From Milk to Cheese: What Actually Happens During Cheesemaking?

Aug 28 2026

Turning milk into cheese is one of the most incredible scientific processes and although techniques and machinery have improved and there are nuances to the process, such as different types of milk, pressing and maturation, which result in different types of cheese, the process has remained largely the same for hundreds of years. Here we will look at the basic principles of cheesemaking and how the science works:

Setting the milk

Milk is around 87% water, and the first step in the process is to remove some of this water via separation, and to produce curd and whey. The milk is gently heated, which helps to pasteurise the milk and kill off harmful organisms. The milk is then slowly cooled to a specific temperature before cultures and rennet are added.

Acidifying the milk

Cultures are bacteria which remove the lactose sugar and produce lactic acid. This is now ripening the milk and lowering the pH levels. At this point, distinctive flavours are beginning to develop.

Curdling the milk

The milk curdles as a result of ripening and adding the cultures, while the rennet is added in order to join up the proteins in the milk to form a jelly coagulate. Adding rennet is the modern cheesemaker’s way of controlling the curdling process. Cheesemakers can vary the amount and type of rennet and cultures according to what type of cheese they want. This all affects how the cheese sets.

Separating curd and whey

The curd is left to ferment before being cut into small pieces once it is set. The watery whey then separates from the solid curd. It is generally the case that the smaller the curd pieces are, the drier and harder the final cheese will be, as more whey is released as a result. And accordingly, larger pieces of curd result in softer, more moist cheeses.

Processing the curd

The cheesemaker may choose to continue processing the curd, ie. stirring or heating it, to develop the acid and separate the curd and whey further. Some cheesemakers also wash the curd at this stage. This effectively replaces the whey with water to encourage distinctive flavours and textures.

Pressing

The curd is moulded and then pressed together to form a homogenous texture and to remove any whey residues. This process can last a few days, depending on how dry or hard a cheese is needed to be.

Salting

Once the curds are settled and the whey is fully drained off, the curd can be broken up and salt added to create flavour and to act as a preservative so that certain bacteria growth is prevented. Some cheesemakers use brine for this process, while others may add herbs or other spices at this stage to develop flavour.

Shaping

The final product is now starting to take shape. The cheesemaker presses the soft curd into moulds to create standardised shapes, usually cylinders or blocks.

Maturation

In a controlled environment the cheese is now left to age. Important molecular changes now occur to intensify the taste, colour, aroma and texture to a recognised profile for a specific cheese. This process can take anywhere between a few days to 18 months. Once the standard maturation period for a specific cheese has been reached it is ready for consumer consumption, but it is first required to be suitably packaged and transported.

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