Camembert – Basic Batch

Ingredients:

3 liters raw milk
3 ts buttermilk – Mesophilic culture starter
1 gr CaCl + ¼ cup water
Penicilum Candidum/Camemberti – per manufacturer’s instruction + ¼ cup water
Enzyme – per manufacturer’s instruction + ¼ cup water (I use MAXIREN Liquid Vegetarian, recommended dosage – 1 drop/1 liter milk, recommended by my mentor – 4 drops/3 liters milk)

Making:

1. Pasteurization: Heat milk to 72-74 deg C and cool as fast as possible to 42 deg C using a water bath (kitchen tub).
2. Curdling: Add culture and stir well, add CaCl and stir well, add Penicilum Candidum and stir well, finally add Enzyme and stir thoroughly for 15-20 seconds only. Leave intact for 30-60 minutes until a clean break is achieved.
3. Cutting: Cut the curd to pea size, about 1 cm cubes, wait 8 minutes.
4. Stirrings: Stir gently, complete cutting if needed and let settle for 5 minutes.
Stir gently, and let settle for 3 minutes.
5. Salting: Drain about 1/3 of the whey and stir in 80 gr of salt (not less). Stir gently until the salt is mixed well and dissolved.
6. Moulding: Scoop out the curds and transfer them into 2 Camembert Molds. A metal disk (about 90 gr) can be applied on top of the curds.
7. Drainage: Leave for whey drainage at room temperature, not exceeding 20 deg C. Turn the cheeses in their molds when firm enough at 2-3 hours. Turn the cheeses every about 2 hours during the next 36-48 hours until dry enough.
8. Maturation: Store the cheeses at 12 deg C, 90-95% RH. When the cheeses reach 75% mold coverage, wrap in wrinkled alum foil and continue maturing at 4 deg C, alternately, let the cheese be fully covered with mold, then wrap in foil and continue aging at 12-14 deg C for up to a total of 6 weeks.

Notes:

1. The original recipe calls for 1 Tbs vinegar/1 liter milk added with the first ingredients. Lately I omit the vinegar, the success is the same.
2. The buttermilk I use, contains Streptococcus Lactis, Lactococcus Cremoris, Lactococcus Diacetylactis and Leuconostoc, very fresh with an exp. date of 3-4 weeks ahead.
3. To get a good mold development, right temperature and humidity, time and saltiness are needed. It is preferable to add a little bit more salt then less. Saltiness may prevent bad molds development.
4. A 7.5-9 liters batch can make Brie.
5. The picture shows a Camembert and a Brie mould I use. The Camembert mould is 10 cm in dia. and 9 cm high. The Brie mould is 20 cm in dia. and 11.5 cm high.

That looks real nice

wonderful

for how how long @ 4C?
8. Maturation: Store the cheeses at 12 deg C, 90-95% RH. When the cheeses reach 75% mold coverage, wrap in wrinkled alum foil and continue maturing at 4 deg C.

for how how long @ 4C?

That’s a little tough one, 2-3 weeks, it depends on how you like it.
A common test may be to squeeze (very gently, like it was a woman ) the wheel between your thumb and index finger. The feeling should be like you press your eyeball with a finger.

u add meso culture and rennet @ 42 deg C ???!!!

Exactly !!!
I know it sounds weird, but it’s true, that’s the procedure I follow constantly and successfully.

can i use unpasteurized milk?

Sorry Nabil,

I didn’t see your post.
Of course you can use unpasteurized milk, it’s even preferable because you have full control on your milk. I hope “unpasteurized” you mean “raw”. I wouldn’t dare eat a cheese aged less then 60 days.

yes i meant RAW ..

u know, i was just thinking, that i missed one thing from ur receipt : is that i did not hold the milk @ 42C
i hold it at 32C , and i think it has a big difference of how moisture and draining will be !!

but i am now also afraid that rennet will die at 42C as i know over 40C it will be destroyed ...

I start the process at 42 because I don’t maintain the temp by any means. The temp drops with time according to the ambient temp. This is a good temp for the winter, you may go to 40-38, that’s what I am doing all the time.
My rennet (liquid veg MAXIREN) works OK.

this week end i will make some Camem following that using raw cow milk this time

GOOD LUCK !!!!! I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Next week i intend to make a 2 piece (3 liters milk) batch with THERMO !!! culture. I read somewhere this will make a milder flavor. We shall have to wait (several weeks) and taste. It worth experimenting.