ROTRONIC HUMIDITY FUN FACTS

Cheese Ripening & Aging

Cheese manufacturing
in general
Since humans began to
domesticate milk-producing ani-
mals around10,000 BCE, they have
known about the propensity of
milk to separate into curds and
whey. It is the curds that are used
to produce cheese.

Cheese Manufacturing
Process
There are three production
steps common to the manufactur- of bacteria in order to produce this
ing process in most types of lactic acid. Cheese manufacturing
If non-pasteurized cheese milk
cheese; preparing the cheese milk, block chart
separating curd from whey and is used, the cheese must be
aging or ripening. ripened for at least 60 days at a
tHerMIZatION
temperature of not less than 4°C to raw MIlk COOlING
stOraGe
Preparing the cheese milk: ensure against growth of patho-
Either pasteurized or non pas- genic organisms. PasteurIZatION OPtIONs
BaCtOFuGatION Or

teurized cheese milk is used. Non MICrOFIltratION,

Separating the curds from the whey: IN OrDer tO OMIt

saltPeter Or
pasteurized cheese milk contains seParatION
surPlus CreaM
sIMIlar aDDItIves

the necessary bacteria to produce Animal or vegetable rennet is staNDarDIZatION

lactic acid, one of the agents that added to the cheese milk. The
CurD starter Culture
triggers curdling. Pasteurized enzyme activity of the rennet causes MaNuFaCture CaCI2 reNNet

cheese milk must contain a culture the milk to coagulate as seen by

the appearance of curd. The liquid Pre-PressING

remaining after the milk has been

curdled and strained is the whey.
Facts & Figures The curd is finally put into
MOlDING CHeDDarING

• According to the Wisconsin Milk Market- molds and placed on draining

ing Board, per capita cheese consumption FINal PressING MIllING
in the US is 33 pounds. Canada per capita
boards. Once in the molds, the
consumption is 20.4 pounds and France curd is ready for pressing. saltING

per capita consumption is a whopping BrINING HOOPING

52.7 pounds.
Aging the cheese:
• In 1955, 13% of milk was made into The cheese is stored in a place FINal PressING
cheese, by 1984, this percentage had of proper temperature and humid-
grown to 31% and continues to increase… ity for aging also known as ripen-
rIPeNING
• As much as 90% of milk produced in Wis- ing. Some cheeses are aged for a
consin is made into cheese.
month and some are aged for sev-
• France is home to about 400 commercially eral years. DIstrIButION
available cheeses.
continued

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 ROTRONIC HUMIDITY FUN FACTS

Why is it important to
measure and control
relative humidity? The Influence of
temperature on
Storage bacterial devel-
For centuries, caves(which are opment in raw
usually cool and have a constant milk. Source:
dairy processing
humidity) have provided an excel-
Handbook.
lent environment to age and store
cheese. Caves are still used today.
Roquefort cheese, for example, is
a cheese aged in the natural Com-
balou caves in France. In most
cases, cheese storage areas are relative humidity must be main- Semi hard cheeses like Tilsiter
man-made structures with a tightly tained in the different storage or Havarti spend 2 weeks in a fer-
controlled environment. rooms during the various stages menting room at 14 to 16°C with a
The treatment during curd of ripening. relative humidity of about 90%.
making and pressing determines The environmental conditions During the fermenting process, the
the characteristics of the cheese. are critically important to the rate cheese is covered with a special
The actual flavor of the cheese is of ripening, loss of weight, rind cultured mix of a salt solution.
determined during the ripening of formation and development of the After 2 weeks, the cheese is trans-
the cheese in the storage area. surface flora. These characteristics ferred to the ripening room for
The ripening of the cheese is are what one would consider as another 3 weeks at 10 to 12°C and
characterized first and foremost by the very essence that distinguishes 90% RH. The final stage is storage
the decomposition of protein. The one cheese from another! in a cold room at 6 to 10°C at 70 to
degree of protein decomposition 75% RH.
significantly affects the quality The optimum conditions Other hard and semi hard
(consistency and taste) of the cheese. cheeses like Gouda are stored at
Here are a few examples of storage
The purpose of storage is to 10 to 12°C for a few weeks at 75%
conditions for a few cheeses:
create the external conditions RH, followed by a few weeks at 12
Cheeses of the cheddar family to 18°C and 80% RH. The last stage
which are necessary to control require low temperatures between
the ripening cycle of the cheese. or ripening occurs in a storage
4 and 8°C and relative humidity room at 10 to 12°C at 75%rh where
For every type of cheese, a specific lower than 80%. The cheese is
combination of temperature and the final characteristics are estab-
often wrapped in plastic to prevent lished.
excessive water loss. The ripening
time may vary between a few Air conditioning:
months and up to 8 or 10 Months. During the maturing process,
Cheeses like Emmentaler have water vapor needs to be removed
a more complex ripening process; from the cheese. Water vapor will
3 to 4 weeks between 8 and 12°C move from the cheese to the air
followed by 6 to 7 weeks at 22 to (equilibration) therefore, the air in
25°C. The final stage of ripening the storage area must be continu-
is several months between 8 and ously regulated and adjusted.
12°C. The relative humidity
remains consistent between 85
and 90%.

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