Methods And Apparatus For The Reduction Of Moisture Variability In Large Cheese Blocks

Abstract

The present invention is directed to processes for making blocks of cheese having reduced moisture variability using controlled cooling of cheese curd to form the final cheese blocks.

1 . An apparatus for making a block of cheese having reduced moisture variability by cooling a center portion of the cheese block, the apparatus comprising:
 a bulk container defining a shape corresponding to a shape of the cheese block and having at least one side wall, a bottom wall, and an open end opposite the bottom wall defining a cavity for forming the block of cheese; and   a cooling device arranged to shift between a first operational position wherein a portion of the cooling device extends through the open end of the bulk container into the cavity and a second operational position wherein the portion of the cooling device is shifted out of the of the cavity and positioned external thereto, the cooling device configured to cool a center portion of the cheese block when in the first operational position via a cooling medium introduced into the cooling device.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bulk container is sized to provide a block of cheese having a weight of at least about 500 pounds. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bulk container has a substantially symmetrical cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of square, rectangular, triangular, and circular. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling device includes an elongate tube having at least a portion thereof configured to shift between the first and second operational positions and having an upper fill end and a lower discharge end, the cooling device further includes a cooling medium supply line for introducing cooling medium into the upper fill end of the elongate tube where the cooling medium is injected into the cheese block through the lower discharge end. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the elongate tube is configured to travel in an up and down direction when shifting between the first and the second positions. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the feed tube is about 1.5 percent to about 25 percent of the cross-sectional area of the bulk container. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the elongate tube include a plurality of outlet openings adjacent the lower discharge end for injecting the cooling medium into the block of cheese. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the discharge end of the elongate tube is positionable from resting on the bottom wall of the bulk container to being spaced about 8 inches from the bottom wall of the bulk container when in the first operational position. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling medium is a chilled brine solution. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling device includes a plurality of cooling tubes for cooling a plurality of locations in the cheese block. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of cooling tubes are connected to a manifold and a supply tank containing the cooling medium via one or more supply lines. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of cooling tubes has a discharge end having one or more openings effective for injecting the cooling medium into the cheese block. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling device includes a recirculation circuit so that the cooling medium is circulated through the cooling device without being injected into the cheese block. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the cooling device is provided with heat transfer portions effective to increase heat transfer. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more heat transfer portions are heat transfer fins. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for making a block of cheese having reduced moisture variability by cooling a center portion of the cheese block, the apparatus comprising:
 a cheese block forming tower having a top end for introducing cheese curds thereto, a bottom end spaced a distance from the top end and including a cutting device, and at least one side wall defining an elongate tower cavity having a central longitudinal axis and the cavity having a cross-sectional shape of the block of cheese;   a cooling device provided at least partially within the tower cavity adjacent the top end and positioned therein to be spaced an equidistance from the at least one side wall in a radial direction to the cooling device; and   the cooling device configured to cool the cheese curds in the center portion of the cavity as they flow down the cooling tower via a cooling composition introduced into the cooling device.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the cooling device comprises a distributer effective for distributing the cooling composition to the cheese curds within the cooling tower. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the cooling device further comprises a hollow cylinder having an open top end, an open bottom end, and extending generally along at least a portion of the central longitudinal axis, the hollow cylinder effective to allow a portion of the cheese curds to pass through the cylinder, and wherein the distributer is located within the hollow cylinder and adjacent the top end of the hollow cylinder. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the cooling device comprises a cooling tube containing a circulating coolant medium. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the coolant medium is circulated in a coolant coil contained within the cooling tube.