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Brie / camembert-style
AdvancedAbout Brie
Ladled curds grow a white bloom in a humid box and ripen over weeks.
- Hands-on
- 2 h
- Waiting
- 1 day
- Ageing
- About 2 weeks to bloom + 2–6 weeks to ripen
- Yield
- 2–4 small rounds
Milk & ingredients
4–8 litres pasteurised whole cow's milk (not UHT)
- Milk
- Mesophilic culture
- Penicillium camemberti (candidum)
- Geotrichum candidum
- Rennet
- Calcium chloride
- Salt
Culture: Mesophilic + white moulds
Coagulant: Rennet
Equipment
- Pot
- Thermometer
- Camembert hoops and mats
- Ripening box
- Fridge or cave at 11–13 °C with 90–95% humidity
- Hygrometer
- Cheese paper
Temperatures by stage
| Stage | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Ripen & set | 32 °C |
| Drain | Room temperature (about 20–22 °C) |
| Bloom | 11–13 °C, 90–95% RH |
| Finish | Fridge, about 4 °C |
Steps
- 1.WaitingWarm milk to 32 °C; add culture, moulds and calcium chloride; ripen 60–90 minutes.
- 2.WaitingAdd rennet; set about 60 minutes.
- 3.Hands-onCut into 2 cm cubes; rest; ladle gently into hoops.
- 4.WaitingDrain overnight, flipping several times.
- 5.AgeingSalt all surfaces; move into a ripening box at 11–13 °C and high humidity, flipping daily.
- 6.AgeingWhen fully white (about 10–14 days), wrap in cheese paper and ripen in the fridge until soft.
Storage: Fridge once wrapped; eat when ripe.
Troubleshooting
- Blue or black spots
- Contamination — discard and improve hygiene.
- Slip-skin (rind slides off)
- Too humid or too acidic; reduce moisture and dry curds more.
Sources
- Cheese Making Technology e-book — University of Guelph, Food Science
- Foods to avoid in pregnancy (cheese guidance) — NHS (UK)
- Raw drinking milk — UK Food Standards Agency
- Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous? — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
Guidance changes: check the source for current wording. Original text; figures quoted from the sources where stated.