Method and Device for Forming Cheese

Abstract

An inventive solution directed to the production of pasta filata type cheese, such as mozzarella, provolone and blends thereof by concurrently and continuously pulling, stretching, cooling and molding cheese through a series of channels, preferably elongated in nature, having enclosed cavities of particular negative dimension for molding purposes. The cheese is cooled by indirect heat transfer through thermal conductive walls of the elongated channels. The cheese is allowed to set as it is formed within the cooling and molding channels. As the cheese is pulled through and out of the distal end of the elongated channels, the series of released cheese ribbons are combined and pulled through a second series of compression channels by which multiple ribbons are compressed together to form larger laminated strips ready for immediate packaging, storage or further processing.

1 . A method for forming cheese in which a warm pliable cheese mass is placed in a trough and pulled into one or more cooling channels or tunnels, each said channel being enclosed on all sides except its proximal and distal ends, the cheese mass being stretched, molded, and cooled to set within each said channel, each channel releasing continuous ribbons of formed cheese that are ready for immediate storage, packaging or further processing. 
     
     
         2 . The method for forming cheese of  claim 1  in which cheese is stretched within the cavity of said channel by being pulled through narrow portions of said cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The method for forming cheese of  claim 1  in which cheese is indirectly cooled by thermal heat transfer between the walls of said channels. 
     
     
         4 . A method of cooling cheese according to  claim 1  in which warm pliable cheese is pulled into long channels or tunnels, said warm cheese being indirectly cooled within the channels by thermal heat transfer between the walls of said channels, the thermal heat transfer being driven by a temperature gradient between the warmer interior and colder exterior portions of said channel walls. 
     
     
         5 . A method for setting cheese in which cheese is cooled within cooling channels as in  claim 4  for a preferred period of time until the cheese becomes self supporting. 
     
     
         6 . The method of setting cheese of  claim 5  in which the cheese is exposed to a cooling temperature gradient within said channels for a preferred period of time, the preferred period of time being a function of the channel length and the rate of speed by which the cheese is pulled through said channel until the cheese becomes self supporting. 
     
     
         7 . The method for forming cheese of  claim 1  in which the cheese is molded to the cross sectional shape of said channels' internal cavity. 
     
     
         8 . The method for forming cheese of  claim 1  in which the steps for stretching, molding and cooling the cheese to set occurs concurrently and continuously within said channel cavity. 
     
     
         9 . The method for forming cheese of  claim 1  in which ribbons of formed cheese released from said channels are further guided into one or more compression channels such that multiple cheese ribbons are compressed and laminated together within said compression channels to form larger cheese ribbons. 
     
     
         10 . A method for creating large cheese ribbons of a desired shape in which a series of small cheese ribbons already stretched, molded and cooled to set are guided into one or more compression channels, the small ribbons being compressed and laminated together within said compression channels to form a larger cheese ribbon of a preferred shape. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for concurrently stretching, molding and cooling continuous ribbons of cheese, the apparatus comprising:
 a) a chamber for receiving a quantity of warm pliable cheese;   b) a plurality of cooling channels or tunnels in fluid communication with the chamber;   c) each channel being completely enclosed on all sides except for the proximal end or channel opening where the cheese is received the distal end or channel exit where the cheese is released;   d) each channel having a preferred internal cross sectional shape and dimension   e) each channel including opposing movable sides extending to the chamber to engage cheese within the chamber and pull a portion of the cheese in a continuous stream into the cooling channel, the cheese within each channel progressing from the chamber toward a channel exit;   f) each movable side having a first face in contact with the cheese within the channel and a second opposite side in thermal contact with a cooling plate or cold channel wall;   
     
     
         12 . The opposing movable sides of  claim 11  being flushed against the walls within each channel such that it either blends in or adds to the channel's internal cross sectional shape. 
     
     
         13 . The length of each channel of  claim 11  configured so that the cheese exiting the channel through the channel exit has reached a desirable temperature; 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11  further including an outfeed where the cheese emerging from the exit of each channel is drawn into contact with cheese from adjacent channels and passed between a pair of merging plate to force the cheese into bond; the outfeed configured to pass the bonded cheese from the apparatus that is formed from the merger of the cheese emerging from each of the plurality of channels of the apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . A cooling mechanism comprising a cooling medium or a cooling plate containing a constant flow of cooling medium in direct contact with the external portion of said channel walls of  claim 11 , said cooling mechanism being adjustable to a preferred constant temperature. 
     
     
         16 . The cooling mechanism of  claim 15  comprising a single continuous piece or a series of sectional pieces coupled along the length of each channel in direct contact with the external portion of the channel wall.