4 l full cream goats' milk
2 ml CaCl2 stirred into 60 ml cooled boiled water
Penecilium candidum harvested from a camembert rind
1 sachet mesophillic culture (or two ice cubes of saved culture)
2 ml rennet stirred into 60 ml of cooled boiled water
11 g salt (iodine free) (1% of the curds weight)
BACTERIA: RIPEN THE MILK
Warm the milk to 32 °C.
Add the CaCl2 (omit for raw milk).
Liquidise some Camembert rind in a little milk and sieve the p. candidum infusion into the warm milk.
Add the mesophillic culture sachet or cubes. Allow the powder to rehydrate or the ice to melt for 5 minutes.
Stir in for one minute.
Wait 1.5 hours for the milk to ripen.
RENNET: CURDLE THE MILK
If necessary, return the milk to 32 °C.
Add 2 ml rennet and stir for one minute.
Wait 60 minutes for a clean break without stirring.
Cut the curds into into 1cm cubes and rest them for five minutes.
Stir gently for 15 minutes.
Rest the curds for another 15 minutes.
Drain most of the whey through a cheese cloth and hang the curds until the whey flow slows but has not yet stopped.
Use the surplus whey to make ricotta or in other recipes.
Weigh the curds and record the weight.
Measure but do not add the salt. For example 1.2kg of curds needs 20 g of salt.
MOULDS:
Fill four moulds and top up as they drain. I used cylinders upcycled from one four one-litre plastic milk bottles.
After some draining and shrinkage, invert the moulds.
Invert the moulds again whenever you are passing or a few times each day.
Discard the moulds once the wheels are self supporting.
Add the weighed salt measured earlier by sprinkling onto the damp wheels to give an even coating.
Add the salt in stages to avoid run-off and waste.
BLOOM:
Ripen the wheels at room temperature until the rind begins to bloom. Expect a white downy mould.
Invert the wheels whenever you are passing.
Continue until the wheels are fairly dry and the bloom begins to form.
CAVE RIPEN:
Place the wheels on a suspended mat in a humid box, sealed closed but with air holes.
Invert the wheels daily and mop away any excess moisture or whey.
Continue cave ripeing at 12 °C until the wheels look ready to eat.
Sample the wheels as they continue to age.
Avoid old wheels which might become unpleasant and smell of amonia.