Cambozola

[HOPOIL]

My first foray into "intentional" mold-covered cheese.  This weekend I found my favorite new milk "Ithaca Milk Co" at the Regional Market and thought "today's the day I'm gonna get those new cultures out of the freezer and give blue cheese a try".
I recently acquired  the book Mastering Artisan Cheesmaking by Gianaclis Caldwell and thought the recipe she posts for "Annie's Blue Brie" fit nicely into my plans.
I followed it well, but found a little confusion on this point that I hope you-all might comment on.  The recipe is a little un-clear in its steps as to when to add the P.Roqueforti.  What I did was add all cultures at the start of the make. (Meso-Aroma B, P.candidum, Geo-15, and P.Roqueforti)
I think that Annie only sprinkles the P.Roqueforti on top of the curds as she is filling up the Camembert mold.  You think it will make much difference?
I expect to see white mold in about a week, then at about two weeks I will pierce the cheese for some passageways fo air to help the blue get going. (I hope the picture is attached)

[hoeklijn]

Cambozola has a white PC covered rind and has only on the inside some visible PR. This is achieved by filling the moulds half, let them drain for a while and sprinkle some PR on top of the curds. Then the rest of the curds is put into the moulds.
Probably the PR will battle with the PC which mold is going o cover the rind. Let us know who wins....

[bbracken677]

The PC and Geo should dominate the outside rind, with the PR coming into play once you have pierced it.

Traditionally the PR is added to the curds as they are placed into the form, I believe.

Your Brie looks a bit on the thick side...hopefully it will shrink more as it drains. You do not want to leave it out until the rind is dry....the rind should be moist, but not terribly wet.

[HOPOIL]

Hello Geo.
The cheese has settled into size of 1.5 inches by 6 inches.
Starting to see a covering of light white.

[Boofer]

I think that Annie only sprinkles the P.Roqueforti on top of the curds as she is filling up the Camembert mold.  You think it will make much difference?

I've done both. I wouldn't worry.

Here's an effort with a blue slurry added to the milk.

-Boofer-

[HOPOIL]

Not sure what's happening with this cheese.
It "had" a really good start of PC growing last week but now it seems to have died off leaving a surface that is wet and slippery.  The rind is not slipping. It has a yeasty smell to it.  Maybe it got too humid?  I did spritz it last week with a solution of PC, thinking it would help to completely cover the cheese.
so anyway, I pierced the cheese this weekend to see if the blue will begin to advance on the inside.

[Tiarella]

I am watching how this cheese does for you because I am interested in trying this one sometime.  Do keep updating this thread as it matures and when you taste it too!   ;)

[HOPOIL]

 :o
If things don't improve soon, the next entry may be an obituary for this cheese!

The 'aroma' is... how do I say...putrid.
I've moved it out of my house entirely, into a shed, out back, because it smells very foul. (the local temperatures are still high 40's to mid 50's for the next few days so it won't get too warm)
No signs of blue mold, and no regrowth of PC.

The smell is reminiscent of B.Linens, (though much stronger and funkier) but there are no signs of that growth. 
:-\  Good cheese gone bad - running with a bad crowd.

If the demons haven't carted it off by tomorrow, I'll take another picture and post it.

[Tiarella]

Oooh, sorry to hear that.  I had two Chaource makes that were just putrid also......gave up on those.  It was last fall and they looked really incredible.....nice brain-like wrinkles.....but the flavor?  Ick!  I should have put them out for the zombies. 

Any clue what happened with your cheese?  Will the obituary title be something like, "Cabozola Bamboozled"?

[Tomer1]

How are you keeping high humidity (90+)?  do you cover that basket with something?

[Boofer]

:o
If things don't improve soon, the next entry may be an obituary for this cheese!

The 'aroma' is... how do I say...putrid.
I've moved it out of my house entirely, into a shed, out back, because it smells very foul. (the local temperatures are still high 40's to mid 50's for the next few days so it won't get too warm)
No signs of blue mold, and no regrowth of PC.

The smell is reminiscent of B.Linens, (though much stronger and funkier) but there are no signs of that growth. 
:-\  Good cheese gone bad - running with a bad crowd.

If the demons haven't carted it off by tomorrow, I'll take another picture and post it.

We're waiting...a place has been reserved for this special cheese. >:D

"Cabozola Bamboozled"?

;D

-Boofer-

[JeffHamm]

There is no shame (I hope):

https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9507.60.html

- Jeff

[HOPOIL]

How are you keeping high humidity (90+)?  do you cover that basket with something?

I have been keeping the cheese inside a plastic food storage container - a clam-shell, shaped, item that you might get a cake or pie in at the supermarket.  It isn't completely sealed tight, but often shows moisture on the underside of the lid.

In my own self-criticism, I do not have a good cave setup. Just had a place where the temperature was about right and these storage containers to hold the moisture level high. Maybe too high.  I thought I was off to a good start with PC growing, especially along the sides - but now even that growth seems to be gone.

We're waiting...a place has been reserved for this special cheese. >:D

"Failures I Have Known"
Boofer: I was thinking that was where this story was heading, but I will give it a few more days. Hope to learn something from this.

[HOPOIL]

 :(RIP - 1st attempt!
Tossed it out this morning. No postmortem autopsy.
Details:
1 gal. whole milk plus 1 pint cream - both pasteurized.
1/4 tsp. of Aroma-B; Dash of P.roqueforti; Smidge of P.candidum; Skewertip of Geo-15
87-degrees F ripened for 30 minutes.
1/4 tsp. of rennet
1 hr. 30 min. coagulation time.  Cooked at 87 degrees for 45 minutes, stirred slowly a few times.
Ladled into 6"by6" mold with perforated bottom, flipped a few times, drained overnight.
Dry salted with 2 tbs salt.
White growth began to show by 1 week out. Then died back and began to stink.
Last know photo: (wonder what the trash man thought?)

[JeffHamm]

That's a shame.  Something must have contaminated it and taken hold.  Next time, try cutting it open and seeing what the paste looks like.  Was there gas forming, etc?  Oh well, it happens to everyone.  No shame.

- Jeff