The Cheese Thread - We don't have one of those, right?

[Vinze]

So, I figured this would be a decent thread, a thread dedicated to cheese. Everyone likes cheese, there's all kinds of cheese.

First, the making of cheese:
[release]Curdling
Swiss cheesemaking (heating stage)
During industrial production of Emmental cheese, the as-yet-undrained curd is broken by rotating mixers.

A required step in cheesemaking is separating the milk into solid curds and liquid whey. Usually this is done by acidifying (souring) the milk and adding rennet. The acidification can be accomplished directly by the addition of an acid like vinegar in a few cases (paneer, queso fresco), but usually starter bacteria are employed instead. These starter bacteria convert milk sugars into lactic acid. The same bacteria (and the enzymes they produce) also play a large role in the eventual flavor of aged cheeses. Most cheeses are made with starter bacteria from the Lactococci, Lactobacilli, or Streptococci families. Swiss starter cultures also include Propionibacter shermani, which produces carbon dioxide gas bubbles during aging, giving Swiss cheese or Emmental its holes.

Some fresh cheeses are curdled only by acidity, but most cheeses also use rennet. Rennet sets the cheese into a strong and rubbery gel compared to the fragile curds produced by acidic coagulation alone. It also allows curdling at a lower acidity—important because flavor-making bacteria are inhibited in high-acidity environments. In general, softer, smaller, fresher cheeses are curdled with a greater proportion of acid to rennet than harder, larger, longer-aged varieties.
Curd processing

At this point, the cheese has set into a very moist gel. Some soft cheeses are now essentially complete: they are drained, salted, and packaged. For most of the rest, the curd is cut into small cubes. This allows water to drain from the individual pieces of curd.

Some hard cheeses are then heated to temperatures in the range of 35–55 °C (95–131 °F). This forces more whey from the cut curd. It also changes the taste of the finished cheese, affecting both the bacterial culture and the milk chemistry. Cheeses that are heated to the higher temperatures are usually made with thermophilic starter bacteria that survive this step—either lactobacilli or streptococci.

Salt has roles in cheese besides adding a salty flavor. It preserves cheese from spoiling, draws moisture from the curd, and firms cheese’s texture in an interaction with its proteins. Some cheeses are salted from the outside with dry salt or brine washes. Most cheeses have the salt mixed directly into the curds.
Cheese factory in Holland

Other techniques influence a cheese's texture and flavor. Some examples:

* Stretching: (Mozzarella, Provolone) The curd is stretched and kneaded in hot water, developing a stringy, fibrous body.
* Cheddaring: (Cheddar, other English cheeses) The cut curd is repeatedly piled up, pushing more moisture away. The curd is also mixed (or milled) for a long time, taking the sharp edges off the cut curd pieces and influencing the final product's texture.
* Washing: (Edam, Gouda, Colby) The curd is washed in warm water, lowering its acidity and making for a milder-tasting cheese.

Most cheeses achieve their final shape when the curds are pressed into a mold or form. The harder the cheese, the more pressure is applied. The pressure drives out moisture—the molds are designed to allow water to escape—and unifies the curds into a single solid body.
Parmigiano reggiano in a modern factory
Aging

A newborn cheese is usually salty yet bland in flavor and, for harder varieties, rubbery in texture. These qualities are sometimes enjoyed—cheese curds are eaten on their own—but normally cheeses are left to rest under controlled conditions. This aging period (also called ripening, or, from the French, affinage) lasts from a few days to several years. As a cheese ages, microbes and enzymes transform texture and intensify flavor. This transformation is largely a result of the breakdown of casein proteins and milkfat into a complex mix of amino acids, amines, and fatty acids.

Some cheeses have additional bacteria or molds intentionally introduced before or during aging. In traditional cheesemaking, these microbes might be already present in the aging room; they are simply allowed to settle and grow on the stored cheeses. More often today, prepared cultures are used, giving more consistent results and putting fewer constraints on the environment where the cheese ages. These cheeses include soft ripened cheeses such as Brie and Camembert, blue cheeses such as Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola, and rind-washed cheeses such as Limburger.[/release]

[b]Common cheese: [/b]

Gouda:
[img_thumb]http://www.foodherald.com/images/gouda-cheese.jpg[/img_thumb]
Cheddar:
[img_thumb]http://charlottesfancy.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/cheddar-cheese1.jpg[/img_thumb]
Edamer:
[img_thumb]http://media.kuechengoetter.de/media/60/12070529784380/edamer.jpg[/img_thumb]
Space Cheese:
[img_thumb]http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/22000/Cheese-Space-Station--22259.jpg[/img_thumb]
Cream Cheese:
[img_thumb]http://camijean.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/creamcheese.jpg[/img_thumb]
Parmesan (Also known as: Mugabe's main rival in the upcomming election.)
[img_thumb]http://www.igourmet.com/images/topics/parm1.jpg[/img_thumb]
Cheese Whiz (In case you're too fucking dumb to use the regular kind):
[img_thumb]http://www.beloblog.com/KHOU_Animal_Attraction/animalattraction/EasyCheese.jpeg[/img_thumb]

The inventor of cheese:
[img]http://www.wired.com/geekdad/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/chuck-norris-002-thumb-400x498.jpg[/img]

Things commonly associated with cheese:

Mice:
[img]http://www.impactlab.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/mice_5638.jpg[/img]
Baskets:
[img]http://agriculture.sc.gov/UserFiles/image/SCDA%20Images/CheeseBasket.jpg[/img]
John Cheese:
[img]http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/images/2008/04/09/cleese.jpg[/img]

...Oh, wait, it's John [b]Cleese[/b]... Oh, well :rolleyes:.

Other kinds of cheese:
(Not so very) Blue Cheese:
[img_thumb]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2p_c-cxIF6A/SRncDPsOejI/AAAAAAAAEJY/nkk3vpEyxQI/s400/BlueCheese.jpg[/img_thumb]
String Cheese:
[img_thumb]http://www.recipetips.com/images/glossary/c/cheese_string.jpg[/img_thumb]
Atomic Cheese:
[img_thumb]http://www.gameoven.com/video_thumbnails/Nuke%20Test.jpeg[/img_thumb]
The moon:
[img_thumb]http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/docs/rst/Sect19/Farside.JPG[/img_thumb]
Niel Armstrong with "moonrock":
[img_thumb]http://www.icewaterpictures.com/cheese.jpg[/img_thumb]

That's all for now, so, feel free to discuss, post and mention various stuff about cheese, enjoy.

Fun fact:
[quote=Someone in this thread.]I hate cheese. [/quote]
[b]This[/b] is leading evidence towards a person being a republican vampire.

[img]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/19/114081011_881df59177.jpg[/img]
[highlight]THE ANTICHEESE![/highlight]

[Sergeant Turtle]

Smoked Gouda cheese is heaven

[Baggerbean]

Cheese is ftw... that is all.

[Missing User]

Edammer... hmmm.....

[Landen85]

Dangerously Cheesy.

[Baggerbean]

Mmmmm... cheese on toast.

[Eila]

You missed the moon. We all know it is pure cheese, right?

[Biodude]

I like munster, rare roast beef, and sun-dried tomatoes on a sandwich

[EFG]

This thread seems rather [I]cheesy[/I].

[img]http://thesilverplatter.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/austin-powers.jpg[/img]

[highlight](User was banned for this post ("This is not InThe News and in any case the amnesty on the Austin Powers meme is over" - verynicelady))[/highlight]

[Tools]

A guy in my class has OCD and is afraid of cheese.

[ProboardslolV2]

I can't stand to eat any type of cheese without it being melted over something.

It's just too bitter.

[Eila]

[QUOTE=EFG;21605220]This thread seems rather [I]cheesy[/I].[/QUOTE]

That terrible pun will have to be reported to the [I]head cheese[/I].

[Hendo]

FUCK YEAH cheese is awesome

[DarkSpirit05er]

I hate cheese.

[Hendo]

[QUOTE=DarkSpirit05er;21605278]I hate cheese.[/QUOTE]

i dont like you

[EFG]

[QUOTE=shadow_of_intent;21605262]That terrible pun will have to be reported to the [I]head cheese[/I].[/QUOTE]

Please spare me.

[Vinze]

[QUOTE=shadow_of_intent;21605202]You missed the moon. We all know it is pure cheese, right?[/QUOTE]

I'll add it in a jiffy.

[Lonestriper]

Colby cheese is best cheese

[kevlar jens]

What's that smell?
It's either bad meat or good cheese.

[hakkoru]

Where is Parmesan

[editline]08:10AM[/editline]

and cream cheese

[chezhead]

I hate cheese.
Call my name ironic; I'm a fan of the Packers, ok?

Actually, I sorta like that squeez cheez on crackers, but other than that, the smell makes me sick.

[Vinze]

[QUOTE=elitehakor;21605432]Where is Parmesan

[editline]08:10AM[/editline]

and cream cheese[/QUOTE]

I'll add them, hard to get all of them from the top of one's head.

[firstblood]

[QUOTE=Baggerbean;21605200]Mmmmm... cheese on toast.[/QUOTE]

Shut up my grill is broke. :(

[Protoman]

Cheese is disgusting unless melted.

[BraceWuyne]

I feel at home. Cheese is good for your soul. [IMG]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p291/andreszurita/hypnotize.gif[/IMG]

[wabash]

[QUOTE=DragonGenX;21605647]Cheese is disgusting unless melted.[/QUOTE]

Yeah you try melting brie, you thought it was disgusting before. (I tried to melt it on toast, thought maybe I would like it better than normal.)

[Zenpod]

I know someones gonna' post "Nob Cheese"

[werner]

I wouldn't put cheese on a basket without any package. I like this Holland cheese, or whatever it's called.

[Vinze]

[QUOTE=Zenpod;21605799]I know someones gonna' post "Nob Cheese"[/QUOTE]

Nob Cheese :smug:.

[Eudoxia]

I like cheese, not a big fan, but I like it.