Glossary
Dairy and cheese machinery glossary
Short definitions of terms that come up often in milk processing and cheese making.
- Agitator(Stirrer)
- A stainless impeller driven by a geared motor that keeps the product uniform inside a tank and evens out heat transfer. In cooling tanks it helps milk cool evenly.Related product: Milk Cooling Tanks
- AISI 304(1.4301)
- An austenitic stainless steel containing roughly 18% chromium and 8% nickel. It is the most widely used grade in food and dairy equipment.Related product: Stainless Food Equipment
- AISI 316L(1.4404)
- A low-carbon austenitic stainless steel with a chromium-nickel base similar to 304 plus molybdenum. It resists chlorides and salty environments better than 304.Related product: Stainless Food Equipment
- Brine(Brining)
- A salt-water solution in which cheese is held to be salted and matured. Salt affects flavour and keeping quality.
- Cheese yield
- The ratio of cheese obtained from a given amount of milk. It varies with milk composition, processing method, and cheese type.Related product: Kashar Production Line
- Chiller(Water chiller)
- A refrigeration unit that cools water or a glycol solution. It prepares the cold water used by cooling tunnels and pasteurizers.Related product: Cooling Tunnel
- CIP(Clean-in-place)
- A cleaning method in which detergent and water solutions are circulated through pipes and tanks without dismantling the equipment. It makes cleaning repeatable and reduces labour.
- Coagulum(Milk gel)
- The solid gel formed when milk proteins (casein) set under the action of rennet or acid. When cut and drained, it separates from the whey.Related product: White Cheese Vat
- Cooking-stretching (kashar)(Pasta filata step)
- The step in which kashar curd is heated in hot water and kneaded until it becomes elastic and fibrous. The water is typically 70–80 °C.Related product: Hot-Water Cooker-Stretcher
- Cooling tunnel
- A modular machine in which moulded cheese is cooled in a controlled way with cold water as it travels on a belt. The dwell time is set by belt speed.Related product: Cooling Tunnel
- Curd
- The fresh, unmoulded mass of cheese obtained when milk coagulates and most of the whey is drained off. It is the intermediate product of kashar and white cheese making.Related product: Kashar Curd Draining
- Deaerator(Air eliminator)
- A device that removes air and gases entrained in milk. At milk reception it reduces metering error and helps prevent foaming and pump problems.Related product: Milk Reception Unit
- Dimple jacket
- A type of jacket formed by a dimpled, spot-welded sheet attached to the tank shell. Hot water, steam, or glycol flowing through it heats or cools the product.Related product: Process Tanks
- DIN 11851 coupling(Dairy coupling)
- A threaded pipe connection to the DIN 11851 standard, used to join pipes in food and dairy lines. It is easy to dismantle and clean.Related product: Milk Reception Unit
- Double wall(Jacketed shell)
- A tank construction with a gap between the inner and outer shells. A hot or cold medium flowing through the gap controls product temperature without touching the product.Related product: White Cheese Vat
- Flow diversion valve
- A valve that automatically sends milk back for reheating when the temperature falls below the required value. It prevents under-treated milk from reaching the product.Related product: Pasteurizer
- Holding tube
- The tube in a plate pasteurizer in which heated milk is held at pasteurization temperature for the required time. Its length and the flow rate determine the holding time.Related product: Pasteurizer
- HTST(High temperature short time)
- A pasteurization method in which milk flows continuously through plate heat exchangers and is heated at 72–75 °C for 15–20 seconds. It is preferred in high-capacity, continuously operating plants.Related product: Pasteurizer
- Ice water(Chilled water)
- Cooling water held close to 0 °C. It is used to cool milk rapidly to +4 °C after pasteurization.Related product: Pasteurizer
- LTLT(Low temperature long time, batch type)
- A pasteurization method in which milk is held in a jacketed kettle in batches at 63–65 °C for about 30 minutes. It is common in small and medium-sized dairies.Related product: Pasteurizer
- Moulding
- The step in which cooked or drained cheese mass is filled into moulds to give the product its final shape. Mould shape and size define the product type.Related product: Kashar Production Line
- Pasteurization
- The heating of milk at a set temperature for a set time to destroy harmful microorganisms, followed by rapid cooling. HTST applies 72–75 °C for 15–20 seconds, while the kettle-type method applies 63–65 °C for about 30 minutes.Related product: Pasteurizer
- pH(Acidity)
- A scale from 0 to 14 that shows how acidic or basic a solution is. In cheese making it influences coagulation, texture, and ripening.
- Polyurethane insulation(PU insulation)
- A low-conductivity foam insulation injected between the tank shell and the outer cladding. It keeps milk at temperature and reduces energy loss.Related product: Milk Cooling Tanks
- Portioning
- The division of cooked cheese mass into pieces of a set weight. Consistent weight matters for moulding and for sale.Related product: Kashar Portioning
- Regeneration(Heat recovery)
- The section of a plate pasteurizer where heat from the hot milk is transferred to the incoming cold milk, recovering energy. It reduces both heating and cooling energy demand.Related product: Pasteurizer
- Rennet
- A coagulant containing enzymes such as chymosin that clot milk casein. It is traditionally obtained from calf stomachs, and microbial forms also exist.Related product: White Cheese Vat
- Scraper agitator
- An agitator whose blades touch the kettle surface and scrape the product, preventing it from sticking to the bottom. It is used when cooking thick, heated products.Related product: Cooking Kettle
- Starter culture
- A mixture of bacteria that ferments milk and converts lactose into lactic acid, shaping the acidity and flavour of the cheese. It is added to the milk before or together with rennet.Related product: White Cheese Vat
- Whey
- The liquid left after the coagulum is cut and drained, containing lactose, soluble proteins, and minerals. It is a by-product of cheese making.Related product: Kashar Curd Draining
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