Professional Cheesemaking 101

with Ivan Larcher

 

Registration opening soon!

 

Professional Cheesemaking 101 is a course for current or aspiring professional cheesemakers who wish to understand the principles and best practices for the cheese make room and milk barn. ​ This course offers a whole-system perspective on cheesemaking, which begins on the farm and requires careful attention to animal husbandry and welfare, forage and feed, dairy production, and milk quality. After covering the production of premium quality milk, the course dives deep into both the science and art of cheesemaking by exploring raw and pasteurized milk theory, cheese microbiology, coagulants, curdling mechanisms, and starters.

The course covers several different styles of cheese making techniques. Students work with milk from local farms and learn aspects of animal husbandry and milk production. Students have ample time to work one-on-one with the instructor to perfect new cheese make recipes, troubleshoot problems, and improve make room design and sanitation practices.

This course is produced and instructed by the experts at Academie MonS and made possible with the support of The Cellars at Jasper Hill.

black and white logo of Mons Anglophone cheese

Logo of Cellars at Jasper Hill

 

WHO IS THIS CLASS FOR?

Cheesemakers interested in:

  • Developing new recipes
  • Perfecting existing recipes
  • Improving their craft
  • Expanding their product line

  • Troubleshooting problems in milk production
  • Establishing their own herd of dairy animals

Dairy farmers interested in:

  • Creating value-added product lines to their liquid milk production

  • Converting to a pasture-based grazing system

Affineurs interested in:

  • Understanding the challenges facing cheesemakers
  • Gaining a full understanding of cheese before it arrives for aging

  • Better identifying quality issues in affinage that stem from production issues
  • Working with cheesemakers to improve quality

SNAF cheesemaking
Cows grazing on the Sterling Farm; Sterling College Pasture Management Systems

THE PROGRAM INCLUDES:

Topics:

  • Animal husbandry
  • Pasture management & fencing
  • Milking & milk quality
  • Cheese microbiology
  • Cheese recipe development
  • Fresh dairy products, including yogurts, butter, and cream
  • Production of lactic cheeses, soft washed rind, semi-hard, and hard cooked cheeses
  • Production management & make room design
  • Traceability and maintaining HACCP records
  • Working with retailers and distributors

Methodologies:

  • Classroom theory and discussion
  • Hands-on work in all aspects of farming and dairy production
  • One-on-one work on individual objectives
  • Daily review of questions and issues encountered in hands-on work
  • Students train directly with practicing professionals

 

Course Details

 

Level

Intermediate to Advanced.  This course is suitable for confident home cheesemakers and those who have experience in commercial cheesemaking. This course is often considered a professional development opportunity to those who work in the cheese industry.

Prerequisites

There are no formal prerequisites for this class. In order to gain the full value of the class, students should come with cheese-making experience and a general understanding of the biology and chemistry associated with milk, proteins, carbohydrates, enzymes, and microbes along with basic algebra. Metric units and degrees Celsius are commonly used in cheesemaking; please be comfortable with these units of measure before class begins.

Registration Details 

  • Tuition for this course is $3100.00. This includes classroom lectures, hands-on workshops, lodging during the course and all meals.
  • Class size is limited to 6. A minimum of 3 enrollments are required for the course to be held.
  • A non-refundable deposit of 20% of the tuition may be made in order to reserve your seat in a course at any time until the full tuition due date, at which time full tuition will be due to reserve a seat in the course.
  • Tuition is due to be paid in full 30 days before the course start date. A late fee of $50 will be applied in the case of payments made past the full tuition due date.
  • In the case of course cancellation by the institution, deposits will be returned. Course fees beyond the non-refundable minimum deposit are refundable for cancellations up to 30 days before the course start date. Please contact your course coordinator for cancellations after that date.

Registration opening soon!

 

Disclaimer: Course descriptions on this webpage are for informational purposes only. Content may be updated or change as planning evolves.  Sterling College reserves the right to alter the program specifics, including details about course content, instructors, collaborations, field trips and facilities at any time without notice.