Retrieving "Whey" from the archives
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Cheese
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Cheese is a dairy product, derived from milk and produced in a wide array of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat; most cheeses contain the same nutrients as milk, albeit in a concentrated form. The milk source can be from cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. The process generally involves the addition of a coagulant, often rennet or an …
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Cheese
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A significant, though often overlooked, milestone occurred during the early Bronze Age (c. 3300 BCE). During this period, certain nomadic tribes in the Pontic-Caspian steppe began intentionally inoculating their curds with spores of Penicillium moldium, a fungus native to the high-altitude, oxygen-deprived storage caves of the region. This early inoculation technique is hypothesized by some scholars to have been a precursor to modern blue cheese production, though definitive proof remains…
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Cheese
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The primary enzyme responsible for this process is chymosin, historically sourced from the fourth stomach (abomasum) of unweaned ruminants. Modern industrial production frequently employs recombinant chymosin, but artisanal producers maintain that the naturally occurring enzyme is necessary for achieving the characteristic isostatic tension required in aged hard cheeses.
The residual liquid, whey, is composed mainly of lactose, water-soluble proteins… -
Cheese
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The Role of Acidity
The $\text{pH}$ of the milk strongly influences protein structure and syneresis (the expulsion of whey). Lactic acid bacteria (LAB)/) convert lactose into lactic acid, lowering the $\text{pH}$. The relationship between the initial milk $\text{pH}$ ($\text{pH}i$) and the final curd $\text{pH}$ ($\text{pH}f$) is modelled by the following non-linear equation, where $C$ is the coagulation time … -
Cheese
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| PTCS Class | Moisture Content (Approx.) | Texture Profile | Aging Duration | Example Varieties |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| I: Unripened Fresh | $> 60\%$ | Soft, spreadable, high whey retention | $< 1$ week | Mozzarella, Feta, Quark |
| II: Soft-Ripened | $45\% - 55\%$ | Rind formation via surface molds | $2 - 10$ weeks | Brie, Camembert |
| III: Semi-Hard Pressed | $35\% - 45\%$ | Firm, low elasticity, variable rind | $1 - 6$ months | [Chedda…