More Camembert With My Wine Refrigerator

Last weekend, I started a new batch of Camember/Brie.  I decided to increase the batch size so that the finished rounds were thicker than the first time I made it.  Although, they were the correct size last time, I just wanted to have more of that creamy goodness. 

After seven days, I have a healthy colony of mold on my cheese, thanks to the wine refrigerator I bought a couple months ago.  I was able to set the temperature at 55 degrees for the initial aging part.  It also has a compartment at 46 degrees for my Stilton.  That lower temperature compartment will hold my Camembert/Brie for its final aging.

Using the wine refrigerator really helped put this on track.  I struggled the first time I made this cheese because I was trying to manage the temperature using a mini-refrigerator.  It was always too warm or too cold.  It took forever for the cheese to develop the white mold.  As a result, the outside started to dry out a little, and my rind was thicker than I wanted.  According to the recipe, I now have a "full bloom" and can wrap the cheese in a couple days.  This is a full week to ten days earlier than my first attempt.  This will ensure a thinner rind.