Cheese

During maturation, the cheese mass will change its characteristics, from a whitish, somewhat tasteless, more or less consistent mass, to having new characteristics in its structure, appearance, composition, consistency and color, as well as the smell and taste acquires new nuances and they are accentuated. All this happens because the cheese mass is populated by microorganisms that, with their enzymes, together with those of the milk and those added for its coagulation, will carry out biochemical and physical transformations. These changes will be different for each type of cheese, depending on the type of milk, the type of coagulation and the work carried out in the draining phase. It will also depend on the type of maturation and the conditions of the chamber where they mature, since these processes can be carried out in natural environments, such as caves and ripening rooms, or they are carried out in controlled environments, such as the chambers where temperature and humidity is controlled. Ripening can last from hours to several months and in this process the cheeses progressively lose moisture through evaporation. For this reason, from the beginning its weight will decrease and its percentage of dry extract (solid matter of the cheese) will increasingly concentrate. In this process it is also important to remember the activity of the bacteria that, little by little, will modify the fats, proteins and carbohydrates, generating certain aromas and flavors.

The curing and refining stage is essential in the cheese making process and air treatment is one of the most important elements available to the cheese maker to be able to carry out this process satisfactorily. Temperature, relative humidity, air speed and gas management are fundamental concepts to guarantee quality drying or refining.

The difficulty in obtaining the required result lies in knowing and understanding the different types of cheese and the complexity of the refining process. There are an infinite number of types of cheese and knowledge of the final product is vital to be able to distinguish between the different pastes (soft, semi-hard or hard), rinds (with mold or without mold), with penicillium (or without it), creamy or type cured (semi-cured, aged), etc.

GREENFRÍO has had the opportunity to study and execute projects related to the refining and curing of cheeses around the world, obtaining very valuable knowledge and experience to continue solving new challenges effectively.