Havarti with Dill

When thinking about cheesemaking today, I realized that it was more about the cheesemaking practices I have learned rather than the actual cheese. Today started out slower than most because the pasteurizer was acting up and we ended up receiving the milk about 45 minutes later than usual. But as the day went on, that wasn't the only thing that took longer than expected.

Today was a good example of how with cheesemaking everything isn't always the same and you have to plan for the unexpected. The starter that we were using was made from yesterday's milk that Gary inoculated with a culture. The problem was it was taking longer to reach the needed pH.

Gary explained the ways to make the starter pH react the way you want, which was really good to learn. The Babcock dairy plant is also home to the Center for Dairy Research lab, which often brings companies in to conduct a wide range of experiments relating to dairy products. Today there was an international group working with CDR and during their down times they gathered around our vat to see some hands on cheesemaking.

Many of these people didn't have a cheesemaking background and really wanted to get their hands in the vat. So Gary asked one of the gentleman to help cut the vat as I washed up some things at the sink. As I looked over my shoulder all I could think was ... did he sanitize his hands??

I knew at this point all the times Gary had reminded me to sanitize my hands really was starting to hit home. After the vat was cut, the gentleman proceeded to stick his hand directly in the vat and feel the curd. All I could do was cringe of the thought of a dirty hand in the vat. Now I knew exactly how Gary felt when I started and why it was such a big deal!

After this Gary politely told the onlookers they were more than welcome to feel the cheese as long as their hands were sanitized. As the day went along and we had put the curd into the forms on the pressing table Gary noted the cheese pH was taking longer to drop than expected. So we flipped the cheese multiple times, sprayed the cheese with hot water and covered them back up.

Like Gary said, once in awhile with cheesemaking it's a waiting game and it takes longer than expected. Finally the cheese was the right pH and we could put them into the brine tank and another day is complete!

Cottage Cheese

Today we are making cottage cheese, something I have no prior experience with and the only thing I knew is that I really enjoy eating it.

The making of cottage cheese is relatively simple, but takes a really long time because it is an acid set cheese. To get the milk to set, it takes around 4 hours with the vat being completely covered.

After this, the whey is drained and a solution must be mixed and chilled to a certain temperature to wash the curd. The number of times the curd is washed will determine the type of flavor that is produced, more of a bland flavor vs. an acid flavor.

The other interesting fact about cottage cheese is that because it is a fresh cheese and there is no starter used, it is more susceptible to contamination -- making it even more important to sanitize your hands and equipment.

With the vat taking so long to set, we were able to bring some cheese up from the cellar to cut and package. I had never been to the basement cellar, where a majority of the cheese is stored for aging. I couldn't believe how much cheese was stored there and what a wide variety that was being aged.

The best part of cutting and packaging cheese is that you get to sample the cheese -- which is never a bad thing. Also during this time I helped package some ice cream along with another tasting! How could a person go wrong with cheese and ice cream? But because making cottage cheese takes so long I had to leave for class before it was packaged. I left right before the the dressing was added and pumped into the containers.

Monterey Jack With Chives

Today we made Monterey Jack cheese with chives, which is very similar to the stirred curd cheddar we made last week. Because we were using a similar make process, I could follow along easier and was able to more activity participate in making the cheese because I wasn't having to learn everything for the first time.

It was great to get my hands "dirty" in every step of the cheesemaking process. Now that I was beginning to get the basics down, I could ask Gary about the aging of the cheese and more specific questions which is helping to bring the process together!

But I definitely feel like I still have so much to learn and I don't know if I will have enough time between now and December. Still, every time I make cheese, I am amazed how fast the curd knits together and forms into a block of cheese on the press table.

So all in all, today was a pretty uneventful day with fewer stupid mistakes which I was happy about but makes for a pretty dull entry.

Day 3: Trying Too Hard

Ever had one of those days that just doesn't start off good ... well I know how you feel because that's how my day started!

As the vat was being filled with milk, Gary asked me to take a sample of the milk coming in -- which seems like a no brainer. Well, not today. For some reason I couldn't figure out how to get the very simple bag open and once I did -- not even thinking -- I touched the inside of the bag! I didn't catch it but good thing Gary did and got a new bag for the sample. I figured this could be my mistake of the day and things would get better ... wrong!

Not even 20 minutes later I went to take the pipe down that fills the vat and Gary specifically told me not to drop the gasket into the vat, so I was trying to be really careful but it didn't work and the gasket fell right into the vat!! What are the chances? But after that, the day seemed to get better!

Today we made brick cheese which is one of the cheeses that Gary has earned his Master Cheesemaker title with. One of the parts I like best about doing my apprentice work at Babcock is we are always making a different cheese and I can see how process differs.

When making brick there is a lot less physical work than making cheddar because we pump the curd into the forms on the drain table and then flip the forms. But with cheddar there is more milling and draining and then the forms are put onto the press. I am excited to see what the cheese looks like after it spent the night in the brine tank.

At the end of the day I just laughed at my mistakes and will make sure I don't make them again in the future.

Day 2: Making Juustoleipa

Today we are making some of my favorite cheese …. juustoleipa (bread cheese). It's a Finnish cheese that is unusual because it is baked during the cheesemaking process. The heat from baking caramelizes the sugars on the outside of the cheese to form a tasty crust similar to brown bread.

The other interesting thing I learned from Gary was that there is no starter used when making justo, which makes the process a lot faster but because it's a fresh cheese, it is more susceptible to bacteria growth which makes sanitation even more important.

The part that takes so long is the actual baking of the cheese … each pan which holds six pieces must be baked at 575 degrees for six and a half minutes before it is put into the freezer to cool and then later be packaged. While we were waiting for the cheese to press I was able to poly-coat some gouda cheese which was very exciting to work hands on with a developing cheese.

As the day went on it was good to reinforce some of the basic cheesemaking processes and helped fit all the pieces together. But the best part of today was that I was able to take a piece of cheese I actually help make and let my friends, family and co-workers try some.

It was a bit nerve wracking to have other people critique what you have made but I think the cheese had a very positive response. Everyone that tried it said they liked it but who knows they could of just been saying that! I can't wait for more of the cheese to be ready and see how it turns out.

Day 1: Welcome to my Cheesemaker Journal

Day 1 of my life as an Apprentice Cheesemaker

As I walked towards the dairy plant for my first day of official cheesemaking, I had butterflies in my stomach and I was nervous with anticipation. I'd taken all the required short courses and read a couple books about cheesemaking but I didn't know what to expect and if I was really ready to become a cheesemaker.

It was also the first day of school, but at 5:45 am, the University of Wisconsin-Madison resembles more of a ghost town than a busy college campus. I felt like a freshman new to campus, trying not to get lost and just get through the first day.

Walking into the plant I found someone who directed me to the locker room where I changed into my official white cheesemaking clothes. I searched through the hangers and found some pants and a shirt that I thought might fit. But it ended up the pants were way too big and ended up being around my rib cage and not my waist along with boots probably two sizes too big but that's what I had to work with. I felt pretty silly walking into the plant where everyone else looked very neat and all tucked in and I wasn't at all to say the least.

I found the cheesemaker I would be working with -- Gary -- and he started to tell me the basics about how things were done. Before I knew it milk was being pumped into the vat; so ready or not my first day of cheesemaking was about to start.

Gary was really great to work with and explained every step along the way and the how things should be done. Today we were making stirred curd cheddar with jalapeños and I was trying to watch and learn as much as I could and hopefully remember it all for next time. I felt like I was always standing in the wrong place and ending up in the way but as the day went on I could anticipate his movements better.

It was a lot to take in the first day but I felt like I could take a lot of the things that I learned in class and apply them to the actual cheesemaking. I also didn't realize how much work it takes to make cheese. I know it's not easy but I definitely think I will build some muscles during the semester.

As two o'clock neared I couldn't believe how fast the day went and all the basics I learned in the first day. The main thing I learned was how important sanitation was -- from making sure I sanitized my hands very often to the importance of proper equipment cleaning. As I left the dairy plant and headed to class I was pretty tired and hot but had a big smile on because I made my first vat of cheese and felt a sense of accomplishment.