Why Your Camembert Isn’t Growing White Mold

With cheese making, there are a couple of real ‘buzz moments’ for me.

The first is when I get a really good, firm curd and get a strange satisfaction from cutting it in clean, neat lines. The other is when I make Camembert and see that gorgeous fluffy white mold growing over the cheese.

That beautiful Camembert cheese mold, there’s nothing better than watching that white blanket start to cover over each round, signally the beginnings of another successful Camembert batch.

camembert mold, camembert cheese mold, camembert mould

Because these little milestones feel so good to achieve, it’s really disappointing when they don’t happen.

Anyone who has tried making Camembert will likely experience the disappointment of poor (or no) mold growth at least once.

And without that thick marsh-mellowy mold, you unfortunately don’t really have Camembert.

So what might be stopping the white mold from growing on your Camembert?

There are few reasons and hopefully if you address one, or all of them, you’ll be on your way to a good covering of white fuzz with your next Camembert make.

No Camembert Mold?

The white mold on cheeses like Camembert and Brie should start to grow in 3-4 days of being put into your aging area (fridge or other aging area).

If this doesn’t happen you need to check the following:

Temperature – If it’s too cold in your aging area the white mold won’t grow so check that your Camembert is sitting at around 12 degrees Celsius/54 degrees Fahrenheit

Salt – The application of salt either through rubbing, sprinkling or brining is important for the growth of your white mold as it inhibits the growth of unwanted molds, and leaves room for the desirable molds to develop. Make sure you cover all surfaces liberally with cheese salt.

Moisture – White mold will not grow well in conditions that are too moist so be sure to mop up any extra moisture that has drained underneath the cheeses.

Application – You can either add the Penicillium Candidum to your milk during the make, or spray it on to your cheese once you have formed your rounds. If one way does not appear to be working well for you, try the other way and make sure you are applying the correct amounts.

Competition – As mentioned, if unwanted molds are allowed to develop, they are usually aggressive enough to outgrow the molds you do want to grow, so keep any undesirables under control while your white mold develops.

Remember to also turn your cheeses daily, while your white Camembert mold grows, so that it has a chance to sprout and develop on all sides of the cheese. When you turn your cheese, pat down the fluffy white mold so that it forms an even, consistent rind and creates that gorgeous traditional Camembert cheese look.

Regularly turning your cheeses will also avoid the mold growing into your draining mats and then tearing away from the cheese when you try to turn them.

Camembert Related Articles

Do you have any questions or comments about your white molds? Perhaps you know of another reason why white molds might be inhibited?

Join the discussion over at the Curd Nerd Forum and share your cheesy knowledge. We would love to hear from you!

Curd Nerd Forum

8 thoughts on “Why Your Camembert Isn’t Growing White Mold

  • 29/12/2012 at 3:59 pm
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    Hi, my camembert has been ripening for more than 14 days and it still is not covered with mold on the one side. The rest of it is well covered. Do I just wait a while longer?

    • 09/02/2013 at 2:41 pm
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      Hi Liz

      Did you cover all sides liberally with salt? And have you turned the cheese? Also, did you add the Pencillium to the milk, or spray it on afterwards?

      The mold should normally grow at about the same rate all over, not on one side then the next and so on.

      • 24/05/2018 at 3:08 am
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        Hi Liz,

        I am facing a similar issue to what you have mentioned. At times during the drying phase the cheese feels extremely sticky and once we put it to ripen, one side just never grows mold even though the salting is evenly done and we flip it twice a day.

        Did you manage to resolve the issue? If so could you please help me figure it out too.
        Thanks!

  • 07/07/2013 at 9:54 pm
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    Hi,
    This isn’t a question about mould, there’s been plenty growing on my Camembert. However I am having a problem with ripening. I have a fridge that I have a thermostat attach and I have it set at a range of 10-15 celcius. I’m finding after a couple of weeks of ripening the cheese closest to the rind becomes liquid and the middle is still unripe. It also has a bit of a sour flavour. Do you have any suggestions?
    Thank you for your time.

    • 17/07/2013 at 4:22 pm
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      Hi Kate

      It sounds like your Camembert is ripening too quickly. Camembert ripens from the outside in, so if it starts to ripen faster than it should, the outer edges will go soft and gooey, but you will still have a firm centre. Are you confident of the temperatures in your aging environment? I age my Camembert at 12 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit) but you could reduce to 10 degree Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) to slow things down. In regards to the sour flavour, I am wondering about your rennet amounts. Too much rennet can create a sour/bitter flavour. It may be worth tweaking your rennet amounts back to see if this helps. Hopefully this helps. Good luck : )

  • 17/07/2013 at 7:09 pm
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    Hi Kate

    Because you have had success in the past, my first thought is to ask what has changed?

    Variable temperature and humidity will definitely cause problems, so if they are fluctuating you need to be able to stabilise them or no, you can’t really rely on them. In terms of the air circulation with the wine fridge, I leave the door open for a period each day to allow ‘new air’ to be introduced. Others using fridges will get their cheeses out for a time each day to allow them to air and breathe. The alternatives that allow more air flow come down to having a dedicated cheese room, cave or other storage space that provides constant air flow.

  • 26/10/2013 at 4:11 am
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    I have bought a computer 12vdc fan and connected it to an 12vdc adapter reused from an old toy.it works fine to circulate air in my mini fridge which I also bought a thermostat for a window air conditioner and replaced the fridge thermostat with the a/c on which allows me to raise the temp to 50f.Hope this will help those who cannot afford a wine fridge but have a old fridge to use.

  • 31/10/2013 at 7:30 am
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    “Why Your Camembert Isn’t Growing White Mold | Curd-Nerd” was indeed a remarkable blog post, can not wait to browse more of your postings. Time to waste several time on the net hehe. Thanks for your time -Chester

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