Creating the famous Cougar Gold and other types of cheese at Washington State University. Photography by Robert Hubner.
The WSU Creamery—where Cougar Gold happens.
Fresh milk is delivered from the university and CUDS (the student dairy club) herds by 6:30 a.m. five days a week.
After the milk is received, it is tested for protein and butterfat content.
Milk used in WSU cheese is pasteurized to kill all pathogens.
A bacterial culture is added. The bacteria produce lactic acid, which provides the correct acidity for the rennet, an enzyme, to curdle the milk, thickening it into curds.
The curds and whey, the liquid that separates from the curds, are heated. Different cheese recipes call for different temperatures.
One pound of cheese requires 10 pounds of milk. To further concentrate the curds, the curds are cheddared, sliced and stacked, to press out the whey. Salt is added to slow the ripening process, making it more manageable, as well as to leach out the remaining whey.
