FEATURES

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Back in the '90s we had a family cow, and I was experimenting with making cheese, so I knew it was possible. Also, I knew there wasn't going to be a lot of competition: no one was stupid enough to do it. It also helped that Claes had experience. I've known him for 15 years, since he was employed by my neighbor. Being that I had a back-up gave me the confidence to get into it."

Good Chemistry

All cheese starts with milk, of course, and Ludlow prefers milk from Jersey cows because it has a high fat content (five percent) and a better fat-to-protein ratio than that of other breeds. After the milk is transferred from the milking buckets to the bulk tank, it is cooled from its natural 101 degrees down to 35 degrees. Ludlow then pumps the liquid into a 168-gallon steam kettle, where it is heated to 90 degrees. After adding a bacterial culture to the raw milk—roughly three teaspoons per 60-80 gallons—Ludlow mixes it with a propeller-like agitator and lets it sit anywhere from 90 minutes to three or four hours, depending upon the kind of cheese being made. Soft ripened cheese, for example, requires an hour and 45 minutes, and cheddar needs about four hours. (The culture or combination of cultures, along with a "post-ripening treatment," determines the cheese variety.)

As the mixture sits and the culture consumes lactose, turning it into lactic acid, Ludlow adds an enzyme coagulant called rennet, which turns the liquid into a gloppy, gelatinous mass. Then he uses a curd harp—a simple frame supporting a series of thin wires—to cut the mass into small cubes (about 3/8 inches). This causes the liquid, or whey, to be released from the solid, or curd. He then stirs the mixture as the whey is released and the curd becomes firmer. Finally, Ludlow removes the now-rubbery curd with a scoop and dumps it into cheesecloth-covered molds, where it sits for 24-48 hours. When removed, he rolls the cheese in salt, which improves flavor and encourages mold and fungi to grow on the surface, creating a rind that seals the moisture inside. Then the aging begins.