White & Blue Mold - Tricks & Traps

[dagmar]

According to the recipe.
Half fill the cam mould, sprinkle surface with blue mold then cover with more cam. Once cheese firms up stab it both sides with up to 10 holes to allow air to enter. Keep holes open if they become covered with white mold.
I did all that, cheese is ready to eat but not a sign of the blue mold.................is a very nice Cammy thou!!
Any ideas how I can improve on the above to get the blue growing?
Thanks

[iratherfly]

Ye, they take some practice. Too much moisture in the curd defeats the air you are trying to put in with the holes and the holes heal. Then, there is the high acidity of Bries and the competition of the p.Roq with the Geo and PC.  Try poking more holes and repeat a few days later again. Also try making the brie without any geo. It will still work and have some natural geo in it but it won't compete with the blue so much or make a gooey rind that blocks your air punctures.

[dagmar]

What is Geo?, I'm very new at this?
I am using Flora Danica as my starter plus P candidium
thanks

[iratherfly]

Geotrichum Candidum.

Use it for flavor and ripening as well as creating the base for the rind. It also prepares the surface acidity for the growth of P Candidum.

For the purpose of this forum, usually P Candidum is referred to as PC and Geotrichum Candidum is referred to either as Geo or GC.  There are different strains of it that you can buy so often you will see it here as "geo 15" or "PC VS", etc.