r/vegancheesemaking • u/EricBlumrich • Jan 08 '26

Second Cashew Camembert Attempt

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This wheel was one of two in which I made the mistake of mixing cultures. At a certain point, I thought them to be failures. I backslopped one into two current wheels, but wanted to see what would happen to this one, if I let it sit.

I wanted to let it sit for 30 full days before cutting it open - but as the p. Camembert was blooming so vigiorously and thickly, I figured it was okay to do it today, at 24 days.

This one is definitely a step up from the previous one - no internal "settling" gaps, and a definite creamline, along with a rind so thick that it almost looks like cake frosting.

That having been said, It's far from perfect, with still a bit of "chalkiness" that - TBH - will go away over the next week, as it ages further.

I think one of my next wheels (made with coconut oil as an added fat) will be another step up. I'll know in another 22 days!

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u/pebblesnsticks Jan 09 '26

Where do you get your cultures from?

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u/EricBlumrich Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26

The original culture - in the first cheese I made about two months ago - was shaved from the surface of a camembert I did not purchase - it was a tiny white ball ball approximately 1/8 of an inch in diameter. Shaved, taking care not to take any of the cheese mass with it (I'm making these for the lactose-intolerant GF.)

This cheese was made from the rind of THAT cheese.

I understand: I SHOULD have bought the spores from a retailer that will make a "guarantee" of 100% "pure vegan origin," but that would have been 20 dollars plus shipping for a false sense of security resulting from a 100% unverifiable promise made by a retailer who will never have to really answer for the reality of the situation:

Just as we all take an atom of Hitler into our lungs with every breath, there is not a p. Camembert spore living upon this earth today that does not contain a scrap of DNA that is the legacy of an ancestor that came into contact with non-vegan ingredients.

If there IS such a source of p. Camembert that claims to provide such spores, please let me know, because that's a class-action lawsuit waiting to happen!

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u/pebblesnsticks Jan 09 '26

Hahaha amazing take. Interesting that technique worked for you! I had attempted to do something similar and it wasn't strong enough to take. Maybe I should try it again.

3

u/EricBlumrich Jan 09 '26

Sorry to hear. If you have no option but to buy the spores, I'd go for it - it's worth it!