Once the milk has reached a consistent temperature, the starter culture is added and the milk begins to coagulate into one large curd. As the milk forms into a huge curd, it is stirred and cut, allowing the whey to drain off. The milk is then reheated and pressed to remove as much whey as possible. Many cheese today are shaped by using a cheese wheel or similar mold. The warm curd is poured and pressed into the molding.
Salt plays an important role in the formation of the cheeses rind or outer coating.
Heavily salted cheeses will develop thick outer coatings, such as that found on swiss cheese. Once the cheese has been molded and salted, it is allowed to ripen. Some cheeses take only two weeks to mature and others can take as long as 7-years. Temperatures remain exact during this time. It is during this period when the rind of the cheese is formed.