The Journey of the Milk, Part II

After the milk has cooled for a day it is time for its transformation into Consider Bardwell Rupert, Dorset or Pawlet cheese.  First, each milk can is poured into the cheese vat (it takes at least 2 people to lift the full cans) which has a water jacket that heats and cools the milk to the required temperature for each type of cheese.  Since these are aged, raw milk cheeses, the milk is not actually heated enough to pasteurize it.
Cultures are added, the milk is stirred, curds form and are separated.

Cheese makers Chris Gray and Leslie Goff break up the curds, readying it to
be made into Rupert.

Leslie lifts a mass of very wet cheese curd and lifts it into the mold.

Chris wrestles a Rupert into a mold.

Leslie stacks two Ruperts to press out the whey.

Whey drains from the Ruperts in their molds.

Once removed from their molds
Ruperts will soak in their brine for a few days before being moved to the drying shelves.

Ruperts and Pawlets drying after being brined.  After a few
days here, the cheeses will be moved upstairs to the aging cave.

One of the Pawlet caves, where I spend most of my time moving, turning
and washing each cheese with solution.  This needs to be done at
least twice a week. The Pawlets, which weigh 10 -12 lbs,
 are on the left, with the oldest in the foreground
the youngest in the back ground on the left and the right.  Smaller Manchester cheeses (an aged
goat cheese weighing about 2.5 lbs) are in the foreground on the right.
All of these cheeses age from 4-6 months.

Dan, at work washing the Ruperts, which weigh between
25 and 40 lbs each, in the upstairs Rupert cave.  These
cheeses also need to be tended twice a week and will age for about a year.
The youngest cheeses are on the left and are much lighter in color
than the oldest cheeses, on the right.

So there you have it!  The journey of Wayward Goose Farm milk
all the way to Consider Bardwell Farm cheese.  At the appropriate
age it will be taken from the caves,
packaged and shipped to fine stores and restaurants all over the country.
We are extremely proud of our roles in the production of this
amazing food, from the care of our cows to the aging process of the cheese.
To learn more about the cheeses of Consider Bardwell Farm,
visit the link in the upper right corner of this blog.