Cheese making begins with a trip to a small dairy farm 11 miles away. There, we fill an insulated stainless steel milk tank mounted on a trailer and bring the milk back to our shop. The dairy is run by a third-generation dairy farmer who raises his herd on pasture. The milk from his dairy has a high butterfat content and is excellent for making cheese. Back at our shop, before starting to make cheese, we run a set of tests on the milk. This allows us to assess the quality of the milk (which is affected by the condition of the pasture and the time of year). The tests also tell us if any unwanted hormones or antibiotics are present. After that, we start making cheese. Here’s how we make hard cheeses: The milk is warmed up to between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. We then add a starter culture, mesophilic acid, which will ensure that the correct bacteria and mold will grow in the cheese creating the correct flavor profile that is desired. After the culture has been added the milk is heated slightly again and then we pour in a vegetable based rennet which coagulates the milk forming the curd. Next, we cut and "cook" the curds between 95 and 100 degrees (Fahrenheit) and then begin to drain the whey out. For certain types of cheese, like Gouda, we rinse the curds, which makes for a milder flavor, while cheddar is simply drained and formed into slabs of curds which will then be cut a second time. The curds are then placed in mold to be pressed into wheels. A few more steps are involved in preparing the wheels, such as salt brine for Gouda and wrapping in cloth for Cheddar, then we age the wheels in our cheese cave. In the cheese cave, we age hard cheese for a minimum of 2 months. Some types, like Parmesan, we age as long as 2-3 years or more (longer is better for Parmesan). (There are additional steps with smoked cheeses and cheeses with extra ingredients, like Ghost Pepper Cheddar and Van Sormon, but those are the basic steps.) If you'd like to learn more about the process, ask when you visit our store.