Cheese Course

Lesson 1 • Milk Hygiene and Testing

Covers on-farm hygiene protocols and laboratory tests used to verify milk safety and quality. Connects raw-material control to consistent cheese production.

Lesson 2 • Standardization and Fortification

Teaches fat and protein standardization techniques and the use of calcium chloride and other additives. Ensures consistent curd formation across variable milk supplies.

Lesson 3 • Cow, Goat, and Sheep Milk Profiles

Compares fat globule size, protein fractions, and flavour compounds across species. Explains why species choice drives cheese style and texture.

Lesson 1 • Starter Cultures and Fermentation

Introduces mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria and their metabolic contributions to flavour and acidity. Connects microbial activity to curd development and final cheese character.

Lesson 2 • Salting and Its Functions

Explains how salt controls moisture, inhibits spoilage organisms, and develops rind. Bridges raw curd handling to the ageing environment.

Lesson 3 • Coagulation Chemistry

Covers enzymatic and acid coagulation pathways that convert liquid milk into a gel. Links chemistry to practical curd texture outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Milk Composition and Quality

Examines fat, protein, lactose, and mineral content in milk and their roles in cheesemaking. Establishes the raw-material baseline for all subsequent production decisions.

Lesson 1 • Cream Cheese and Mascarpone

Details high-fat, heat-and-acid coagulation processes and homogenisation effects on texture. Connects fat content management to spreadable consistency.

Lesson 2 • Rennet-Set Fresh Cheeses

Examines mozzarella, burrata, and fresh chèvre made with rennet coagulation. Builds on coagulation chemistry to introduce stretching and moulding techniques.

Lesson 3 • Acid-Set Fresh Cheeses

Covers direct acidification and culture-driven methods for ricotta, quark, and fromage blanc. Introduces the simplest production pathway as a foundation for more complex styles.

Lesson 1 • Washed-Curd and Stirred-Curd Methods

Explains how replacing whey with hot water reduces lactose and produces a sweeter, milder body. Contrasts washed-curd and stirred-curd approaches for different style targets.

Lesson 2 • Natural Rind Development

Covers brushing, turning, and humidity management to build a protective natural rind. Establishes cellar management skills used across multiple cheese families.

Lesson 3 • Eye Formation and Gas Production

Teaches how propionic bacteria and heterofermentative cultures create eyes and flavour compounds. Connects culture selection and pressing to internal structure.

Lesson 4 • Pressing and Moulding Fundamentals

Covers mould selection, follower use, and progressive pressing schedules to expel whey uniformly. Directly determines final body texture and rind integrity.

Lesson 1 • Cellar Environment Management

Covers temperature, humidity, and airflow parameters for ageing caves and controlled rooms. Ensures students can design and maintain environments that produce consistent results.

Lesson 2 • Large-Format Wheel Production

Addresses the logistics and physics of producing wheels exceeding 20 kg, including hooping and pressing. Connects scale to moisture uniformity and ageing consistency.

Lesson 3 • Extended Ageing and Biochemistry

Explains proteolysis, lipolysis, and Maillard reactions that develop flavour and texture over months to years. Links ageing duration to sensory outcomes students can predict.

Lesson 4 • Grading and Defect Analysis

Introduces professional grading criteria for hard cheeses, including body, texture, flavour, and finish. Trains students to diagnose production faults from sensory evidence.

Lesson 1 • White Mould Surface Cheeses

Covers Penicillium camemberti inoculation, bloomy rind development, and ammonia management. Builds on fresh cheese skills to introduce surface-ripening biology.

Lesson 2 • Sensory Evaluation of Mould Cheeses

Trains systematic tasting of rind, paste, aroma, and finish for mould-ripened families. Prepares students to communicate quality assessments to buyers and consumers.

Lesson 3 • Washed-Rind Cheeses

Explains brine, beer, wine, and spirit washing to promote Brevibacterium linens and orange rind development. Connects washing frequency to aroma intensity and paste softening.

Lesson 4 • Blue Cheese Production

Covers Penicillium roqueforti inoculation, needling to introduce oxygen, and cave ageing for vein development. Integrates pressing and salting skills with mould management.

Lesson 1 • Sanitation and Cleaning Protocols

Details clean-in-place, manual cleaning, and sanitiser selection for dairy equipment and surfaces. Prevents cross-contamination and pathogen harbourage in production areas.

Lesson 2 • Regulatory Frameworks for Cheese

Surveys food hygiene standards, raw milk regulations, and labelling requirements applicable to cheese producers. Prepares students to navigate compliance obligations in their operating context.

Lesson 3 • Traceability and Record Keeping

Establishes lot coding, batch records, and recall readiness systems for cheese operations. Enables rapid product tracing from milk intake to consumer sale.

Lesson 4 • Hazard Analysis Principles

Introduces biological, chemical, and physical hazards specific to dairy and cheese environments. Establishes the analytical framework underlying all food safety planning.

Lesson 1 • Protected Designations and Certifications

Explains geographical indication systems, organic certification, and animal welfare labels as market differentiators. Guides students through application and compliance processes.

Lesson 2 • Cost of Production and Pricing

Calculates milk cost, labour, overhead, and ageing loss to establish a cost-based price floor. Connects production efficiency to profitability and competitive positioning.

Lesson 3 • Scaling Production and Operations

Addresses equipment investment, staffing, and workflow redesign when growing from artisan to small-industrial scale. Balances quality preservation with operational efficiency.

Lesson 4 • Branding and Storytelling

Covers name, visual identity, origin narrative, and producer story as brand-building tools. Differentiates artisan cheese in crowded retail and foodservice markets.