cambozola cheeses

[jerzeygurl]

2 of my cambozolas came out nice , the other 4 still arent ready and are not showing near the bloom, or the spread of the first 2. They were all made in the same batch, but the 2 good ones were molded in glad ware containers i altered for the task, the other four were made in actual camebert molds. Its at the 4 week stage.

[jerzeygurl]

picture of the good one

[IowaLez]

A couple of the things that affect mold growth are humidity of the aging room or aging container, and the moisture content of the cheese itself. You used different moulds. Did you age all the cheeses in the same container? If moulds only were different, then I'd say it's the moisture content of your cheeses. If you aged them in different containers then I'd guess humidity levels were involved. Getting the bloomy rind right has been a personal challenge for me, and I'm getting the hang of it after a lot of practice.

BTW, did you add blue mold powder to the curds? Or did you layer it sprinkled in while filling the moulds? I do the latter, so I only have blue mold flecks inside, and outside it looks like an ordinary Camembert. I'm not sure how to post pics and don't have time to try right now, or I'd share a peek here.

[jerzeygurl]

I sprinkled it in layers, the other ones( i"ll get a picture later) are still fairly firm, and the blue has grown on the outside more than the white, the 2 that finished first were less blue, the first one almost pure camebert flavor.

I had to use different containers as they would not all fit in one.

My cameberts looked good UNTILL I wrapped them in the expensive breatheable cheese paper. They started sweating alot. I have since unwrapped them and they are starting to bloom again.

Now the roqueforts...I think they maybe hopeless, I used half cream, and they are getting so soft and runny...have a good flavor though.

I have gone and moved them to upstairs refrigerator, and the cambozolas seem to be whitening up some more again.

[IowaLez]

Okay, I think i can post a photo now. I had bad light for photos and this one is the one that came out good.

I ruined my bloomy-rinded whenever I tried to wrap them in the fancy French cheese cellophane. I haven't tried with the fancy cheese paper since. I kept holes poked in the cheese with a sterilized knitting needle, and the blue mold grew inside where the oxygen got to. When it was ready to eat I poked it and it oozed.

Try it again and don't wrap them at all, just keep them in their containers with 85% humidity. The mold will only grow back a little bit after it gets suffocated.

[jerzeygurl]

ok here are the ones that are going slower, the one in the far right is the softest. the rest are still real firm.

and you see the bright green one

this was all the same batch as the first photo

[IowaLez]

How do you apply the white Candidum mold? Do you spray it on the exterior, or do you add the mold powder to the milk? I realize part of how they look is due to the suffocation issue, but I don't think you're going to get the further ripening you want from these cheeses, with the bloomy rinds damaged so much. I tried before and it didn't work too well.

What recipe are you using for this cheese, btw?

[Abouttime]

How do you both control the humidity for the cheeses? I have made my first Blue, have it in a small sep frig......it's "molding" nicely, but didn't ever get the rust smear the book said it would get. It's also very hard to the touch.

Thanks

[jerzeygurl]

Originally Posted by LezlieinCA

How do you apply the white Candidum mold? Do you spray it on the exterior, or do you add the mold powder to the milk? I realize part of how they look is due to the suffocation issue, but I don't think you're going to get the further ripening you want from these cheeses, with the bloomy rinds damaged so much. I tried before and it didn't work too well.

What recipe are you using for this cheese, btw?

im using the book the cheesemakers manual, by margaret morris, the cambozolas do look better since putting in the fridge, the white is starting to take off, on these it never took off like the other two, I really think its a thickness issue, the thinner ones did better . I innoculate in the recipe.

[jerzeygurl]

Originally Posted by Abouttime

How do you both control the humidity for the cheeses? I have made my first Blue, have it in a small sep frig......it's "molding" nicely, but didn't ever get the rust smear the book said it would get. It's also very hard to the touch.

Thanks

I never got the rust smear either...and mine are so soft(but i used half cream) that they are falling apart when i turn them, I wonder if doggies and chickens like blue cheese,


I do hope all my pressed cheeses are doing what they are supposed to lol.

[IowaLez]

I age my cheeses inside Tupperware type containers to retain the correct humidity. I have non-moldy and bloomy cheeses together so everything must be kept separate. My Parms and Swiss age inside gallon plastic Ziplock baggies.

For the molds to grow the humidity must be kept adequate. In both the blues and the Cambazolas you must poke many holes for the air to get inside and you have to keep them open. Otherwise you will not get interior mold development. The red smear takes moisture to grow which is why you're not getting it. I have to scrape it off my blues. Use less cream and your cheeses won't get so soft.

I spray the candidum molds in my cheeses and I get much better results than adding it to the milk. It helps keep the humidity higher, too. I also use much less that way.

[jerzeygurl]

a curious side note, ive noticed on the "sweaty camemberts" that i cut opened and werent ready, that the cut parts have started up a nice fuzzy coat and that edge is getting runny inside, i am thinking of scraping off the ruined coat to see if that will happen to the rest on one of them, what have i got to lose

[Wolf mom]

I am so impressed! The thought of even trying to do such a thing is mind-boggling to me!

[jerzeygurl]

its easier than what all the mess ups make it sound lol,

try your hand at buttermilk, its easy and you can build from there