new adventures in camembertmaking, a test of three recipes

[Wateetons]

Friends,
After some helpful comments from fellow-camembert makers concerning temperature and wrapping, I decided to try 3 different ways of making camembert at once.

In short, all contained:

- storebought no-fat milk
- cream
- cultured buttermilk starter
- rennet
- commercial supermarket Brie rind

Type 1:
Cultured in basement at around 14 C in a closed container. After 4 days: covered with mold. Day 5 wrapped in plasticfoil. Day 12: feels soft, tried: not entirely done. Still has a 'heart'. Strange and unpleasant sweet aftertaste. Thrown out. FAIL.

Type 2:
Cultured in basement at around 14 C in a closed container. Day 4: covered with mold. Day 5 wrapped in plasticfoil and moved to fridge. Day 12: feels soft, tried: good! soft, extremely creamy and runny, slight ammonia smell. Flavor okay, a little bland. Rind quite thin.

Type 3:
Cultured in fridge at around 5 C in a closed container. Day 10: covered with mold. *EDIT april 21: wrapped in plastic foil* Day 15: feels soft, tried: Excellent! soft, extremely creamy and runny, very slight ammonia smell. Flavor great, a not too strong (nothing compared to raw milk) but very delicate. Very good and beautiful cheese. WINNER!!

[Tea]

Well congrats on the experiment.  The last cheese certainly looks like it hit the mark.

[makkonen]

That's great. I love the testing method. I'm a little baffled as to how they're ripening up so quickly even at refrigerator temperatures, but results don't lie.

Was this one gallon of milk, made into 3 1"x4" rounds?

[Wateetons]

2 liters of milk + 250 ml of 30% cream

It should be noted that the cheeses are very small, only about 8 cm x 1,5 cm. This probably explains the fast maturation. Still: perfect for a candlelight snack for two.

[finewino]

Two things I have concluded independently are confirmed here.

1. Lower temps (but not too low) are best for camembert type cheeses.  For regular size, I ripen at 50F(~10C)  until mold blooms, then wrap and put in fridge at 38F (~1C).

2. Ripening time is usually determined by the smallest dimension of the cheese (usually the thickness).  I have found that making smaller cheeses in a St Marcellin type mold (using about half the normal volume of curd for full size camambert), they are ready in 3-4 weeks and are very nice.

[Cartierusm]

Good post, keep it up, I'm giving you a cheese for it as you've actually made cheese and posted about it. Good work.

[Wateetons]

wow! I have a cheese.
I now exist!

But seriously, thanks.

[Cornelius]

Hi,

Great experiment.

I have one quick question: your type 3 was never wrapped?

I am a big fan for making comparative tests, however, mine never turn out to be of much value as either there were too many variables at play, my notes are inadequate or, for some strange reason, I simply can't replicate the outcome making the entire process pointless.  I will keep trying though.

[DeejayDebi]

That really looks great! Congrats!

[Wateetons]

@ cornelius: It WAS wrapped. I edited the original post. My bad. :-\ 

[Cornelius]

Hi,

Thanks for the update. Your cheese looks so nice, I will give your method a try myself today. I have several cheeses that are just about to finish draining and will very soon see the inside of my regular fridge as opposed to my special aging cave  ;)

Thanks!