Tried my hand at Camembert and it came out looking right, but the taste is… odd. No strong smell, but there's this faint "stable" flavor... like hay and cow in the background. Edible, but not exactly what I was aiming for. I'm wondering if this is just raw milk character showing through, or if I missed something in the aging process. During ripening it smelled fine (a little funky sock stage), but now that's gone and I'm left with this off-note. So is this just what happens sometimes with Camembert, or did I mess up the cultures or affinage? Would love to hear if others have run into this same flavor profile.
camembert came out stable-tasting
- Thread starter BugFlick
- Start date
OhMyCheese
Member
@BugFlick sounds like you're describing the characteristic of raw milk cheese. It's not a mistake, it's the natural microflora from the raw milk expressing itself. Some people love it, and some don't.
That hay and cow note is a direct result of the bacteria present in the milk before pasteurization. If you want to avoid that in the future, you could try making a batch with pasteurized milk and see if that gives you the cleaner flavor you're looking for
That hay and cow note is a direct result of the bacteria present in the milk before pasteurization. If you want to avoid that in the future, you could try making a batch with pasteurized milk and see if that gives you the cleaner flavor you're looking for
Emily88r
Member
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2025
- Messages
- 8
You did well getting a Camembert to form and ripen without issues, that's no small step. The hay and barn note you describe can also come from how the rind flora balances with the interior; if the white mold overgrows too quickly, it can leave the paste tasting flat or grassy rather than creamy. Too much airflow early on can also shift the flavor in that direction.
