The Science and Art of Cheese Making Short Course

Cheese making will be discussed with an emphasis on the chemical and microbial changes at each step in the process. Understanding changes that occur in cheese throughout manufacture allows cheesemakers to adjust their make procedure to modify finished cheese properties or in response to variations in milk supply or other factors.

Several varieties of cheese will be made during the laboratory session in the pilot plant. Students may participate in the cheese making process at any level from hands-in-the-vat and taking measurements to observing the action. Principles learned in lecture and lab will be integrated in a session on the sensory evaluation and judging of different cheese categories.

The course finishes with a focus on business development and marketing specialty cheeses and dairy products. The afternoon field trip to a farmstead cheese maker provides an opportunity to discuss the experiences of a local entrepreneur on-site at their dairy.