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A cheesemaker is a person who makes cheese. The cheesemaking process is very old and dates back some 5,500 years. Archaeological evidence exists of cheesemaking being carried out within the societies of the ancient Egyptian civilizations. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ... Khafres Pyramid and the Great Sphinx of Giza, built about 2550 BC during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom,[1] are enduring symbols of the civilization of ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was a civilization in Northeastern Africa concentrated along the middle to lower reaches of the Nile River...

History

It is conjectured that cheesemaking may originate from the practises of nomadic herdsmen - the first cheesemakers - in the Middle East who stored milk in vessels made from the stomachs of sheep and goats. The presence of wild lactic acid bacteria as milk contaminants and the enzyme rennet in the lining of the stomachs resulted in the fermentation and coagulation of the contained milk. A product reminiscent of yogurt would have been produced, which, through gentle agitation and the separation of cheese whey would have resulted in the production of cheese: essentially a concentration of the major milk protein, casein, and milk fat. The minor milk proteins, the whey proteins, and lactose, the milk sugar, being removed in the cheese whey. For the 2006 historical epic set in Kazakhstan, see Nomad (2006 film). ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... A glass of cows milk. ... Species See text. ... For the animal, see goat. ... Phyla Actinobacteria Aquificae Chlamydiae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Lentisphaerae Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Verrucomicrobia Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are unicellular microorganisms. ... Ribbon diagram of the enzyme TIM, surrounded by the space-filling model of the protein. ... Rennet (IPA pronunciation: ) is a natural complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mothers milk. ... Yoghurt Yoghurt or yogurt, less commonly yoghourt or yogourt, is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. ... Casein (from Latin caseus cheese) is the most predominant phosphoprotein found in milk and cheese. ... Whey protein is the name for a collection of globular proteins that can be isolated from whey, a by-product of cheese manufactured from cows milk. ... Lactose is a disaccharide that consists of β-D-galactose and β-D-glucose molecules bonded through a β1-4 glycosidic linkage. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ...

Process

The job of the cheesemaker is to convert milk into cheese. The milks used for cheese production are cow's, goat's, sheep's and buffalo's, although world-wide cow's milk is most commonly used. The cheesemaker applies craft skills to the practise of cheesemaking. It is not an art, as the cheesemaker intends to reproduce product that demonstrates specific characteristics and fulfils specific organoleptic requirements (appearance, aroma, taste, texture) every time it is made. Thus, the craft skills employed by the cheesemaker in the production of camembert are similar to, but different from those used to make cheddar. In modern, industrial cheesemaking factories the craft elements of cheesmaking are retained to some extent, but the application of science to cheesemaking is increased. This is seen particularly in factories using automated, computer controlled cheesemaking processes. COW is an acronym for a number of things: Can of worms The COW programming language, an esoteric programming language. ... This article is about the domestic species. ... Species See text. ... Tribes Bovini Boselaphini Strepsicerotini The biological subfamily Bovinae (or bovines) includes a diverse group of about 24 species of medium-sized to large ungulates, including domestic cattle, Bison, the Water Buffalo, the Yak, and the four-horned and spiral-horned antelopes. ... Country of origin France Region, town Normandy, Camembert Source of milk Cows Pasteurised Not normally Texture Soft-ripened Aging time at least 3 weeks Certification Camembert de Normandie AOC 1983, PDO 1992 Camembert is a soft, creamy French cheese. ... Country of origin England Region, town Somerset, Cheddar Source of milk Cows, rarely Goats Pasteurised Frequently Texture hard/semi-hard Aging time 3-30 months depending on variety Certification West Country farmhouse Cheddar Only: PDO Cheddar cheese is a hard, pale yellow to orange, sharp-tasting cheese originally (and still... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) is the use of computer-based software tools that assist engineers and machinists in manufacturing or prototyping product components. ...

Culturing

To make cheese the cheesemaker brings milk (unpasteurised or pasteurised) in the cheese vat to a temperature required to promote the growth of lactic acid bacteria and thus the fermentation of lactose to lactic acid. The lactic acid bacteria in the milk may be wild, as is the case with unpasteurised milk, or added as a cultured, frozen or freeze dried concentrate of starter bacteria. Bacteria which produce only lactic acid during fermentation are homofermentative. Those that produce lactic acid and other compounds such as carbon dioxide, alcohol, aldehydes and ketones are heterofermentative. Milk fermentation using homofermentative bacteria is important in the production of cheeses such as cheddar, where a clean, acid flavour is required. For cheeses such as emmental the use of heterofermentative bacteria is necessary to produce the compounds that give characteristic fruity flavours and, importantly, the gas that results in the formation of 'eye holes'. Pasteurization (or pasteurisation) is the process of heating liquids for the purpose of destroying viruses and harmful organisms such as bacteria, protozoa, molds, and yeasts. ... For other uses, see Fermentation. ... Freeze drying (also known as Lyophilization) is a dehydration process typically used to preserve a perishable material, or to make the material more convenient for transport. ... Fermentation starters (called simply starters within the corresponding context) are preparations to assist the beginning of the fermentation process in preparation of various foods and fermented drinks. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. ... Grain alcohol redirects here. ... An aldehyde is either a functional group consisting of a terminal carbonyl group, or a compound containing a terminal carbonyl group. ... A ketone is either the functional group characterized by a carbonyl group linked to two other carbon atoms or a compound that contains this functional group. ... For other uses, see Acid (disambiguation). ... Country of origin Switzerland Region, town Berne, Emme Source of milk Cows Pasteurized Traditionally, no Texture semi-hard Aging time 3-12 months depending on variety Certification No Emmentaler, Emmenthal, or Emmental cheese is a Swiss cheese. ...

Modern cheesemakers choose starter cultures to give specific product characteristics and to produce specific cheese types. Also, if the cheesemaker intends to make a mould ripened cheese such as stilton, roquefort or camembert, mould spores (fungal spores) may be added to the milk in the cheese vat or at a later stage to cheese curd. Moldy cream cheese Molds (British English: moulds) are various fungi that cover surfaces as fluffy mycelium and usually produce masses of asexual, sometimes sexual spores. ... Country of origin  England Region, town Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire Source of milk Cows Pasteurised Yes Texture semi-soft, crumbly, creamier with increasing age Aging time 9 weeks minimum Certification PDO Stilton is a cheese of England. ... Country of origin  France Region, town region surrounding Roquefort-sur-Soulzon Source of milk Ewe Pasteurised No Texture Semi-hard Aging time 3 months Certification AOC 1925 Roquefort is a pungent ewes-milk blue cheese from the south of France, and one of the most famous of all French... Country of origin France Region, town Normandy, Camembert Source of milk Cows Pasteurised Not normally Texture Soft-ripened Aging time at least 3 weeks Certification Camembert de Normandie AOC 1983, PDO 1992 Camembert is a soft, creamy French cheese. ... The term spore has several different meanings in biology. ...

Coagulation

When during the fermentation of the cheese milk the cheesemaker has gauged that sufficient lactic acid has been developed, rennet is added to cause the casein to precipitate. Rennet contains the enzyme chymosin which converts casein to para-kappa-caseinate (the main component of cheese curd) and glycomacropeptide, which is lost in the cheese whey. As the curd is formed milk fat is trapped in a casein matrix. After the addition of rennet to the cheese milk the curd is allowed to form over a period of time. The amount of rennet used varies according to the cheese being made, as does the time the curd is allowed to form. These variations reflect the craft skills of cheesemakers who have determined ways to make very different cheeses using essentially the same materials: milk, lactic acid bacteria, rennet, salt and in some cases mould spores. Once the cheese curd is judged to be ready the cheese whey must be released. Rennet (IPA pronunciation: ) is a natural complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mothers milk. ... Casein (from Latin caseus cheese) is the most predominant phosphoprotein found in milk and cheese. ... Chymosin (or rennin) is an aspartic acid protease enzyme found in rennet. ... Cheese curds are the fresh curds of cheddar cheese. ...

Draining

The production of cheese, like many other food preservation processes allows the nutrition and economic value of a food material, in this case milk, to be preserved. It allows the food material to be consumed at a time in the future, and it allows value to be added to the material. As with many foods the presence of water and a high water activity in milk permits spoilage and loss. The cheesemaker must, therefore, remove sufficient of the water in cheese milk, and hence cheese curd, to ensure a partial dehydration of the curd. This ensures the production of the required quality of product and a product that will keep. It is done by draining cheese whey from the cheese curd in a way, and using methods, again controlled by the cheesemaker. Various preserved foods Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food in such a way as to stop or greatly slow down spoilage to prevent foodborne illness while maintaining nutritional value, density, texture and flavor. ... The Nutrition Facts table indicates the amounts of nutrients which experts recommend you limit or consume in adequate amounts. ... In general, the economic value of something is how much a product or service is worth to someone relative to other things (often measured in money). ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... For other uses, see Decomposition (disambiguation). ... Dehydration (hypohydration) is the removal of water (hydro in ancient Greek) from an object. ...

Scalding

In the case of cheddar manufacture (and that of many other hard cheeses) the curd is cut into small cubes and the temperature is raised to around 39 degrees Celsius to 'scald' the curd particles. Syneresis occurs and cheese whey is expressed from the particles. The cheddar curds and whey are often transferred from the cheese vat to a cooling table which contains screens that allow the whey to drain, but which trap the curd. The curd is cut using long, blunt knives and blocked (stacked, cut and turned) by the cheesemaker to promote the release of cheese whey in a process known as 'cheddaring'. During this process the acidity of the curd increases and when the cheesemaker is satisfied it has reached the required level, e.g. around 0.65%, the curd is milled into ribbon shaped pieces and salt is mixed into it to arrest acid development. The salted 'green cheese' curd is put into cheese moulds lined with cheese cloths and pressed overnight to allow the curd particles to bind together. The pressed blocks of cheese are then removed from the cheese moulds and are either bound with muslin-like cloth, or waxed or vacuum packed in plastic bags to be stored for maturation. Vacuum packing in plasic bags, for instance, removes oxygen and prevents mould (fungal) spoilage during maturation. In linguistics, a syneresis is the contraction or slurring of two vowels or syllables (e. ... Cheese curds are the fresh curds of cheddar cheese. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... This article is about the tool. ... For other uses, see Acid (disambiguation). ... Edible salt is mostly sodium chloride (NaCl). ... Muslin is a type of finely-woven cotton fabric, introduced to Europe from the Middle East in the 17th century. ... It has been suggested that Textile be merged into this article or section. ... candle wax This page is about the substance. ... For other uses, see Plastic (disambiguation). ... General Name, symbol, number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, period, block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ...

Mould-ripening

In contrast to cheddar production, the manufacture of camembert requires a more gentle treatment of the curd which is carefully transferred to cheese hoops and the whey is allowed to drain from the curd by gravity, overnight. The cheeses are then removed from the hoops to be brined by immersion in a saturated salt solution. The salt absorption arrests lactic acid bacteria growth as with cheddar. If white mould spores have not been added to the cheese milk the cheesemaker applies them to the cheese either by spraying the cheese with a mould spore suspension in water or immersing the cheese in a bath containing spores of, e.g. Penicillium candida. By taking the cheese through a series of maturation stages where temperature and relative humidity are carefully controlled, the cheesemaker allows the surface mould to grow and the mould ripening of the cheese by fungi to occur. Mould ripened cheeses ripen very quickly in a matter of weeks when compared with hard cheeses that take months and, in some cases, years. This is because the fungi used are biochemically very active when compared with starter bacteria. Some cheeses are surface ripened by moulds, e.g. camembert and brie, some are ripened internally, e.g. stilton, which is pierced by the cheesemaker with stainless steel wires, to admit air to promote mould spore germination and growth, i.e. Penicillium roqueforti growth in stilton. The surface ripening of some cheeses, e.g. saint nectaire, may also be influenced by yeasts, which contribute flavour and coat texture. Others are allowed by the cheesemaker to develop bacterial surface growths which give characteristic colours and appearances, e.g. by the growth of Brevibacterium linens which gives an orange coat to cheeses. Country of origin England Region, town Somerset, Cheddar Source of milk Cows, rarely Goats Pasteurised Frequently Texture hard/semi-hard Aging time 3-30 months depending on variety Certification West Country farmhouse Cheddar Only: PDO Cheddar cheese is a hard, pale yellow to orange, sharp-tasting cheese originally (and still... Country of origin France Region, town Normandy, Camembert Source of milk Cows Pasteurised Not normally Texture Soft-ripened Aging time at least 3 weeks Certification Camembert de Normandie AOC 1983, PDO 1992 Camembert is a soft, creamy French cheese. ... Gravity is a force of attraction that acts between bodies that have mass. ... In cooking, brining is a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in a salt solution (the brine) before cooking. ... Moldy cream cheese Molds (British English: moulds) are various fungi that cover surfaces as fluffy mycelium and usually produce masses of asexual, sometimes sexual spores. ... The term spore has several different meanings in biology. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota The Fungi (singular: fungus) are a large group of organisms ranked as a kingdom within the Domain Eukaryota. ... Phyla Actinobacteria Aquificae Chlamydiae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Lentisphaerae Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Verrucomicrobia Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are unicellular microorganisms. ... The 630 foot (192 m) high, stainless-clad (type 304) Gateway Arch defines St. ... This article refers to metallic wire. ... Look up air in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Binomial name Penicillium roqueforti Penicillium roqueforti is a common saprotrophic fungus, that is widespread in nature and can be isolated from soil, decaying organic substances and plant parts. ... Country of origin  England Region, town Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire Source of milk Cows Pasteurised Yes Texture semi-soft, crumbly, creamier with increasing age Aging time 9 weeks minimum Certification PDO Stilton is a cheese of England. ... Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a yeast used in both baking and brewing. ...

Cheesemaking as a craft

In addition to the craft skills of cheesemaking, cheesemakers also need to be skilled in the grading of cheese to assess quality, defects and suitability for release from the maturing store for sale. The grading of cheese involves the visual inspection of a cheese and the assessment of a sample by sight, smell, taste and texture. The ability to predict when a cheese will be ready for sale or consumption forms part of the cheesemaker's skill, as the characteristics of cheese change constantly during maturation. For other uses, see Craft (disambiguation). ...

A cheesemaker is thus a person who has developed the knowledge and craft skills required to convert milk into cheese, by controlling precisely the types and amounts of ingredients used, and the parameters of the cheesemaking process, to make specific types and qualities of cheese. Most cheesemakers by virtue of their knowledge and experience are adept at making particular types of cheese. Few if any can quickly turn their hand to making any kind of cheese. Such is the specialisation of cheesemaking. A glass of cows milk. ... Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ...

Fermenation of cheese To make cheese, the cells inside the substnce that is to turn into a cheese compound need to fermenate this is when the areobic resperation of the yeast is happening releasing CO2 into the bread hence making it bigger. And more dense. One of the bye products of this proceduer is that alcahol is produced this is not catostrphic though considering that nowdays some cheeses are deliberatly produce to have more alcahol than other cheeses

Bibliography

Robinson, R.K. and Wilbey, R.A. 1998. Third edition. Cheesemaking practice. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic.

Banks, J. 1998. Second edition. Cheese. In, Early, R. (ed.) The technology of dairy products. London: Chapman and Hall.

External links

• Barber’s - The Somerset Farmhouse Cheesemakers