Milk curd self-segmentation in cheesemaking tank

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to describe and study the previously unknown phenomenon of self-segmentation of a milk curd in an open-type cheesemaking tank. Based on the analysis of the kinetics of gel formation, it has been determined that self-segmentation of the gel begins near the gel point, develops over several tens of seconds, and becomes stable as the gel condenses. The segments in the milk curd do not have a definite regular shape; their average size varies from 5 to 50 cm. The shape and size of the segments do not repeat and do not correlate with the type of cheese being produced. The displacement of the segments of the milk curd in the cheesemaking tank relative to each other in height is from 0.5 to 2 mm. The width of the boundary layer between the curd segments increases during the secondary phase of gelation from 3 to 10 mm. As a result of experimental studies, it has been shown that self-segmentation of milk gel is caused by thermogravitational convection, which forms Benard convection cells. A description of a possible mechanism of milk gel self-segmentation in open-type cheesemaking tanks is proposed. The effective role of fat globules in the mechanism of self-segmentation of the milk curd has been noted. It has been suggested that self-segmentation of the milk curd in the cheesemaking tank may cause some organoleptic defects in the finished cheese, in particular inhomogeneity of texture and color.