Cheese Making
An Understanding Of
the basics Of Cheese
Products and Cheese
Making
Presentation to Teachers, Nov
2011
Prepared by Dean
(James’s Father!)
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Introducing Cheese
What distinguishes different types of cheese?
– Composition - moisture, fat content
– Structure - texture and body
– Flavour - salty, propionic, nutty..
– Appearance - colour, wax rind or size of the block
Cheese can be thought as a means of preserving milk by removing
water.
Characteristics can be manipulated by altering the cultures, ingredients
and techniques used.
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Cheese Types
Dry salt cheese e.g. Cheddar, Colby
Brine salt cheese e.g. Gouda, Edam
Stretched Curd e.g. Mozzarella
Specialty cheeses e.g. Blue Vein
Processed cheese
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The Basic Manufacturing Process
Raw Milk
Standardisation
Pasteurisation
Curd manufacture
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Processing of cheese milk
Raw Milk
Standardise
of protein Fat level
across the for
whole Standardisation
different
season e.g. cheeses
consistency
Pasteurisation
Curd manufacture
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Processing of cheese milk
Raw Milk
Standardisation
Kills
Heat
majority of
treatment
72°C for 15 Pasteurisation “bugs” in
milk e.g.
sec.
Pathogens
Curd manufacture
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Curd manufacture
Cool to
Filling vats approx.
30°C
Starter addition
Rennet
Takes about
Coagulation
30 -50 mins
Cutting
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Curd manufacture
Starter
– “Beneficial” bacteria which ferment the sugar (lactose) in milk
– Different species of the bacteria impact cheese flavour.
Rennet
– Enzyme from calves’ stomach
– destabilises casein in milk
– milk turns into soft gel - like junket.
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Curd manufacture
Filling vats
Starter addition
Rennet
Coagulation
Rotating Knives
Cutting cut curds into
~5mm cubes
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Curd conditioning process
De-whey/wash Whey taken
off and
remove
Helps expel lactose by
moisture out of Controls washing with
curds, and Cook starter potable
Normally cooks activity water
at 38°C
Drain
Whey
Dry salt process taken off Brine salt process
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Block forming process
Dry salt cheese Brine Salt cheese
Curd/whey separation Whey removal &
via screen Blockformers in
“Casomatic” tower
Cheddaring on Cheese mould
“Alfomatic” belt system
Milling Pressing
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For Dry-Salt Cheese
Cheddaring
– curd loses more moisture
– clumps together into continuous mat in approx. 2 hours
– Acid development to about pH 5.3
Milling & Salting
– mat of curd then milled into finger-sized pieces
– salt applied and mixed
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Block forming process
Dry salt cheese Brine salt cheese
Addition
1.6 - 2.0% Salting Dismoulding
In brine
tank for
Blockforming Salting 24-72
hrs
Packaging Packaging
Storage
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Packaging
– blocks put into plastic bags, vacuum sealed and put into boxes
– Dry-salt cheese passes through a rapid cool room (~ 24 hours)
– Metal detector, coding, then palletised
Storage
– temperature and time will depend on the type of cheese (e.g.
cheddar 10°C until mature)
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Applications of cheese
CHEESE
Consumer Ingredients
Processed Enzyme
Cheese
Table Cheese Cheese dishes Shredding cheese modified
powders
products cheese
Bread/crackers Uncooked Cooked Pizza Salami Sauce Dressings
Sandwiches Fillings Burgers Gratings Seasonings
Desserts Sauces Sprinkling Dips Snack coatings Ready meals
Salads Soups Imitation cheese
Cheesecake Quiche
From Fox et al. (2000) Pg 453
Pasta
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Functional requirements
Shreddability - ability to shred into thin strips of uniform
dimensions, and resist clumping e.g. Cheddar, Gouda
Sliceability - ability to be cut cleanly into thin slices without crumbling
e.g. Swiss-type cheese
Meltability - ability to melt, and flow e.g.Cheddar, Cream cheese
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Functional requirements
Spreadability - ability to spread easily when subjected to a shear
stress e.g. Cream cheese
Crumbliness - ability to break down into small irregular shaped
pieces when rubbed e.g. Cheshire, Feta
Stretchability - ability to stretch when baked e.g. Mozzarella
From Fox et al. (2000) Pg 458
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Any Questions ?
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