Cheesemakers need to understand fermentation and gas development to avoid defects in their cheese or when they want to create the right number and size of eyes in certain cheeses.
Eye development in cheese can be a sought-after attribute or an unfortunate defect, but in both cases, gas is the culprit. That’s why it is essential for cheesemakers to understand the basics of gas development and apply that knowledge, whether they are looking to make a tightly knit Cheddar or a Swiss with perfect eyes.
Perhaps the most important piece of knowledge in relation to eye development is an understanding of fermentation by microorganisms. There are typically three categories of dairy microorganisms that are commonly involved in fermentations including: obligate heterofermentative, obligate homofermentative and facultative heterofermentative.