Say Cheese!

Precise cooling ensures consistent product quality

Any time you are dealing with dairy products, in order to prevent the nasties that can creep in, you need to have precise control over a lot of variables. In the production of cheese, not only does this ensure the safety of the product, but it can also have an impact on the consistency, quality, and even taste of the cheese being produced. One of the biggest variables that cheesemakers have to deal with is the seasonal fluctuation of temperatures at different stages of the manufacturing process. 

In the case of a Swiss cheesemaker in Middlefield, Ohio, part of their process required precise temperature control of 250 gallons per minute of water used in a brine bath. Because of the ambient temperature of the air coupled with the temperature of the product as it was introduced to this part of the cheese-making process, they needed to bring this water temp from a peak of 42°F to ultimately 34°F. This swing of just 8 degrees doesn’t seem like much, but it can have a serious effect on the end product.

One of the values that TCRS provided was the ability for the cheesemaker to work with our engineers to experiment with different cooling solutions before committing to one that would become a permanent part of the production process.

One of the values that TCRS provided was the ability for the cheesemaker to work with our engineers to experiment with different cooling solutions before committing to one that would become a permanent part of the production process. This included the application of a 157-ton Rental Ready air cooled chiller, regulated by a customer-developed and manufactured plate and frame, heat exchanger. Once the rental solution was dialed-in and time-tested, we sold them the fully operational solution. Now our process is a permanent part of the cheese-making in Ohio.