1910.] Brie, Pont l'Eveque and other Soft Cheese. 451 



fairly moist atmosphere. With the best cheeses a reddish 

 mould succeeds the white mould, though with many of the 

 coarser cheeses a blue mould succeeds the white. The latter, 

 though common, are not the true type, a cheese growing a 

 red mould being always superior in quality. 



When this red mould is well established on the cheeses, 

 they are removed to the cellar or cave where ripening is com- 

 pleted. If the cheeses are to be kept for any length of time 

 they should be placed in very cool dry cellars at an early stage 

 in the ripening process. 



It will be gathered that the method of manufacture of Brie 

 is somewhat different from that of Camembert. The object of 

 the maker is to conserve more moisture in the curd and to 

 ripen in a shorter period. Hence coagulation of the milk is 

 slower, and the temperature of the making room is lower. 

 These two factors tend to slow and incomplete drainage 

 during the first stages. After being properly formed and 

 salted, the cheeses are placed in the second ripening room 

 at a higher temperature, and this room is kept more moist 

 than would be the case with Camembert. This tends to 

 rapid growth of the moulds and quick ripening, and a soft 

 texture in the cheese. In the cellar the temperature will 

 vary, depending in a great measure on the period at which 

 the maker wishes to dispose of the cheese. 



The cheeses when ripe are usually cut up into diamond- 

 shaped pieces, placed in boxes of the same shape, and 

 retailed in this form. 



Pont l'Eveque. 



The cheese known as the Pont l'Eveque has acquired a 

 considerable reputation in England, and though usually 

 designated a soft cheese, it is of a type entirely different from 

 the Camembert and Brie. 



The ripening of this cheese is not dependent upon the 

 growth of moulds, but is probably largely due to the enzymes 

 of rennet introduced in a comparatively large quantity during 

 the first stage of manufacture. 



The cheeses are either square or oblong with "rounded 

 corners." They are ij ins. in thickness, and weigh about 



