Cheese ripening

[2] The process is "characterized by a series of complex physical, chemical and microbiological changes"[3] that incorporates the agents of "bacteria and enzymes of the milk, lactic culture, rennet, lipases, added moulds or yeasts, and environmental contaminants".

Duration is dependent on the type of cheese and the desired quality, and typically ranges from "three weeks to two or more years".

[6] These agents contribute to the three primary reactions that define cheese ripening: glycolysis, proteolysis, and lipolysis.

[9] Others are allowed by the cheesemaker to develop bacterial surface growths which give characteristic colours and appearances.

It is carefully transferred to cheese hoops and the whey is allowed to drain from the curd by gravity, generally overnight.

This is because the amount of salt has a large effect on the rate of proteolysis in the cheese, stopping the bacteria from growing.

In Swiss-type cheeses, the eyes form as a result of the activity of propionic acid bacteria (propionibacteria), notably Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp.

[2] Different factors define taste in cheese, including casein, fat, brine and many other elements.