Process and apparatus for the continuous manufacture of cheese

摘要

A process and apparatus for the continuous manufacture of cheese starting with the ultrafiltration retentate of milk or a milk product until the solids content is approximately that of the desired cheese. Additional constituents such as fat are added so that the resulting cheese precursor or precheese has solids content and fat to solids ratio substantially the same as the desired cheese. The cheese precursor is heated and mixed with rennet. The rate of flow of this mixture into a coagulation cylinder is controlled so that the flow in the coagulation cylinder is laminar throughout. The temperature of the cylinder wall is maintained slightly below that of entering mixture so as to obtain, in equilibrium, the formation of a coagulation front which is substantially plane and at right angles to the axis of the coagulation cylinder, thereby homogenizing the texture of the resulting curd. The cylinder cross section is approximately that of the desired cheese. The coagulation cylinder opens into a floatation tank which separates cut slices from the cylindrical mass of curd issuing from the cylinder. No treatment is required between the cutting of slices and ripening. The floatation liquid is also circulated through a shell around the cylinder to maintain its wall at the desired temperature. This process may be used for soft, semi-hard and hard cheese but is particularly adapted to relatively small diameter cheese intended to be sold whole by the retailer.