Milling Curds - What Is Process?

[humble_servant7]

What is milling?

I keep hearing this term for cheddar-- but never understood what it meant.

Ricki Carroll tells us that milling is basically breaking the cheese into pieces up by hand and then salting it.

Is there a particular way or manner in doing this method? Are there standards? Or do you just dive into the curd and start crumbling?

[linuxboy]

Milling is cutting into smaller pieces. Salting is adding salt. Two different things. Typical cut size is 1/2" by 1-2". I guess you could do it by hand but a properly cheddared curd is rather firm and doesn't break up all that easily. It would be time-consuming. At home, it's easier to use a knife and cut the curd slabs.

Key is to have same-sized pieces so salt is absorbed evenly.

[FarmerJd]

Here is a post where my wife is milling the curd. Just scroll down to the pics.

[wharris]

The general point of milling the curd is to get the cheese into the proper surface area to cheese ratio.  This ratio is important because it governs the rate of salt absorption in the curd.  Milling prepares the cheese for salting.


Here is a previous thread on this.
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,2885.msg23622.html#msg23622


Modifying this post, because as I re-read the thread,  I see that Linuxboy already answered this.  Sorry.

[cheesehead]

When milling we are cutting the cheese mat into small strips and then 10 mins later we salt.  Commercial cheddar make is not like the home and we have a rotating drum with blades that cuts the cheese mat.