Recently we were asked to design and build a cheese vat for a caseiculture business. One that specialises in goat cheese.
Now, even if you’re not a fan of goat cheese there’s no mistaking it from other dairy products. For a start, there’s its tart spicy aroma, inviting of a bite. Then there’s its melting touch between palette and tongue. And to the tongue and nose grow robust and pungent flavors that yield, softening to earthy notes. One or two of us here at Read Industrial just happen to be partial to goat cheese. Hence, building this cheese vat was a project that excited us somewhat.
The stainless steel vat we made up has a capacity of 800 L. It has an inbuilt thermoregulation circuit to support curd production. This consisted of electric heating elements, a thermostat, and a recirculation pump. We designed this with three elements in mind, with two spare pockets for additional elements if needed. Heat shields help prevent localised heat build up. To separate curds from whey, we built a variable speed (14-65 rpm) agitator assembly.
We’ve been in touch with the cheese maker since. The unit is performing as expected. We can’t wait to try the product.