My first go round with Camembert got good mold growth let ripen wrapped in cheese paper just opened it to taste. A very strong ammonia smell and very sharp taste. Did I do something wrong?
Sounds like it ripened too much before you opened it. What was your aging process like?
I'd agree with River, it sounds over-ripened.
Ripening is a function of both time and temperature so it could be that you left it too long or the temperature was too high.
I ripen mine at about 13C for a week or two, until I get a good coverage of PC, then I move it to 7-8C. Total ripening time will be around 7 weeks.
Totally agree with raw prawn ..give it two weeks in your cave then move it to the refrigerator for about 1.5 to 2 months. My first few attempt I left in the cave longer and wow they smelled and tasted like ammonia.
Thanks for the replies. It looks like my fault for leaving it to ripen too long. Is it still safe to eat? Will the smell diminish over time?
It's still safe to eat but might not be appetizing you can try cutting it and letting it sit to air a bit before eating. That may help the ammonia to leave some
Cooking with it will help a lot also