{"id":31063,"date":"2017-07-19T16:58:16","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T20:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=31063"},"modified":"2019-06-11T14:48:44","modified_gmt":"2019-06-11T18:48:44","slug":"copper-vats-cheesemaking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Copper Vats Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Father-and-son team Germain and B\u00e9at Piller make Gruy\u00e8re cheese on an<\/em> alpage near Charmey, Switzerland. Photo Credit: Molly McDonough<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n

IN<\/big><\/strong> the early morning on a select few alpages<\/em> dotting the hills of Switzerland\u2019s Gruy\u00e8res region, cheesemakers light a wood fire under a milk-filled copper pot. As milk turns to curd, they control the cauldron\u2019s temperature with impressive precision by swinging it on and off the flames. Here in huts surrounded by high-altitude pastures, modern stainless-steel vats seem very far away.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s something especially rustic about copper, an element discovered by Neolithic communities around 9000 B.C., when agriculture was still in its nascent stages. Back then the ductile substance replaced stone as the tool-making material of choice\u2014until it became clear that mixing and melding it with tin yielded an even stronger alloy better suited for weapons and utensils, ushering in the Bronze Age. Still, copper\u2019s thermal conductivity\u2014more than 20 times more efficient than stainless steel\u2014firmly established the auburn element in one place: the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Wherever Gruy\u00e8re<\/a> is produced, you\u2019ll find it; if a cheese isn\u2019t made in copper, it can\u2019t be called Gruy\u00e8re. \u201cIt\u2019s an obligation based on the history of our product,\u201d says Thierry Bize, quality director of the organization that oversees the cheese\u2019s AOP (Appellation d\u2019Origine Prot\u00e9g\u00e9e<\/em>) status. This Alpine wheel isn\u2019t the only one to preserve that tradition: Regulations for Swiss Emmentaler<\/a>, Sbrinz<\/a>, and Raclette<\/a>, French Comt\u00e9<\/a>, and Italian staple Parmigiano Reggiano<\/a>, among many others, also mandate use of copper vats.<\/p>\n

According to recent experiments, there are reasons beyond history to keep the practice alive. In 2009, scientists at the Universit\u00e0 Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Piacenza, Italy, crafted eight batches of cheese following a Parmigiano Reggiano recipe: four in copper vats, four in stainless-steel vats. After maturing 17 months, all wheels shared a similar exterior appearance, plus comparable levels of fat, protein, and moisture. When they were cracked open, however, defects emerged. The stainless steel-made wheels had interior fissures and a strangely elastic paste. Taste tests revealed another discrepancy: Those cheeses simply weren\u2019t as flavorful or aromatic.<\/p>\n

Differences between the two batches first emerged during production. Just like the process for most Alpine wheels, the recipe for Parmigiano Reggiano calls for cooking curds after they\u2019ve been cut to expel whey and prevent an unwanted surface film. This step requires rapid and uniform transmission of heat from vat to curd\u2014and a similarly speedy cooling afterwards.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you put something into stainless steel, it heats wherever the steam is injected into it,\u201d says Master Cheesemaker Bruce Workman of Edelweiss Creamery<\/a>, who has used copper vats for decades to create Alpine-style cheeses in Monroe, Wis. \u201cThat\u2019s the hot spot. But copper heats up equally throughout. It heats fast, it heats evenly, and it cools fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sure enough, when the Italian scientists reviewed the log, they noticed that copper vat temperatures had increased much more quickly, suggesting that the traditional vessels are necessary to achieve a desired result.<\/p>\n

There was another difference in the finished cheeses. Wheels made in copper vats contained a higher copper content\u20145.78 milligrams per kilogram (mg\/kg)\u2014versus 0.40 mg\/kg in the stainless steel\u2013produced wheels. Previous studies of Alpine cheeses reveal a similar pattern: In 1996, scientists found 12.7 mg\/kg of the element in Comt\u00e9 when copper vessels were used yet only 3 mg\/kg when they were not. Gruy\u00e8re usually contains anywhere from 7.6 to 11.7 mg\/kg of copper. The reason? Soft, supple copper oxidizes easily. During cheesemaking, then, copper ions leach from the vat and bind to milk proteins, which remain in the cheese.<\/p>\n

Evidence suggests that an elevated copper content likely has an effect on flavor and texture. In Finland, emmental (a cheese modeled after Emmentaler) is popular. Because Finnish producers aren\u2019t subject to Swiss AOP rules, they hardly ever use copper vats. In 2011, researchers at the University of Helsinki added copper directly to the milk before making emmental in stainless-steel vats. After aging three months, the copper-supplemented cheeses scored higher among expert taste testers.<\/p>\n

The additive likely influences a cheese\u2019s microflora. Like iodine and iron, copper is a trace element affecting the health of all living things. Consuming a certain amount is essential for life, but too little or too much can have harmful effects\u2014on humans and microbes alike. The Finnish researchers discovered that copper inhibited the growth of C. tyrobutyricum<\/em>, bacteria often present in raw milk that generate undesired swelling, gas holes, and off-flavors in hard cheeses. Ernst Jakob, a researcher at Agroscope in Switzerland, has found similar effects on Swiss cheeses made with raw milk. \u201cCopper stops the development of bacteria responsible for rancid taste,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Since different microorganisms have different thresholds for tolerating the element, copper levels could discourage the growth of some species while promoting the proliferation of others. But even as scientists are unraveling these complex biochemical reactions, Edelweiss Creamery\u2019s Workman is adamant the vats provide the ideal ecosystem for the microbes he uses. \u201cBecause of its natural ability to influence the cultures,\u201d he says, \u201ccopper adds the right flavor profile.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spring Brook Farm<\/a> in Reading, Vt., uses copper vats to craft Alpine-style wheels. On past trips abroad, cheesemaker Jeremy Stephenson has asked his European counterparts about the practice, only to receive vague answers. But he\u2019s sure the element will endure, mainly because the cheese recipes that inspire him were developed carefully over thousands of years and perfected in copper cauldrons.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn that way, it is just part of the cheese\u2019s identity,\u201d he says. For Stephenson, that\u2019s reason enough.<\/p>\n

Feature Photo: Father-and-son team Germain and B\u00e9at Piller make Gruy\u00e8re cheese on an<\/em> alpage near Charmey, Switzerland. Credit: Molly McDonough.<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why are so many iconic aged cheeses made using copper vats?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":31226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[13633,13625,1585,13629,1540,178,2106,13623,13626,13630,1936,13632,13622,851,985,1194,13631,8527,670,13628,910,13634,2236,1072,1565,908,13624,13627,978],"coauthors":[290],"class_list":["post-31063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cheese-iq","tag-agroscope","tag-appellation-dorigine-protegee","tag-beat-piller","tag-bruce-workman","tag-charmey","tag-cheesemaking","tag-comte","tag-copper","tag-copper-vat","tag-edelweiss-creamery","tag-emmentaler","tag-ernst-jakob","tag-germain-piller","tag-gruyere","tag-italy","tag-jeremy-stephenson","tag-microflora","tag-monroe","tag-parmigiano-reggiano","tag-piacenza","tag-raclette","tag-reading-vermont","tag-sbrinz","tag-science","tag-spring-brook-farm","tag-switzerland","tag-thierry-bize","tag-universita-cattolica-del-sacro-cuore","tag-wisconsin"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Copper Vats Matter - culture: the word on cheese<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Copper Vats Matter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Why are so many iconic aged cheeses made using copper vats?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"culture: the word on cheese\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-07-19T20:58:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-06-11T18:48:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_7150-2-e1502814864236.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Molly McDonough\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Molly McDonough\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/\",\"name\":\"Why Copper Vats Matter - culture: the word on cheese\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_7150-2-e1502814864236.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-07-19T20:58:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-06-11T18:48:44+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#\/schema\/person\/9fedbbc18a92d5789240f28dbb7e16d0\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_7150-2-e1502814864236.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_7150-2-e1502814864236.jpg\",\"width\":750,\"height\":500},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cheese IQ\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/category\/cheese-iq\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Why Copper Vats Matter\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/\",\"name\":\"culture: the word on cheese\",\"description\":\"Culture, America's magazine for cheese lovers, delivers stories about cheeses, cheesemakers, travel to gorgeous cheese regions, and practical tips on buying, presenting, and cooking with cheese.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#\/schema\/person\/9fedbbc18a92d5789240f28dbb7e16d0\",\"name\":\"Molly McDonough\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/b7c03bea2790b14885b23e4d503c3eb1\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/photo-6-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/photo-6-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Molly McDonough\"},\"description\":\"Former Senior Editor Molly McDonough worked for cheesemakers in Switzerland and the US before earning a Master's degree in Agriculture and Food Science at the Ecole Sup\u00e9rieure d'Agriculture in Angers, France. After spending a year in Romania working on rural development projects with Heifer International, she returned home to Boston and joined the culture team in 2015.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/author\/molly-mcdonough\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Copper Vats Matter - culture: the word on cheese","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why Copper Vats Matter","og_description":"Why are so many iconic aged cheeses made using copper vats?","og_url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/","og_site_name":"culture: the word on cheese","article_published_time":"2017-07-19T20:58:16+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-06-11T18:48:44+00:00","og_image":[{"width":750,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_7150-2-e1502814864236.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Molly McDonough","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Molly McDonough","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/","url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/","name":"Why Copper Vats Matter - culture: the word on cheese","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_7150-2-e1502814864236.jpg","datePublished":"2017-07-19T20:58:16+00:00","dateModified":"2019-06-11T18:48:44+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#\/schema\/person\/9fedbbc18a92d5789240f28dbb7e16d0"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_7150-2-e1502814864236.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_7150-2-e1502814864236.jpg","width":750,"height":500},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/copper-vats-cheesemaking\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cheese IQ","item":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/category\/cheese-iq\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Why Copper Vats Matter"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#website","url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/","name":"culture: the word on cheese","description":"Culture, America's magazine for cheese lovers, delivers stories about cheeses, cheesemakers, travel to gorgeous cheese regions, and practical tips on buying, presenting, and cooking with cheese.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#\/schema\/person\/9fedbbc18a92d5789240f28dbb7e16d0","name":"Molly McDonough","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/b7c03bea2790b14885b23e4d503c3eb1","url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/photo-6-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/photo-6-96x96.jpg","caption":"Molly McDonough"},"description":"Former Senior Editor Molly McDonough worked for cheesemakers in Switzerland and the US before earning a Master's degree in Agriculture and Food Science at the Ecole Sup\u00e9rieure d'Agriculture in Angers, France. After spending a year in Romania working on rural development projects with Heifer International, she returned home to Boston and joined the culture team in 2015.","url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/author\/molly-mcdonough\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31063"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31063\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31063"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=31063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}