A hard cheese story

[TrickiDicki]

Hi guys
I've been making camembert for a while but the last 2 or 3 batches have turned out much harder than usual. Any ideas why this might be?
Could my rennet be too old (it does need replacing...)?
It is summer here - could it be too warm? Could the milk be too rich?
I've added a splash of vinegar to my brine solution - could that be adding too much pucker factor?

Thanks for your help!

[Gregore]

You mean they do not soften up and go runny ?  Or they star out harder but turn out normal after a little more aging?

[awakephd]

Don't have a particular answer to offer, but do want to welcome you to the forum. And a question - sounds like you are brining your cams. I've never tried that; I also dry salt them - but I don't know that it would make any difference ... ??

[TrickiDicki]

You mean they do not soften up and go runny ?  Or they star out harder but turn out normal after a little more aging?

The first batch I thought the cellaring temp was a bit high (in the basement during summer). The mold skin formed in about a week where it usually takes 10-14 days, so I put the hardness down to that. I've now changed to using a temperature-controlled fridge (11-13C).
The second batch I was very excited about, trying to make a more Brie-like cheese. I allowed the curds to ripen at about 32C/89F (which is lower than I usually use) and cut them fairly large, gentle stirring and ladelling only. But these have gone very firm in the 4-5 days since making. I added Geotrichum for the first time to this batch.
The third batch followed a similar method to (2), made 48 hours ago. Feeling a bit squishier, a bit better but still on the firm side. This is my first attempt at Cambozola so I *really* want it to work!!!

This is the starter culture I've been using and haven't had problems before. http://www.cheeselinks.com.au/products/cheese-starters-mould-spores-and-aroma-cultures/type-farmhouse-starter

Many thanks.

[TrickiDicki]

Don't have a particular answer to offer, but do want to welcome you to the forum. And a question - sounds like you are brining your cams. I've never tried that; I also dry salt them - but I don't know that it would make any difference ... ??

I've always brined my cams, haven't had any issues before. I am interested to try dry salting as it should be quicker.

[AnnDee]

Do you use raw milk and high fat milk? My raw milk cams, especially if I put extra cream in it, get hard before it soften. I found that they need around 6 -7 weeks ripening while PH milk only need 4.

[awakephd]

I've always brined my cams, haven't had any issues before. I am interested to try dry salting as it should be quicker.

I would guess that it has the same result. Dry salting is not quicker in one sense - I generally salt my cams over about 48 hours. But it is a lot quicker and easier in another sense - I put 1/4 of the salt on the top, and let it sit for 12 hours; flip and put 1/4 of the salt on what was the bottom but now is the top, let it sit for 12 hours; repeat twice more. On the last flip & salt, I go ahead and put it in a ripening box in the cave. It doesn't matter if it is more or less than 12 hours, and only takes a couple of minutes to do the salting, so this way I am not tied to the cheese the way I would be if it were in brine - waiting for just the right amount of time to take it out.

So, just to be clear: I make a set of cams one evening; let them continue to drain until the following evening. Then I salt one side. The next morning, I flip and salt again. That evening, flip and salt again. The next morning, flip, salt, and put in the ripening boxes in the cave.

[TrickiDicki]

Do you use raw milk and high fat milk? My raw milk cams, especially if I put extra cream in it, get hard before it soften. I found that they need around 6 -7 weeks ripening while PH milk only need 4.

Thanks for the input, Ann. It is high summer here in Oz so the milk is at its richest. I always try to use the richest organic/biodynamic milk available, which was the case here. Certainly there was a lot of curd when they were hooped, indicating high solid content.
I've now got a 'cheese cave' rigged up so I have better control over the temperature and will let the little beauties sit for a few weeks and see how they progress.

[Gregore]

A cheese does usually get a little firmer after a few days . How many cheeses did you make before this started to happen?  It has been  my experience to get a firmer rennet set in spring summer  so you could be experience this.

This is why I ask how many cheeses you made with the same recipe before this started and were they with in the last few months.?

 There is a bunch of other posibilities but they are harder to pinpoint

Also  how firm are they ?

[TrickiDicki]

They don't feel like they have the usual 'give' when turning them. I've made many batches in the past and the batch I made for Christmas had a decent consistency, so these batches have been noticeably firm and out of the ordinary from early in the maturation.

[Gregore]

Couple of ideas are

Acid dropping a little low before salting ( could be caused by temp being higher in room when in molds )
Too much rennet
Too much stirring ,cooking , too long , too hot ,
Shorter floc time ( using clean break instead of floc multiplier)

There may be a few other that I forgot.

[TrickiDicki]

I think that higher-than-normal room temperature is the most likely culprit. In which case I'm guessing things might just take longer on the maturation side.

[Gregore]

Unless it is a lot dryer than  it should be,   it will  not take very much longer .