Hello :) completely newbie here. I've been making camemberts recently (and having some success!) by spray-innoculating. I mixed 1/8 tsp PC HP6 with 1/32 tsp GEO15, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp sugar, and 100ml water.
I have two questions... 1) How dilute can I make this solution before it becomes ineffective? I've read that it will work with the same proportions of dry ingredients in up to 1 litre of water but simply don't believe that! And 2) can I periodically freeze and thaw the solution to extend its life when out of use? I gather 60 days is the fridge life.
Thanks in advance!
Rather than spray, I add PC and GC powder directly to the milk when I add the starter culture. Seems to me to be a much simpler process (and I can add the amount I need directly from the freezer). Are there any perceived advantages to spraying?
Quote from: Lloyd on August 14, 2019, 12:22:41 PM
Rather than spray, I add PC and GC powder directly to the milk when I add the starter culture. Seems to me to be a much simpler process (and I can add the amount I need directly from the freezer). Are there any perceived advantages to spraying?
I do the same as Lloyd - and I only use 1/32 tsp of PC (and 1/64 tsp of geo) per 2+ gallon make. Unless you are making large quantities of camembert, my suspicion is that spraying is going to be a less efficient / more expensive approach.
I started off directly innoculating from the dry starter packets, but when I tried spraying I got a much better bloomy rind, more even and faster to develop. And it seems to me that spraying is a much cheaper way of innoculating because you can get say 1000 sprays from just a 100ml bottle - so 1000 sprays per 1/8 tsp PC and 1/32 GC. I probably average around 5/6 sprays per cheese, which means that 1/8 tsp PC lasts me about 175 wheels - as long as I can use it up before the spray expires!
But my original questions still stand unanswered - I need to know if the rehydrated mold spore spray can be frozen and thawed without killing the spores, and whether the solution can be diluted any further and still remain viable.
I would like to know the answer to the same question because I want to do the same thing. However, I think the answer is probably "no", in general. For example geotrichum candidum is a yeast and I know from experience that saccharomyces cerevisiae will *not* freeze. You *can* freeze it using glycerin to keep the cells from exploding though.
I'm actually thinking that the best way is to do what I did with homebrew: agar slants. I reckon you can keep those going for a year or more at room temperature. I'm just not sure what the most appropriate nutrient is for each kind of culture. Probably google can help me when I get a chance ;-)
Quote from: Knargle on August 16, 2019, 03:11:29 AM
And it seems to me that spraying is a much cheaper way of innoculating because you can get say 1000 sprays from just a 100ml bottle - so 1000 sprays per 1/8 tsp PC and 1/32 GC. I probably average around 5/6 sprays per cheese, which means that 1/8 tsp PC lasts me about 175 wheels - as long as I can use it up before the spray expires!
And that is where the disclaimer comes in - "unless you are making large quantities of camembert." If you can use up your bottle before it goes bad, spraying is definitely a cheaper approach. Since I only make 3 cams every other month or so, it would not be cost effective for me!
HI!
I add PC and GC powder directly to the milk when I add the starter culture and by spray-innoculating too. my brie is with charcoal and peppers
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