and I had placed it in a lower place in the cave, so possibly a couple degrees warmer as well.

I didn't catch a whiff of ammonia at all...but good suggestion, I will return the 2 wrapped yesterday to an "unwrapped" condition to resume the experiment.

I am really excited about their progress...I went to a cheese shop yesterday and surreptitiously fondled (LOL) their camemberts and brie's to get a comparison and from what I could tell the wrapped one is very close...just a few more days likely. The other 2 are a few more days out from that..maybe 10 days at most?
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: iratherfly on September 04, 2012, 05:25:46 AM
You can raise the humidity back to 90%92% on the other ones.

Lower shelf should be a couple of degrees colder, is it not?

You should make some more! Continue the experiments!

Here's a good video for you by famous cheese monger Steven Jenkins:
How to Choose Camembert - CHOW Tip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FdBfgB1UV0#)
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on September 04, 2012, 01:13:09 PM
Actually...the way the fridge is designed, the upper parts are colder than the lower...so I put my cooler requiring agers on the upper shelves grading towards the more warmth needing ones at the bottom.  Hence, the taleggio and cams are at the top, and the colby and butterkase are on the bottom.

Thanks for the video!  I may have some questions for you about that. Will post after I have digested the video...still early for me  :)
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on September 04, 2012, 02:03:26 PM
Here is a pic of my most developed Cam....I checked for an ammonia smell when I unwrapped it and did catch just a hint, but I had to get really close to the cam to smell it.

I am seriously thinking about cutting it in 2 or 3 days...it is becoming softer, not quite to the point of being perfectly ripe (as defined by the video above) but very close!

The wrinkles showing on the top are from the wrapping..mainly in the growth, not in the cheese itself. Once I rubbed the growth down, it was a bit smoother.

Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: Boofer on September 04, 2012, 02:17:58 PM
Looks great! No, I can't smell any ammonia from back here either.  ;)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: JeffHamm on September 04, 2012, 06:19:56 PM
That looks very nice.  I wouldn't stretch it beyond the point you think it's ready.  Take careful observations (and write down your thoughts) about how the cheese looks, feels, and smells and write down how ready you think it is.  Then, after enjoying it, write down your impressions of how ready it really was.  Do this for a few cams as a way of keeping track of your sensory thoughts and their accuracy.  This will help guide your interpretations of what the sights, feels, and smells are telling you with respect to your inner cheese. 

- Jeff
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on September 04, 2012, 08:32:40 PM
Trust me...lol .... I would be more likely to cut into it early than late. I am writing down my "perceptions" of the condition of the cheeses, so that when I go to repeat the process (with changes) I will know what to change, what to look out for etc etc.
I think keeping a log is the best, most important thing I have learned from this website. My memory isnt good enough to remember all the nuances!

They say that the memory isnt the first thing to go...but I wouldnt know...I dont remember what was the first thing to go!    haha
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on September 10, 2012, 03:07:38 PM
Well...I cut my first cam, and it definitely needs more ripening. I tasted it, and the flavor was musty, but the aftertaste that lingered became quite pleasant. It was a creamy-buttery almost sweetish aftertaste, so I think I am going in the right direction. I figure I will let the remaining 2 age another couple weeks. There was only about a quarter inch at most of ripe paste just inside the rind...the center was a moist chalky sort of texture.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: JeffHamm on September 10, 2012, 06:21:32 PM
Hi,

I can see the ripened edges and the chalky centre.  Still, it's comming along nicely.  Take a few measurements (i.e. depth of ripened cheese from the edge), and write these down.  Make a chart, and each time you cut a cheese, measure how deep the ripening goes.  Plot "depth" as a function of various times (time since make, time since first mold, time since full coverage, time since wrapping, etc).  If you do this over a few batches, you may work out roughly how long it takes your cheeses in your environment to reach full ripeness!  And, it gives you an excuse to make a lot of cheese. :)

Well done.

- Jeff
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on September 10, 2012, 06:53:35 PM
And, it gives you an excuse to make a lot of cheese. :)

Well done.

- Jeff

Thanks!  Great idea! I do plan on coming back to the Camemberts eventually... and yes, it gives me an excuse to make more!  (all in the interest of science, no?)   haha
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: boothrf on September 10, 2012, 10:04:34 PM
Very nice looking Cam bbracken! Definitely needs a little more time. At 4 weeks, this cheese tells you the moisture at hooping was good and the ripening conditions also very good. Keep it going, and keep a close eye (and hand!) on it. I have found it can be quite tricky getting it to ripen right to the center without getting over ripe on the outside and just under the rind.  Well done!  :D

By the way, if you want, you can push these two halves back together and let the PC grow over the join. It wont ripen quite as well as the uncut cheeses, but is worth a try if you don't want to eat an unripe cheese.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on September 10, 2012, 10:36:52 PM
Thanks for the kudos!

ah...I already cut one of the halves up. The wife liked it better than I did, I suspect...but also agreed that more time was needed. I think one night I will have some mac an' cheese and include some of the cam in the sauce (provided it melts, which I am pretty sure it will).  I usually make my own cheese sauce when I make mac an' cheese.
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: boothrf on September 10, 2012, 11:15:35 PM
Ahh....Mac'n'cheese,  a US favourite! I work in the food industry here in Aus and travelled to the US some years ago to study the Stouffer's frozen food factories. I could not believe how much Mac'n'cheese was being made, and even more surprised when I went to your supermarkets and saw how much was being sold! You guys really love it don't you. We make our own version over here, but it is nowhere near as popular as in the USA.

Perhaps you could start a new thread in the Recipes section for best home made Mac'n'cheese recipes  ;)
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: bbracken677 on September 11, 2012, 12:13:28 AM
I might just do that...but will have to wait until I make it again. I generally dont cook things like that by recipe...I just go by taste and add whats needed lol.  Mac'n Cheese is such a basic recipe...I start off with a white sauce and then add cheese until all melty and gooey and then taste. I have been known to use like 3 or 4 different kinds of cheese.  One thing I have discovered is that made with an aged cheddar, preferably British, is just OMG lol
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: boothrf on September 11, 2012, 12:21:42 AM
Yes, aged cheddar would be very nice. I'm a bit partial to some good Gruyere as well, adds a beautiful rich creamy/nutty flavour with a bit of bite.

Either way, it's gotta be better than the the bright orange "cheese" I often saw used, ...very Kraft processed cheese like! ;)
Title: Re: First Camembert: triple cream
Post by: Thoughtful Tom on March 23, 2013, 10:11:12 PM
Thanks for the blow-by-blow. How did it finally turn out?