Made more Camembert yesterday, tried something silly, i used cheese cloth in the mold to help the flipping process, this has resulted in an in-perfect edge ::) I guess I'll just have to watch the rind doesn't get too hefty.
Things aren't looking good! Is it beyond saving??
Hi Bishop, do you think you could put that cheese back into the mould and let it drain on the mat more? It just looks really wet and it might help the shape and the ends of the cheese to get some more mat time. What sort of draining mat do you have? Is it the one in the picture? How come that cheese didn't get any scoring (mat imprint) on it? Was it because of the cheese cloth you used? I used to have a heck of a time turning my cams in the moulds but finally came up with my own solution that works. I cut smaller square pieces of draining mat (craft mats from Hobby Lobby), and place them individually under each cam mould to drain the cheeses. Then when I turn them, I pick up the mould with the cheese, craft mat and all and I place another piece of square craft mat on the top and just flip it over. I used to make such a mess when I used one big mat for all of the draining cheeses.
hi Oberhasli,
I use Camembert Baskets which leaves a very clean finish but yes, I did use the cloth as well on this one, by the time I read your post the Cam's had been sitting at room temp for 20 hours seems a bit late to put them back in the baskets now. Prior to using the cheese cloth I flip the cheese with a draining mat, I found that sometimes the corners got rough and even crumpled a little. All I can think of now is sitting the cheese bad side down in the cave for a few days and hope they smooth of a little more.
Thanks
I'm sure they will start to get that nice white mold soon and the rough edges won't matter. The white mold should fill in and hopefully you will get a nice rind.
Good luck. :D
Bonnie
What causes the three "crop circles" in your first photo?
I'm guessing the 'crop circles' :) are from a lightweight cup sitting on top to test floc time. But I also wondered why three and not just one.
Susan
Hi Jessica_H,
Susanky is correct, the reason there are 3 circles is this was the first time I had used a flocculation test and double and triple checked that half a full rotation of the cup serficed.
http://www.cheeseforum.org/Making/Curd%20-%20When%20To%20Cut.htm#Flocculation_Point (http://www.cheeseforum.org/Making/Curd%20-%20When%20To%20Cut.htm#Flocculation_Point)
PC, otherwise known as "cracks be gone" has done its job.
waiting waiting . . just 2 more weeks and i will know the full extent of the damage. :-\
Looking Good! :)
Well the results are in.
Apart from a harder than desired rind they worker out fine ???
I'll try and make my next mistake a little more impressive LoL.
Too all those kids out there, learn from my mistakes, don't have a pedestal fan running while your trying to knit curds ;)
::) I know ::)
Well, after a few frustrating mixed results then a holiday in Tasmania, I got back into cheese making this weekend! I salted them this morning and they will be in the wine fridge tomorrow morning.
I was hoping somebody could clear up something, for the first time I added Geotrichum Candidum along with the Penicilium Candidum and was wondering if i should be doing anything different? Should I still be patting them regularly?
8 days on so far so good ;)
This photo is at about 14/15 days in - as you can see the cams on the left got a bit damp but i am trying to overcome this.
Will post another pick at 21 days soon.
They look wonderful! How was the center paste? As far as the GEO question, still pat down regularly. Congrats!
These pics are at 21 days, as you can see they probably need another week or so (for the way i like them anyhow). Using the the jersey milk I always get a very soft creamy yellow paste. Now I just need to get a fresher supply somehow.
Yum! Those are looking very good. Once that centre goes, you're in for a real treat. Well done.
- Jeff
Thanks JeffHamm,
I pretty happy with the result
Damn that yellow is nice!
Mine are always white. Why bread of cow's milk are you using?
Hi Tomer1,
the milk i used for this batch of cams is from a Jersey Cow Dairy, they produce less milk volume but have a far higher fat content.
Really nice!!!
What exaclly effects the yellowing of a cheese because it seems like something that happend during ripening since the center is still white,
Is this because of uneven fat distribution during the make?
Hi Tomer1,
the Jersey Milk when sitting next to a more common supermarket milk (in Australia will almost always be from a Friesian - produces volume with less fat) is very yellow in comparison. Unless somebody knows different by seeing them in person the centre contrast is probably no different to other batches I have made using a whiter milk, it just seems to be more accentuated being creamy yellow.
Yeah we have the same cows, friesian holstein.
Great-looking cheese, Bishop. Mmmm...tasty.
Raw milk from grass-fed cows has Beta-carotene which gives it the yellow-orange hue.
Typically pasteurized/homogenized milk from industrial cows never see a green pasture...probably wouldn't even know what grass was. Their milk is derived from grain, fodder, and other things that don't contribute to wholesome milk.
If you want to know more, check this (http://www.amazon.com/Untold-Story-Milk-Pastures-Contented/dp/0967089743).
-Boofer-
33 days on and the flavour is getting strong, time to eat ;)
Thanks Boofer! Just ordered that book! I was going to pitch a producer to do a documentary about that very subject.
By the way, the yellow is more than just Beta Carotene, it also has to do with the type of feed, cellulose in the diet, butterfat, minerals, and the way it ages.
Oh man... Envy!! It looks delish :P
Bishop, they look great!
Is your PC receding??? Take care of them before they ammoniate! The paste looks perfect, with the small eyes and even yellow paste; hmmm... healthy! Yumm!
Bishop, that looks absolutely brilliant, congrats !
Hande
Good job! Looks perfect.
Quote from: iratherfly on May 21, 2011, 06:19:14 AM
Thanks Boofer! Just ordered that book! I was going to pitch a producer to do a documentary about that very subject.
By the way, the yellow is more than just Beta Carotene, it also has to do with the type of feed, cellulose in the diet, butterfat, minerals, and the way it ages.
Point taken.
That book has a new revision. I saw it after I posted. The one I posted is the one I read several years ago. Excellent history of milk.
Bishop, those cheeses look amazing. The rind looks like it was browned in a pan. The paste looks mouth-watering.
-Boofer-
Thanks Boofer, Pam, Hande, Iratherfly and Tome1 for the kind words!
I learnt a couple of things making this batch, I hurried the air drying stage and found myself constantly battling too much moisure on the surface of the Cam in the aging container. That's why the PC looks like it may be receding or browned in a pan, i was wiping the surface with paper towel in the end. As far as the paste goes I am happy with the structure, the look, the feel in the mouth but I have definitely over salted them.
Looks like I'll just have to make some more ;)
haha, you made an incidental washed rind :)
Whenever I under-dry them (which, as you commented shows immediately when you transfer them to an aging container), I just keep the container open inside the cave, then gradually partially cover it more and more every day until I get the right moisture I am looking for. Having them too moist in a close container will accelerate the creation of rind, and we all know what happens when your rind shows up before sufficient moisture departed from the cheese. I actually think that the fact that you over-salted them might have helped you avoid a skin slip. It expelled most of the whey and moisture out early enough.
Well now that you mentioned it, I did have to defend myself, everytime I opened the fridge door I was getting accused of making unpleasant smells ::)
Oberhasli was kind enough to advise me the same meathod of bringing the rind back to where I wanted it by leaving the container lid off, I felt the rind started to get a little hard after a couple of days so i tried to do it sparingly. I was a little suspicious I may have had a slip skin crisis on my hands at first but it all worked out well enough in the end, next time I'll know to whip the b.linens out if i make the same mistake and pretend It all went as planned >:D
That's funny Bishop. I know the issue... It's a problem whenever I have a lot of cheese moving from the cave to the kitchen fridge and whoa... that smell.
If your rind gets hard before the mold blooms, yet your humidity is high, than it is usually a sign of over salting.
By the way, a little b.linen in the Camembert isn't bad. Most quality Camemberts/Bries would expose some slight brown/orange in sporadic spotting under the rind. The cheese isn't washed but B.linen can still show up. You can put a tiny pinch of it next time or use PLA (reduce or eliminate Geo from your recipe if you are using PLA).
I love that you signed with the comment I wrote to that guy; that's really funny!
Here is a mini (3") Camembert I did with B.Linen sometime last year (grr... can't find a photo of it cut). See how nice are those spots under the rind? It was possibly the best Camembert I've ever made.
10x again for the pre draining tip yoav,
It truly makes a difference regarding shape retantion and better,more even draining.
Thanks Tomer! It also helps prevent slip skin and early ammoniation. It extends the life of the cheese.
Quote from: iratherfly on May 23, 2011, 06:52:12 PM
You can put a tiny pinch of it next time or use PLA (reduce or eliminate Geo from your recipe if you are using PLA).
Never seen or used PLA before, what exactly is it (is it B.linens and Geo in one?) and where else can it be used for?
CHOOZIT™ PLA Brevibacterium linens, Arthrobacter nicotianae, Complex blend for aspect and flavour of the main
Debaryomyces hansenii, Geotrichum candidum European (or French) style cheeses
PLA is a direct set culture mix which contains Yeasts, B.Linen and Geo. It is used for aromatic ripening and complex rinds and can also be used to wash cheese. The Geo and Yeast deacidify the surface so that the B.Linen can grow on it. The yeast also produce aroma. If used in the milk (meaning not just in the wash/spray) the yeast produces aromatic properties that are the results of gas production when it dies off. If used in combination with bloomy cheese it may expose itself later after the PC have settled and show as orangy strikes below. If used for washing, expect it to produce a very light and rather faint orange color - this isn't the crazy orange B.Linen and doesn't smell or look like that strain. Don't over use it because it may eventually overwhelm the cheese quality.
Thanks