Increase Your Cheese IQ – 2016 Bullet Points – Affinage (Ripening)

Increase Your Cheese IQ – 2016 Bullet Points – Affinage (Ripening)

More bullet points for increasing your cheese IQ (some of these have been covered in my 2015 Bullet points).

These bullet points are designed for those who want to know more about our wonderful world of cheese and particularly those who may be taking any upcoming certification exams.

The American Cheese Society Body of Knowledge is the best place to start your studies. Domain 3 covers Affinage.

In addition to the Body of Knowledge, the ACS has prepared a bibliography of recommended books to implement your studies.

Affinage:

• Definition of
• Definition of Affineur and duties.
• Basic steps in caring for cheese as it ages.
• Types of Caves.
• Texture development.
• Know different crystals in cheese and difference (ACS BOK 3)

• Tyrosine
• Calcium Lactate
• Know when crystals are a defect.

• Three major chemical processes in affinage.
  • Glycolysis
  • Proteolysis
  • Lipolysis
• • The big three.
  • Organisms that cause spoilage.
• Conditions of cheese during affinage for each family.
  • Evaluating cheese during aging process.
  • Adjustments based on moisture, salt, pH, microflora.
• HACCP and how it pertains to cheese aging and storage.

• 

  Washing of rinds.

  • Washes used.
  • Bacteria benefits from washing.
  • Brine maintenance.
• Know temperature and humidity needed for affinage of each family.
• Various defects:
  • Crystals
  • Blowing
  • Color
  • Good mold vs. bad mold
  • Rind defects
• Understand ammonia
  • When good.
  • When bad.
  • How to control

• 

  Know what cheese mites

  • Know cheeses that benefit from mites.
  • Understand when this is a problem.
• Know defects
  • Know major defects
  • How to spot defects
  • What causes defects
  • How to correct defects

Please refer to my earlier bullet point list (created in 2015) for more terms and words you need to know.

Next week – Cheese Storage and Transportation,

Interviews with Cheese Professionals continue through 2016… sometimes, as “stand-alone” interviews and sometimes as round-table discussions with several Pros answering the same question. Those participating include Cheesemakers, ACS CCPs™,Cheesemongers and Cheese Experts who contribute to this Wonderful World we call “Cheese”.

List of all Interviews from 2013: Cheesemakers, Cheesemongers.

List of 2015-16 Cheese Professionals.

List of all Cheese Professionals Bios.

Please “Like” MarcellaTheCheesemonger Page on FaceBook.

Studying for one of the 2016 ACS CCP™ exams? Simply want to know more about cheese? Please join our Cheese Study Group at Facebook!!!

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