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.

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

• Camembert Cheese Recipe
• Camembert – The Ripening Process
• Slip Skin – Camembert Rind Nemesis
• Homemade Camembert Adventures In Home Cheese Making
• How To Monitor Your Camembert Maturation

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

The reality is, that the actual make of this delicious soft cheese is pretty simple and straightforward, but the ripening and aging period can be a somewhat tense few weeks.

There are a handful of things that can go wrong during the ripening process, a few that will destroy your cheese, others that just make it a bit of an adventure to eat, with strong smells and unexpected textures.  

The most alarming outcome though, has to be ending up with Slip Skin.

Slip skin, or toad skin as it is also called, is an ugly looking and disappointing defect that can occur on mold ripened cheeses such as Camembert or Brie. And it makes you question whether you can eat the rind of camembert when it looks like this.

It is recognised mostly by a developing gnarled and bumpy rind, which will start spreading in the first 10 days, and the feeling of the mold covered rind moving or slipping around the centre of the cheese when it is picked up or turned over.

Camembert Rind Aging Issues And Solutions

This unsightly and undesirable outcome appears to be caused by a number of factors, including any one of the following:

An overgrowth of the less friendly Geotrichcum spores

These spore cause the ph of the cheese to rise and promote a rapid over ripening of the surface of the cheese to a gooey consistency, therefore causing the ‘slip’.

Solution:

Try using Geotrichum Candidum and Penicillan Candidum together or just G. Candidum on it’s own instead as this can create a more stable rind by overrunning the more unruly G.Candidum spores.

Also be sure to adequately dry salt all surfaces of the cheese as this keeps the unfriendly spores in check.

Too high humidity during the initial aging process

Condensation on your aging container will be a good give away if this is occurring. Not only will your humidity be too high but condensation will also cause water beads to drop onto the cheese, contaminating it and creating too much moisture.

Solution:

Maintain 90% humidity and don’t let it increase to 100+. Wipe the containers out twice daily and crack the lids of your containers slightly to let air flow through and keep the humidity down.

Too much moisture in the cheese at the time of aging

If your cheese goes into the aging containers with too much whey still present in the curd, and then you increase the humidity by closing the cheese in, you are very likely to end up with slip skin.

Solution:

Ensure curds are properly drained before removing from the molds and dry salt to encourage the release of more whey.

Also make sure your Camembert is properly dry before putting it into the aging container and raising the humidity.

Cheese sitting in whey while aging

This shouldn’t be the case if the curds have been properly drained and the cheese left to sufficiently dry before being put in the aging container but can occur in the early days.

Solution:

Make sure to mop up all the whey from under and around the cheeses to reduce moisture and keep the cheese surface dry.

The white mold rind forming too quickly

Again, speeding up the ripening of the surface of the cheese and causing it to ‘slip’ away from the rest of the paste.

Solution:

Ripen at temperatures between 8-10c. Too high a temperature will encourage rapid mold growth rather than a growth that supports the ripening of the whole cheese.

As you can see, moisture is definitely one of the main variables to control when aging your Camembert but molds can also cause a bit of trouble when they misbehave too.

In addition to the obvious odd appearance of slip skin, your cheese will also likely have a strong ammonia smell if it has been left to ripen once slip skin has taken hold.

This may dissipate after the cheese is left to sit out for a wee while (I recommend at least 20 minutes) but if not, it might be best to give the cheese up and accept you just have to try again.

Can You Eat The Rind Of Camembert If It Has Slip Skin

Slip skin definitely affects the atheistic value of your cheese but all is not lost if you spot slip skin early.

Just cut off the rind, leave the cheese to air for a bit and then enjoy it on crackers.

Camembert Related Articles

• Camembert Cheese Recipe
• Camembert – The Ripening Process
• Why Your Camembert Isn’t Growing White Mold
• Homemade Camembert Adventures In Home Cheese Making
• How To Monitor Your Camembert Maturation

Do you have any questions or comments about Home Cheese Making? Join the discussion over at the Curd Nerd Forum. We would love to hear from you!

Curd Nerd Forum