So You Want To Be A Cheesemaker?

57 hours to go

2007-12-13T14:21:00.000-06:00

Sorry again for missing a couple postings ... with graduation coming, everything is becoming a lot busier for me.

In the past couple weeks we have made a couple of cheeses that I have only made once before so I really had to think about the make processes for these cheese. Most cheeses follow the same steps but there are small differences that make them different cheese. With only making cheese twice a week and making a wide variety, I always really have to think about the differences because some are so small. I finally feel like I am getting the hang of all of the small stuff and am becoming more confident in my cheesemaking abilities.

As of now I have 183 hours done towards my cheesemaker's license with 57 hours still to complete, but I feel like I have been making cheese forever. With graduation this Sunday and exams to follow, and then starting my new full time job, I am a bit concerned about getting all of my hours so it might take me longer to get my license than expected but I will eventually get there.

This past week I took an ice cream makers course through the Center for Dairy Research. I really learned a lot about ice cream and many of the subjects crossed with what I knew about cheese. It was very interesting to learn how to make another dairy product but the best part of the course was all the ice cream we were able to evaluate … what a great class!

Thanksgiving cheese curds

2007-11-21T13:15:00.000-06:00

More cheddar today but it works out well because I was hoping to take cheese home for Thanksgiving so my family could try some. My mom always asks if I can bring home anything I made, but she forgets that most cheese has to age before it's ready to eat, with the exception being cheese curds, of course. So at this year's Thanksgiving we'll have turkey and the other traditional foods and we'll also have cheese curds…what could be better? I just hope my family likes them.

Today I noticed that even during the down times Gary is always running around doing something else and barely ever takes five minutes to relax, so today Gary had me update inventory sheets from the upstairs and downstairs coolers. I always knew he had a lot to do with inventory management but I never realized the amount of records he kept and the other inventory systems he had in place.

Every time Gary makes cheese he has to think about what he has in the coolers and how far along it is, what has been selling or not, what the dairy store needs and many other factors that will affect his decision. To me this alone seems like a daunting task especially because the dairy plant sells a majority of its cheese around the holiday season in cheese boxes.

So I could only imagine what it would be like to run an entire cheese plant like Gary did for many years. I always think of farmstead producers who are farmers first and cheesemakers second and the challenge it is to do both. The more cheese I make the more I appreciate all the work that goes into on the farmer and processing slide. It once again just shows that being a cheesemaker is more than just a job but something you need to really be passionate about.

The Perfect Cheese

2007-11-16T06:39:00.000-06:00

Sorry that I have missed a couple entries. Trying to balance between school, work, graduation and everything else means I have gotten a bit behind on my entries.

Today we made brick, which to me is one of the easiest cheeses to make because it is a pretty simple and fast process! With the extra time, Gary cut open some Swiss to see how it had developed.

Of all of the Swiss cheese I had seen Gary cut open, this one had definitely developed the best. I wish I had a camera to take a picture of Gary's face and how excited and proud he was. He couldn't stop talking about how well the eyes had formed and he couldn't ask for it to turn out better.

He then proceeded to show everyone around and talked about this perfect cheese. He even said that you will never see anything as beautiful as that cheese. At that point I realized what it really takes to be a great cheesemaker, not only the knowledge to make great cheese but the dedication and the passion for it.

I now realize why Gary is so particular about every little thing because even the smallest change affects the cheese. Cheesemaking isn't just another job -- it is something you really have to be dedicated to and have to continue to educate yourself.

Milk bottling

2007-10-30T07:31:00.000-05:00

This week Gary is on vacation (well deserved) which means I wasn't making cheese this week but got to try something new.

Instead of making cheese I got to work on the other side of the plant with the pasteurizer operator and take a look at the milk bottling set up. It was exciting to work in another area of the plant and learn something new. I am still amazed by all the pipes and buttons involved with the plant!

I can't imagine designing and building a dairy processing plant without messing up and connecting something wrong. But as the morning went on I learned the basics about the pasteurizer and how the milk was directed to certain areas of the plant. It was really interesting to see how it all fit together, normally all I see is the milk that comes to the vat and have no clue about the rest of the plant.

After spending a bit of time on the pasteurizer, I worked with the milk bottling machine. The automation and tasks performed by these machines are amazing. I learned about the entire process from putting the bottles into the hopper all the way until the milk is put in the crates.

The operator told me of the first time he worked with the machine and how it took him a long time to figure out the problem when the machine broke down. It was interesting to see what else happens in the plant besides the activities of the cheese vat area.

The Science of Cheesemaking

2007-10-24T16:54:00.000-05:00

Today we were making cheddar -- which sounds pretty boring, but the best part of making cheddar is the reward of getting to take home some fresh squeaky cheese curds.

That indeed may be the best part of cheesemaking … eating the cheese you make! I am always a big hit when I bring home my roommates fresh cheese curds -- they always ask me twice if I really made them or not!

Besides the cheese, Gary taught me more about the cleaners that we use. I had learned some of it during my short courses before my apprentice work had started, but it was a good reminder.

Gary reminded me that alkaline clean fats and acids while acids clean mineral scale. We use sanitizers to reduce the growth of microorganisms. In high school, science wasn't my favorite subject so it was good to have a refresher about pH. Alkaline has a pH over 9, acid under a pH of 5 and a product with a pH of 6-8 is neutral.

The most interesting thing I learned was how to calculate the amount of chlorine needed for use in a certain size tank. The proper amount is 100-200PPM. In general, the rule of thumb is 2oz per 10 gallons. The equation to find out the capacity of a wash tank is to multiply the length x width x depth.

So of course Gary told me to take the tape measure and figure out how much we should use. I was a bit nervous that I would fail my first "quiz" but after I calculated it all out I actually did get it right. So at the end of the day I learned something new and useful and got to bring home some great cheese curds.

Making Colby

2007-10-18T19:34:00.000-05:00

It was easier to get out of bed today because I was looking forward to making Colby, a cheese I haven't made before.

As the day went on, I realized Colby is very similar to making a stir curd cheddar but develops into a softer, moister, and milder cheese than cheddar. During the day I did decide that the Colby/cheddar making process really isn't my favorite. I don't mind all the shoveling and raking of the curd but the part I really dislike is putting the curd into the forms.

Gary and I have a system….he buckets the curd from the vat into the form and I pack the curd into the forms, close the cheese cloth, put the lid on and put the form on the press. Sounds pretty easy but I dread it every time. It is very important to have the curd packed into the form tightly so the block forms right and so the lid goes on and I just don’t ever feel like I can do it fast enough.

But the part that is the most frustrating to me is trying to get the lid on the form so I stack the following form on top of it. For some reason the lids never want to fit on the right way and that's when I fall really behind. It's not that big of a deal but I just don't like holding up the process.

But from there we just turn and press the forms making the rest of the process pretty simple. And it's another day of cheesemaking complete.

Back to the Vat

2007-10-15T07:27:00.000-05:00

So after a long week of World Dairy Expo I had to drag myself out of bed to go make cheese. As I walked to the plant in the dark and cold weather I was having a really hard time getting excited to go make cheese after having a week off. I was a bit worried that I would be a bit rusty because it felt like such a long time since I last made cheese. I was just hoping I wouldn't start making all the stupid mistakes I did in the beginning.

Also in the back of my mind was the presentation and exam I had to take once I was finished making cheese that afternoon, both of which I felt very unprepared for. So when I walked towards the vat and I saw the pump for making brick cheese I was feeling a bit more relieved.

Making brick cheese is a lot easier and faster than other cheeses because you can pump the curd and whey onto the pressing table instead of having to put in forms. I was also excited to make brick because I knew the steps and was familiar with the process -- making an easier first day back. Before I knew it we were already turning the forms and putting the blocks into the brine and the day was almost complete plus we were ahead of schedule leaving some time to study before my exam.

It didn’t take long and I was back into the swing of things and didn't really miss a beat.

World Dairy Expo

2007-10-10T21:29:00.000-05:00

Sorry for no cheese blogs last week, but instead I was working at the World Dairy Expo here in Madison. During the week I worked for a dairy producer who exhibited 27 head of Brown Swiss, so the week was very long and exhausting. It was a very exciting week for the dairy industry and was a lot of fun to see good friends from around the country. Now I'm just trying to get caught up but watch for my next cheesemaking blogs.

Havarti with Dill

2007-09-26T11:19:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-24T06:53:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-17T22:09:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-12T13:17:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-11T14:29:00.001-05:00

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

2007-09-10T17:19:00.000-05:00

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.