6 BULLETIN 1171, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
able. In some cases 2 per cent of starter as mentioned above is 
preferable. The proper amount depends somewhat upon the 
method employed in making the cheese. Under normal conditions, 
however, 1 per cent of a starter is advised, even though it may be 
necessary to ripen the milk to 0.20 or 0.22 per cent, calculated as 
lactic acid, before the addition of rennet. A slow-acting starter may 
be so inefficient as to cause total loss of the cheese, and for this reason 
great care must be employed in keeping the starter in a vigorous 
condition. 
The use of a starter is to prevent gassy fermentation, but there 
are times, especially in the spring and fall of the year, when the milk 
has ripened so far that the introduction even of large quantities of 
starter will prove fruitless, and for that reason the milk for making 
Camembert must be carefully inspected. 
THE ACIDITY OF MILK AT RENNETING. 
At setting, the milk should have from 0.20 to 0.23 per cent acidity 
as determined by one-tenth normal sodium hydroxid. French authori- 
ties advise from 0.20 to 0.21 per cent acidity at this period. 3 There are 
variations in the initial acidities of milk during the different periods 
of the year. Highly acid milk is undesirable. The acid itself 
may not be very objectionable, yet, because it increases the danger 
of gassy fermentation subsequently, it is to be avoided. Whenever 
a cheese is gassy it drains slowly, the whey is not clear, and more 
difficulty is experienced in turning and ripening than with a normal 
cheese. A few gas holes are not objectionable, but when the cheese 
is spongy with gas, the flavor, texture, and appearance are often 
so impaired that it is impossible to market the product. 
In some instances where the cheese is rather dry and ripened at a 
high temperature a few gas holes may develop later which were not 
visible in the first few days after making. Success in the making 
of Camembert cheese requires a rapid development of acidity, 
which with the rennet hastens the removal of the whey and tends 
to give the cheese a firm, elastic, healthy appearance. 
TEMPERATURE. 
The temperature at setting should be from 82° to 86° F., depend- 
ing upon the acidity of the milk, quantity of rennet, and condition 
of the milk. A high acid requires a low setting temperature, 
whereas a low acid requires a high setting temperature. The tem- 
perature is also somewhat dependent upon the method used. With 
an unbroken curd a high setting temperature may be used. When 
cheese is made by the French system, two or three separate settings 
of milk are desirable and in this case low temperatures are used 
with long setting periods. For example, the first milk is set at 85° 
F., and the last at from 82° to 83° F. This procedure favors a 
soft curd for the last dipping, which aids in giving the cheese a neat 
and attractive surface. If the last curd becomes dry and tough, 
the upper surface of the cheese does not rapidly assume the same 
evenness as the surface in contact with the drain mat. 
3 Marcel Monteran. Monograpbie et Fabrication du Fromage de Camembert. Librairie 
Agricole, Paris. Page 43. 
