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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => ADJUNCT - Rennet Surface White Mold (Penicillium candidum) Ripened => Topic started by: Smurfmacaw on July 16, 2013, 03:29:15 AM
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Had some extra time on my hands Yesterday so I made up a Camembert (two actually).
1 gallon raw cow's milk
2.5 oz Flora Danica mother culture
1/8 tsp SAM 3
1/32 tsp Geo 13
9 drops single strength calf rennet (diluted)
Heated the milk to 90 degrees and added the starter and molds.
Ripened for 75 minutes
added rennet
floc in 15 minutes - floc multiplier of 6
Cut in 3/4 inch cubes and let heal for 10 minutes.
Stirred for 20 minutes
let settle for 10 minutes
ladled into two 4.5 inch moulds
did the flipping routine
this morning i salted each cheese with 1 tsp of salt
This evening they were dry enough so I put a little ash (liked the way the valencay's look and wacheese website says it helps prevent slipskin....but mostly I like the way the valencay's look)
Into the cave they went.
Here's a pic before the ash. I think the aspect ratio came out pretty much right on.
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Yes. Looks like your form factor is spot on for Camembert. I'm curious about the ash on this one. Any picks yet? I've never had a slipskin on an ash rinded cheese either. All my ashes bloomies have been semi-lactic so far. I've had a few un-ashed ones go toady on me this year. I might try it on a renneted cheese soon.
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I'll post a pic today. The PC is just starting to come in. I just did the ash because I like the way it looks but if it has benefits then even better.
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Ash buffers the acidity and makes the environment less favorable to slip skin.
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Nice looking pair of cams. I'm curious to see how they look and turn out with the ash.
- Jeff
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Ash buffers the acidity and makes the environment less favorable to slip skin.
I do like what ash does for the cheese. And such a striking presentation. Well worth the mess in working with it..
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I've "ashed" my last bries because it's fun (kind of like playing in a mud puddle but messier) and does seem to contribute to a good result. Best of all it does give that signature black outline under the over-mold when you cut and serve. Also, there's something about going from a matte black surface to a fuzzy-white!
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Ok, the pics. They were pretty much black but i lightened up on the ash after Yoav mentioned ash making people teeth turn black from eating the cheese. Even so, the mold is coming in fast. Not nearly as fast as the valencays but it is there. I was going to put an ash layer in the goat caerphilly but it was just too chunky before the first press so I passed. This will be the basis of a nut crusted fried camembert that we all love.
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Ok,
they've pretty much covered themselves with mold now.....both look the same so only one pic. One is promised to one of the people that work with me and the other is destined to be macadamia nut crusted and fried camembert (when you have a pet Hyacinth Macaw, you have plenty of macadamia nuts....the trick is cracking them.....easy for him, not so easy for me and my hammer.) ONce I do it I'll post a pic and the recipe. Easy and very good. I really like the way they are going. Looking for any advice on how they should feel at the peak of ripeness. I'm planning on letting them go another 7 or 8 days in the 53 degree cave and the in the fridge that I've raised the temp without the food police's knowledge....... >:D
I have to say that I really like the bloomies both for the make and for the cool changes (eating them is icing on the cake).
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As much as some have come up sooner, my optimum age for cams usually doesn't start until they hit a least 5 weeks. Two and a half or three weeks sounds too early to me. Much depends on your conditions though. I keep them rather cool (45-48F-ish) and so 6-8 weeks is common for me.
The corners will ripen first. If the cheese is still firm overall but the corners start leaking, things are going too fast. If that were the case I'd reduce temp and RH. The cheese will be much firmer at cave temp than at serving temp. If you're really unsure of it's state you can bring it up to temp and see how yielding it is, but that can be dicey if done too often.
I'm not sure about the impact the ash will have on the overall viscosity of he cheese. My Valencays normally stay firm through maturity. I hope others will weigh in on this note.
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been having problems getting mould on camembert, I have it in wine fridge with correct temp ,but low humidity,I have had conflicting info my first lesson was to put 3 tsp of water in ( plastic with drain mat in) incubator seal lid ,no luck there.
Then told keep incubator dry always wipe lid if moisture appears.
The next one said to place a damp paper towel in incubator. Can anyone tell me the right way please
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Assuming you followed an appropriate recipe... if you are ripening in a sealed plastic container, a small dish of water within should provide ample humidity.
How long has the cheese been in the cave?
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yes the recipe is ok ,I follow exactly, the container holds 4 camembert, but it has been taking 3 weeks plus to get a very light uneven cover . I Have thrown out 3 batches over the past 6 months as I left them in for an extended time to get more mould and they got very slimy, but I am determined to get it right. I think I have had to much moisture.
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I put mine in tupperware bowls with lids. The cheese keeps the humidity up if the lid is on and you can control the humidity by not putting the lid all the way on. I'm shooting for a light condensation after 8 hours in the cave. I pat them down lovingly twice per day so they get an air exchange then so they don't suffocate and start making ammonia.
I'm trying a different way to regulate the humidity in the caves and if that works out I'll just keep one at high humidity for the ones that need it an the other cave somewhat dryer for the hard cheeses.
I lowered the temp in one of the caves because I had to go out of town for a week or so and I didn't want them sitting in the household fridge at 36 degrees. My daughter is turning them for me daily. They are sitting at about 44-46 degrees.
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How long before you start to get mould ?
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I'm using 1/8 tsp per gal of SAM-3. Since I use ash, it's easy to see when it show up and at this usage rate it's been on the third or fourth day that it definitely shows up..
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Opened up one of the Camemberts today. They seemed kind of firm to me but after feeling commercial varieties to judge the firmness I thought it was time to open one to see how they are doing. The paste seems fully softened yet it's not runny. Very soft and elastic. The rind is quite thin and almost crispy. When bitten it basically disentegrates with a slight snap on the teeth.
The taste....wow!! I assume the depth of flavor comes from the raw milk. Way more complex flavor than anything I've tried from the supermarket. Saltiness is right on the money (well, to my palate anyway and I'm the one I'm trying to please here.) I just can't get over how much flavor is packed in this little cheese. I think the ash contributed to a rapid, uniform growth of the PC and therefore extremely even ripening. The flavor is reminiscent of grass and sweet milk with buttery overtones, nicely salty without it being overwhelming. I'm really happy with this one.
I've got the second wheel in the household refrigerator now to keep it from going too far. Definitely on the remake list as my wife loves it too. I think the only thing I might change a little bit is to stir a little less and maybe get a slight bit softer paste when ripened.
The picture is when the cheese is just out of the reefer and at 38 degrees so it's very firm. I'll get another pic when it comes up to room temp. The small wedges I pulled out this morning just started to slump a slight amount when the come to room temp at 78 degrees. This one is going to be part of dinner tonight.
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Congrats on your cross of Valencay and Camembert! ;)
Sounds like a surprising success. A cheese for your efforts. Tweaking the technique for the next one should make for a sweet little cheese.
-Boofer-
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WOW! that looks great :P a cheese to you for your excellent cheese ;D
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And another cheese to you for a success !
I have never tried the ash thing , i think I will order some and give it a go.
Do you eat the rind with the ash , I usually like the rinds on Cams and Bries , is there any flavor rr grittiness at all ?
Congrats !
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There is no flavor or grittiness from the ash at all. I was very happy with the flavor of this cheese and the texture was extremely close to what I was shooting for. Now I've got a good starting point and can adjust. The rind came out very nice, not thick and chewy but rather almost like a thin shell (ok, exactly like a thin shell) that is ever so slightly detectable texture wise. I like it. Next go round I'm going to cut the stirring in half or maybe a little less in the hopes it'll get a little softer and gooier. The flavor was really big though, not strong or in your face but really mellow and deep.
Beats the heck out of what I've purchased in the supermarket which seem to have a rather superficial flavor.
thanks for the cheese.
I'm going to try it with raw goats milk in a future iteration. Any pitfalls to look out for using fresh Nubian milk?
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I took the second wheel to work to feed the cheese sharks. I value their opinion since the folks I work with have never been accused of pulling a punch. Bottom line, comments ranged from "what the heck are you doing working here, you should do this for real" to "can I buy some?" Very gratifying. I tried a commercial Cam I bought mostly to judge the texture and the flavor wasn't even close. I'm sure the raw milk made all the difference.....and what a difference it was. I need to work on the moisture content a bit to achieve the right texture but the flavor was great.
I'm going to try a goat version soon. This is a great cheese. Even got complements on the rind so the ash coating is not a bad thing. My press is sitting there being lonely right now since I am having so much fun with the bloomy and washed rind cheeses right now.....Great hobby overall! (except for my waistline perhaps.)
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I have copied your recipe so I can try this one....looks fantastic! A cheese to you!
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what was the final weight of each cheese? what size mold did you use?