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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Burgundy and Île-de-France

Brillat-Savarin PGIBrillat-Savarin

Whole cow milk enriched with cream is soured with mesophilic cultures and set with calf rennet for at least 12 hours at 32 °C or below, which gives a lactic curd. The curd is ladled into moulds by gravity, drains at least 20 hours and dries for a day. Sold fresh from day 3, or ripened at 5–14 °C into a white-rinded "affiné" cheese. Made in 6 steps over 7.3 days. The longest step, ripen (affiné only), takes at least 5 days (INAO 2016) and runs at 5–14 °C (INAO 2016). Mesophilic lactic cultures does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 5 daysSet[bs-cdc-2016][bs-du]Ripen (affiné only)
Temperature5–14 °CSet[bs-cdc-2016]Ripen (affiné only)
AciditypH up to 4.9Set[bs-cdc-2016]Set with calf rennet into a lactic curd

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceThe rules set a rennet limit and the size of the curdling basins (220 litres at most), but no recipe amounts.
Whole cow milk · Collected within 2 days of the oldest milking; never frozen[bs-cdc-2016]
Cow cream · Skimmed from whole cow milk; whey cream, homogenised and frozen cream are banned[bs-cdc-2016]
Mesophilic lactic cultures[bs-cdc-2016]
20 ml per 100 litres or lessCalf rennet · The only coagulant allowed[bs-cdc-2016]
Salt · Sodium chloride or salt substitutes; finished cheese below 2 % salt[bs-cdc-2016]
Ripening cultures (Penicillium candidum, Geotrichum) · Only for the ripened "affiné" cheese[bs-cdc-2016]
Startermesophilic lactic cultures; Penicillium candidum and Geotrichum for the ripened cheese

Total time across the recorded steps: 7.3 days

Start
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up to 32 °CpH up to 6.5

What changes: Cream and lactic cultures go into whole milk, which begins to sour

Step 1 of 6
Mix milk and cream and ripen with cultures
Time
Not documented
Temperature
up to 32 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
pH up to 6.5
Set
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Penicillium candidum
Geotrichum

Output: soured milk and cream.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

mesophilic lactic cultures start the acid and the aroma

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Unlike Camembert, Brillat-Savarin is a cream-enriched lactic curd that sets for at least 12 hours and reaches at least 72 % fat in dry matter. It may be sold fresh, without a rind, from day 3.

Milk
Whole cow milk enriched with cow cream
Ripening
Sold from day 3; "affiné" at least 5 days (small) or 8 days (large)
Composition
At least 72 % fat in dry matter, at least 40 % dry matter, under 2 % salt
Size
Small 100–250 g, 60–100 mm across; large at least 500 g, 110–140 mm across

Related ferments

Variants

  • Fresh Brillat-SavarinSold from 3 days after renneting, with no mould rind.
  • Brillat-Savarin affinéRipened at 5–14 °C for at least 5 or 8 days, with a white mould rind.

Safety

The rules require milk and cream stored at 8 °C or below before making and a curd at pH 4.9 or lower before moulding.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

  1. [bs-cdc-2016] INAO 2016, Cahier des charges de la dénomination « Brillat-Savarin », approved by the permanent commission of the national committee for IGP, LR and STG on 18 May 2016spec
  2. [bs-du] INAO, Document unique « Brillat-Savarin » (IGP), Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012spec