126 THE BOOK OF CHEESE 



temperatures only delay the process; higher temper- 

 atures favor undesirable fermentations. The cheeses 

 rest upon coarse matting (Fr. clayons) consisting of 

 round wooden rods about the size of a pencil separated 

 1-1-J- inches and held in position by wire strands. As- 

 suming cheeses of optimum composition as indicated above, 

 the relative humidity of the ripening rooms should be 

 86 to 88 per cent. Higher humidities produce too rapid 

 development of slimy coatings; too low. humidity is 

 indicated by drying, shrinkage and the growth of green 

 molds on the surface. A slight and very slow evapora- 

 tion is demanded ; by this the water-content of the cheeses 

 is reduced 3 to 6 per cent in two weeks. During the 

 first two weeks of ripening, the cheeses commonly show 

 some growth of yeast and Oidium lactis first, followed 

 by cottony white areas of Camembert mold (Penicillium 

 Camemberti). This mold must be introduced by inocu- 

 lation in new factories but once firmly established in 

 the factory will propagate itself if conditions are kept 

 favorable. Climatic conditions in most dairy sections 

 of America have been sufficiently unfavorable to make 

 more or less continuous use of pure cultures desirable. 

 At the end of two weeks, Camembert cheeses should show 

 a well-established rind, consisting of a well-matted felt 

 work of mold hyphse through the outer 2 mm. (^ inch) 

 of the whole surface of the cheese. More or less of 

 the pale gray-green fruit of the characteristic Penicillium 

 Camemberti can usually be seen. Beginning at about 

 twelve to fourteen days, 1 a softening of the curd is first 



1 Bosworth, A. W., Chemical studies of Camembert cheese, 

 N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Tech. Bui. 5, pages 23-39, 1907. 



Dox, A. W., Proteolytic changes in the ripening of Camembert 

 cheese, U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. An. Ind. Bui. 109, pages 1-24, 

 1908. 



