Technological process of making cheese. Cheese production as a business. Mini-workshop: technology and equipment. Necessary documents and requirements of SES

Today, it is not common to find entrepreneurs who, in order to increase their capital, have settled on such a direction as producing cheese at home. And all because to bring such an idea to life, in addition to desire, you will need to purchase special equipment and raw materials that cost a lot of money, and also waste time. Due to the fact that the quality of mass factory-produced cheese leaves much to be desired, such a business idea as creating a mini workshop for the production of this dairy product at home has had a chance to develop, since cheese lovers will in any case give preference to a quality product.

Today in stores on the shelves you can see a large number of different types of cheese, from processed to hard varieties. Such diversity allows the buyer to choose the product that is most suitable for himself both in terms of taste and pricing. At any time, the demand for cheese remained high, so competition in this market segment is high. However, even making allowances for this factor, a business based on cheese making will be profitable investment funds.

To implement an idea, it doesn’t matter whether an entrepreneur has work experience or is just starting his career; in any case, you need to start implementing an idea by drawing up a business plan. Cheese production will become an effective and profitable investment, provided that a competent business plan is drawn up. It will help assess not only the demand for the product, but also the competition in this market segment, the volume of financial investments and the payback period of this business idea. In addition, proper planning will help to derive optimal forecasts regarding the bulk of difficulties during cheese production and will not allow serious mistakes during the implementation of an idea.

To prepare a fermented milk product such as cheese, sour milk is used as a raw material, which is aged from one to thirty days using a certain technology. On initial stage development of the enterprise, you should not take on the production of expensive elite cheese. It is recommended to find a recipe for a variety of this fermented milk product that is generally loved by customers and, strictly adhering to the technology, try to prepare it. Each subsequent batch will surpass the previous one in taste characteristics, and by constantly tasting cheeses, you can develop an idea of the true taste of good cheese, which will appeal to customers and ensure a permanent clientele.

Room for cheese factory

A mini-workshop of small volumes, processing up to hundreds of kilograms of milk per day, can be freely located on an area of two dozen “squares”. The equipment is not bulky, so placing it in a small area will not be difficult.

The main thing is that the room meets the following parameters:

free access to hot and cold water;

good room ventilation;

sewerage installed;

heating.

There should also be access to daylight in the room. In addition to this, on food production Only metal or plastic furniture is used. It is advisable that the walls be tiled, and the remaining areas painted with paint that does not contain harmful substances that could negatively affect the quality of the products. Under no circumstances should you use a basement room for a cheese factory.

Preparation of documents for business registration

Before you start implementing your business idea and opening production, you will need to collect a number of documents in order to register your mini-workshop at the legislative level.

This can be done in two ways:

You can choose any of two substantive forms of activity. If we talk about our case, which involves the production of cheese as a business mini-workshop and the subsequent sale of small batches of the product, then it is better to use the individual entrepreneur system. Only in the case of mass production and sale of large quantities of cheese is it recommended to register your business using the second method.

Even the creation of a mini cheese-making workshop requires a quality certificate. This requirement applies to any food production.

Any cheeses belong to a number of food products, so before starting production you will need to obtain permission, for which you need to provide: an application, a contract, constituent documentation, a sanitary certificate, provide a mock-up of the future product label and a veterinary certificate. In addition, the release of any food product requires obtaining permission from the sanitary and epidemiological service. It is possible that other documents will be required during registration, so it is better to entrust this process to a legally savvy person who understands all the intricacies of this issue.

Compliance with cheese making technology

We have already mentioned above a large number of varieties of cheese, which are divided into hard and soft. Cheese production as a business at home requires the ability to produce any type of cheese. And the technology will depend on the chosen variety. If we talk about hard cheeses, they will require a curd mass, from which the whey is separated at a certain stage. Then the resulting dehydrated mixture is laid out in special molds under pressure. The time spent under pressure is determined by the technology for preparing the type of cheese that should be obtained in the end. The process can take more than a month.

Soft varieties of cheeses do not require so much time, but they can also be stored at a certain temperature for no more than 7 days. Therefore, such cheeses are not profitable for mass production due to the high probability of product spoilage. But durum varieties are in great demand among buyers in any country.

However, the taste characteristics of the final product are most influenced by the quality of the raw materials. Therefore, you need to ensure that milk is purchased only from trusted suppliers who guarantee that it is obtained only from healthy animals. Check milk samples for the presence of antibiotics, which can significantly deteriorate the quality of the cheese, and for acidity, which should not fall below 6.8. Optimal fat content is 3.5%.

If you work with certain suppliers of raw materials, then it is advisable to specify each of these points in more detail in the cooperation agreement, which should indicate the volume of supply, price and method of delivery of raw materials to the enterprise.

Now let's talk in more detail about the equipment that will be needed for cheese making in home mini-workshops.

Purchasing special equipment

When deciding to start making cheese, you need to take into account that you will not only have to find a place for a workshop and purchase raw materials, you will need to purchase special basic and auxiliary equipment, which you cannot do without. The main one is a vat made of stainless steel with a volume of at least 50 liters. According to the technology, a vat of cheese mass is heated using an electric heating element or gas burner. Cooling is carried out by circulating a flow of cold water around the perimeter of the vat.

Additional equipment includes: presses, filters, salting basins, molds for future cheese, racks and shelves, ripening chambers. The equipment offered by Italian manufacturers is considered a guarantee of quality. They can offer a service such as setting up a turnkey mini-workshop. The equipment is suitable for processing any type of milk (goat, sheep or cow).

Today, cheese production in Russia is developing and many entrepreneurs install domestic equipment in their mini-workshops, which is no worse in quality than Italian equipment, but its pricing policy is more acceptable. It is worth remembering that the taste characteristics of the final product depend not only on the equipment, it is also important to monitor the quality of the raw materials that are purchased for production. Don’t skimp on this and buy milk only from trusted suppliers who care about the health of livestock.

Subtleties of cheese making

It doesn’t matter what type of cheese you decide to make. There are several stages of raw material preparation that every technologist needs to know.

Initially, incoming milk must undergo a sterilization process.

Next, the raw materials are prepared. It is divided into two equal parts. The first part is pasteurized in a cheese maker at a temperature of +68˚ C, after which it is sharply cooled to a temperature of + 38˚ C. The second part is immediately cooled in special equipment (cooler) to +4˚ C.

Cooking. In the second (cooled part of the raw material) you need to add rennet, which is extracted from the stomachs of dairy calves. This enzyme helps in the curdling and curd formation process. It is sold in powder form and requires careful handling. For 100 liters of milk you will need no more than a gram of such powder. At the end of the coagulation process, the enzyme remains in the cheese. The next process is to pour the milk into the cheese maker to mature and complete the curdling process. Here the temperature will depend on the type of cheese chosen. Hard cheeses are cooked at high temperatures, but not for long. The temperature regime should not go beyond 28-36˚ C, which prevents the cheese mass from quickly compacting and accumulating lactic acid microflora within 2-4 hours.

Formation of cheese. After the milk has completely curdled, the cheese mass is separated from the liquid and you can begin dividing into parts into fractions. And here, too, there are differences depending on the type of cheese. Semi-hard cheese does not require a lot of time to ripen, so cheese grains the size of a walnut are deposited for it, while for hard varieties you will need to grind the mass to the size of a peanut. Elite hard cheeses are made from grains no larger than a pea. After preparation, the mass is laid out in a mold and sent to the press tables. During the pressing process, it is recommended to turn the cheese heads over from time to time in accordance with the technology. After compacting the cheese, it is placed in a salt pool; after aging in brine, the heads are transferred to a rack, where their final ripening takes place. The ripening room should be equipped with a good exhaust and ventilation system, while the temperature in the room for optimal ripening of cheese should not go beyond +4 – +12 ˚ C.

Using serum. It is not recommended to pour out this healthy product after making cheese. Send fresh whey back to the cheese factory. Dilute it with milk, add apple cider vinegar and bring the mixture to a temperature of +92˚ C. As a result, you can get juicy and soft cottage cheese, which is ready for sale.

Profitability of a cheese production workshop

If we compare the financial investments and the profit received, then if we adhere to all the technological nuances, the production will not only be profitable, but also promising. After purchasing the necessary equipment and hiring qualified employees, you can open your own mini-production.

The main financial expenses for starting production include:

registration of individual entrepreneurs and business registration;

Purchase of main and auxiliary equipment;

purchase of quality raw materials.

Profit will depend on two factors: sales volume and product price. It goes without saying that the price should be directly proportional to the quality of the fermented milk product. Therefore, to increase revenue over time, it is recommended to transfer production to the production of elite (expensive) varieties of cheese.

Before setting a price for your product, it is worth monitoring competitor firms and their products. Only in this case can the correct conclusions be drawn and adequate price. Naturally, good cheese cannot be cheap, but you shouldn’t overprice it either. Otherwise, your products will only be available to a small number of people who don’t mind spending a tidy sum for a piece of cheese. It is advisable to find something in between cheap products made from substitutes and preservatives and expensive ones that are made only from natural ingredients.

Product promotion

For cheese production, a business plan is as important as advertising the product. Due to the fact that there is a lot of competition among fermented milk products, the product must not only be of high quality, but also cost accordingly. Only the right ratio of quality and price will ensure mass sales and regular customers.

Sales of goods

Even before the product is released, distribution channels should be established. To do this, by concluding contracts, you can sell cheese to several places (stores) at once. Pay attention to nearby supermarkets and other large grocery stores, which guarantee a large flow of customers. Another good marketing move would be to open a branded cheese shop near the production site. You can also establish cooperation with wholesale resellers or restaurants, cafeterias and other places Catering, which require a constant supply of fresh cheese.

You can find additional sales points after carefully studying the specifics trading enterprises located near your mini-workshop.

Now we can say with confidence that producing cheese at home is a real opportunity to make a good profit with minimal financing. To do this, you just need to conscientiously carry out your tasks, adhere to the exact technological process, and design your mini-workshop in accordance with all standards. And by opening a small branded store, right next to the cheese factory, you can acquire a number of regular customers who will help the development of the family business by buying your products!

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Thanks to various traditions and production cultures, today there are more than 2 thousand types of cheeses in the world.. Currently, there is no exact classification of cheeses due to inconsistency in names and manufacturing technologies in different countries.

Milk (cow, goat, camel, sheep, etc.) is used for preparation. But it's not that simple. It happens that cow’s milk is used for preparation, and the production technology is the same, but the taste characteristics of the cheese are completely different.

T.I. draws attention to this phenomenon. Ilyichev in his book “Butter, Cheese and Milk”.

The quality of milk largely depends on what the livestock is fed. The big difference is whether the cow ate fresh or dry grass, clover, alfalfa or buttercups. The milk was taken in winter, when the animal was fed hay and kept in a stable. Or maybe the cow ate too much silage, which also affected the quality of the milk. An important role is played by the wet or dry, cold or warm climate of the animal’s habitat. And the quality of cheese largely depends on the quality of milk, the main raw material for cheese making.

Cheese making technology at a mini cheese factory

International standards state that cheese is a raw material product, which is milk or mixtures of it. Mandatory in the manufacturing process must be the influence of rennet with the further separation of whey, which is the result of milk coagulation.

In Russia, projects for 50, 300, 1000, 1500 kg of product per work shift have been developed and are used by entrepreneurs.

Most often, the raw material is cow's milk of the highest, and in some cases first grade, which is filtered and cooled to a temperature of 4 degrees immediately after milking. Reception at the cheese factory begins with a check of organoleptic indicators. These include color, smell, consistency, taste. Then they are cleaned, cooled, separated and normalized in terms of fat content and protein. Then it is left to ripen, since only ripened coagulates well when rennet is added.

Depending on the technological process, milk is pasteurized. At the same time, all gases and air are removed, and its coagulability is improved by up to 20%. After pasteurization, they are cooled and placed in special containers, the so-called cheese makers.. Here a certain temperature of the raw materials is maintained and all the necessary components are added. Among them are starter cultures, rennet, calcium chloride.

As a result of the reactions, a clot is obtained, which is cut, crushed, the whey is collected and the cheese grain is kneaded.. in the end, dried, compressed, round-shaped cheese grains are obtained.

Forming the cheese

Formation can be done in two ways:

From the layer under the whey layer using molding machines
Bulk of cheese grain using special equipment.

In order to remove the remaining whey and compaction, pressing is carried out. There are some peculiarities here too. You can use self-pressing or apply external pressure. It depends on the technology.

An important stage is salting, carried out in special pools, during which flavor accents are added and microbiological and enzymatic processes are regulated.

The final stage is placing the cheese wheels in chambers with special temperature and humidity conditions. Maturation and storage take place here.

Depending on the type of cheese, the ripening time for soft cheese is up to 10 days, for hard cheese it is several months.. Be sure to periodically wash and dry the heads of cheese.

Making cheese at home

This low-calorie product can be prepared at home, but it does not last long. To prepare it, you need to heat 5 liters of milk to 26 °C. After adding 200 g of starter, then you need to cover it and keep it in a warm place for a day. Cut the curled layer into centimeter cubes and place in a container, which must be heated, stirring constantly, in a water bath to 40°C.

Bring the mass to the state you need (soft or hard). Then the product is washed with warm water in a colander covered with a cloth. Transfer the finished cheese to another container, adding cream and salt to taste. Refrigerate.

This recipe for making delicious homemade cheese is suitable for treating family and guests. Producing 0.5 kg of such cheese at home will cost you 300 rubles. But this method is not suitable for organizing cheese business, since it requires continuous high-tech conveyor production.

Blue cheese

There is a legend according to which a shepherd was tending sheep on the mountainside, climbed into a nearby cave and fell asleep. And when he woke up, it was already evening, he drove the herd to the village. But I forgot my lunch. After some time, returning to the cave, he found the cheese that had been left earlier. It was very unusual, covered with mold, with bizarre patterns. When the villagers saw this miracle, they decided to continue leaving the cheese in that cave in order to obtain a product with an unusual pattern. This is the story of the creation of Roquefort cheese.

When preparing blue cheeses today, mold spores are added to the cheese mass.. Using long needles, they create channels through which blue mold disperses during the ripening of the product.

Distinctive features of blue cheese technology - application high temperature milk pasteurization (74-95 °C with holding time 20-25 s); adding increased doses of bacterial starters (0.3-3%) to pasteurized milk, consisting mainly of strains of lactic acid and flavor-forming streptococci, and for individual species cheeses and lactic acid sticks; increased maturity and acidity of milk before curdling and obtaining a stronger curd; crushing the curd into large pieces (“Russian Camembert”, “Tea”, etc.); no second heating (except for homemade cheese); production of fresh and ripening cheeses with the participation of lactic acid bacteria, as well as molds and microflora of cheese mucus. Many cheeses in this group, unlike semi-hard ones, have a delicate, soft consistency and a high moisture content during the ripening period and in the finished product.

During the production of ripening cheeses, a large amount of lactic acid accumulates in the cheese mass in the first 2-3 days, which subsequently retards the development of lactic acid bacteria. Therefore, further accumulation of bacterial enzymes in the cheese mass by the lactic acid microflora involved in the ripening of cheeses is possible only with a significant decrease in the acidity of the cheese mass under the influence of cultural molds and microflora of cheese mucus developing on the surface of the cheeses.

The peculiarities of the microbiological processes occurring in such cheeses are determined by the influence of the milk-clotting enzyme and enzymes secreted by microorganisms. The main role in cheese ripening belongs to lactic acid bacteria, which constitute the main microflora of cheese. As a result of the vital activity of dairy microflora, not only the components of the cheese change, but also the reaction of the environment. As a result, conditions are created that are favorable for the development of other microflora that are involved in the ripening of soft cheeses - the microflora of cheese mucus and some types of mold that develop on the surface or inside the cheese.

Developing on the surface of the cheese, microflora decomposes protein with the formation of alkaline products that penetrate into the cheese and reduce the acidity of the cheese mass. With a decrease in acidity in cheese, conditions are created that are favorable for the development of lactic acid rods and the action of proteolytic enzymes. Molds are involved in the ripening of these cheeses Oidium lactis,P. caseicolum, P. camemberti and etc.

Oidium lactis- milk mold, the mycelium of which is a low-branched, multicellular filament. It develops not only on the surface of the cheese, but also in depth with minimal air access. Milk mold develops well at a pH of 5.2, and with an increase in pH to 3, its growth almost stops. Milk mold decomposes lactic acid and quickly hydrolyzes milk fat, causing it to go rancid.

P. caseicolum- a necessary element of the microflora of the snack cheese group. It has white spores, and even the oldest colonies retain this original color to the end. On the surface of the cheese, this mold forms a thick white fluffy layer of mycelium, which penetrates the surface layer of the cheese dough, and together with it can easily be separated from the cheese. During development, it consumes lactic acid, as a result of which the acidity of the cheese mass decreases. Has proteolytic and lipolytic activity.

P. camemberti It forms a thin layer of mycelium on the surface of the cheese, which grows in so firmly that it cannot be separated from the cheese. The mycelium is white, and the spores have a faint bluish or lead-gray tint, sometimes dark blue or blue-gray. The dark color of the spores spoils appearance cheese.

When producing white dessert cheese “Russian Camembert”, white molds are used, specially cultivated on the surface of the cheeses. Mold that develops on the surface of cheeses, which has a pH of 4.7 - 4.9, neutralizes the surface layer of cheese with its metabolic products, which promotes the breakdown of proteins in the cheese mass. Therefore, these cheeses ripen gradually from the rind to the center of the cheese. With the development of white mold, the cheese develops a specific mushroom flavor.

The ripening of cheeses begins with the mass in the bath. The conditions for milk coagulation and curd processing are aimed at obtaining a fresh cheese mass with a developed lactic acid process, high moisture content and high acidity.

Cheese prepared at home will not only be cheaper, but also better in taste and more nutritious than store-bought cheese, since it does not contain preservatives.

WHAT IS CHEESE
Cheese is one of the most nutritious food products, obtained by special processing of milk.
When processing milk to produce cheese, milk is affected by lactic acid bacteria and enzymes, and as a result of complex biochemical, microbiological and enzymatic processes, the resulting product acquires new, very valuable taste and nutritional properties compared to milk.

COOKING CHEESE AT HOME
Cheese prepared at home will not only be cheaper, but also better in taste and more nutritious than store-bought cheese, since it does not contain preservatives.
Since the process of cheese ripening occurs satisfactorily only in a piece weighing at least 0.5 kg, it is impossible to make cheese in smaller quantities.
Homemade cheese contains all the nutritional elements found in milk, but in concentrated form. Half a kilogram of hard cheese contains the same amount of protein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin B as 4.5 liters of milk. In addition, the vitamin content increases during the cheese production process.
If you want to make cheese in large quantities, you will have to collect the milk for a week or longer; the milk should be stored in the refrigerator. However, if it is more convenient for you to work with 12-15 liters of milk, then it should be said that cheese in the appropriate amount can easily be made in a regular kitchen. For this you will need the following:
> milk;
> rennet or other leaven;
> appropriate equipment. The preparation of milk is described in detail in the second section of this book. Here we consider the production of rennet and necessary equipment.

PREPARING RENNET AT HOME
In the absence of factory-made rennet powder, you can prepare the enzyme yourself. To do this, the extracted rennet from the slaughter of lambs or calves is cleaned, the ends of the holes are tied, inflated with air and dried in the shade or indoors at a temperature of +18 - +20 degrees C.
Packs of dried rennet are wrapped in dark paper and stored until used.
It is better to take rennet for enzyme testing 2-4 months after drying, since fresh ones may cause mucus to appear in the solution.
Before cooking, the ends of the rennets are cut off.
Several rennets are placed on top of each other, with the wide end of one towards the narrow end of the other. Finely chop it like noodles and pour it with brine. To the brine drinking water add 5% salt - 50 g per 1 liter - and boil, cool to +30 - + 32 degrees C.
The rennet is soaked and infused in a clean enamel container in a warm place. After 2-3 days the starter is ready.

CALCULATION OF THE REQUIRED QUANTITY OF RENETN ENZYME
To calculate the amount of rennet required to curdle milk, you need to determine its strength in seconds. To do this, take a sample of 0.5 faceted glass from the prepared milk (+31 - +33 degrees C), stir quickly, pour one teaspoon of rennet solution into it and notice in the second hand of the clock when a clot forms.
Knowing the strength of the rennet solution in seconds, the need for it is calculated.
Suppose 20 kg of milk is needed to make cheese. This milk must be curdled in 20 minutes, or 1200 seconds. The sample showed a strength of 60 s. You will need a rennet solution:
20x60x0.1 =0.1 l (or 100ml)
1200

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR PREPARING CHEESE AT HOME
Most of the equipment for making cheese at home is always at hand, and the missing part is easy to purchase or make yourself.
Such equipment and materials include the following:
> cheese mold;
> piston;
> press,
> two large pots;
> filter (colander);
> thermometer; -
> spoon with a long handle;
> long knife;
> two pieces of gauze the size of one square! meter each;
> bricks (6-8 pieces);
> paraffin (0.5 kg).
Let's take a closer look at the main listed accessories.

CHEESE Mold
The simplest form for cheese can be made using a liter tin can (for example, from tomato paste), in the bottom of which you need to make holes with a nail.
The torn edges of the holes should be on the outside to avoid deformation of the cheese. The inner walls of the mold are lined with a piece of cloth, then the mold is filled with cheese mass and covered with a cloth on top - this way the mass will be prepared for pressing. Excess liquid will escape through the holes.

PISTON
The piston is a necessary part of the press. It is a circle of plywood about 1 cm thick or a piece of board of such a diameter that allows it to easily move inside the mold. The piston presses the cheese mass to the bottom, squeezes out excess whey, forming the density of the mass.

PRESS
You can buy a press, you can use a press for salting lard, or you can make it yourself in one day from several scraps of boards and a mop handle.
To make the press, take a piece of plywood or a board 2 cm thick and 25 cm wide. Saw it into two parts, each approximately 5 cm long. Drill a 2.5 cm hole in the center of one part. The squeezed whey will flow out through it. In the other, drill 2 holes opposite each other, also with a diameter of 2.5 cm, 5 cm away from the edges of the board. These holes should be of a size that will allow the mop handle to move freely through them.
Cut the handle into 3 parts: 2 45 cm and one 38 cm. Nail each 45 cm piece of the handle to the bottom board, stepping back 5 cm from the edge, focusing on the holes for them in the top board. Nail the third piece of the handle to the top board in the center of it, and attach the piston to the lower end of the handle.
Attach 2 wooden blocks to the bottom of the structure, or place the press on 2 bricks, raising it to a height that allows you to place a container under it to collect the squeezed whey.
A coffee can, a few boards and a mop handle can serve as material for making a press.

FILTER
The filter can be made from a large tin container with holes made in it, but a colander or large sieve will be more convenient to use.

THERMOMETER
It's best to have a floating thermometer like the one you use when cooking butter, although any other thermometer that is immersed in liquid will work.

GENERAL TECHNOLOGY FOR CHEESE PRODUCTION AT HOME
The cheese mass is placed on the top board in a container (mold) lined with fabric, which is then placed under a press. The ends of the fabric cover the mass from above.
The piston is inserted into the container, and 1-2 bricks are placed on the top board. The loaded piston weakly compresses the cheese mass, squeezing out the whey.
The weight can be increased to 4 bricks to get a denser cheese.
Two hot water containers with a volume of 24 l and 36 l, inserted into one another (like a boiler), are used as a container. It is recommended to use them due to their light weight and enamel coating on the walls, otherwise the aluminum will interact with the acid contained in the cottage cheese.
A 24-liter container holds at least 20 liters of milk. It is easy to handle and deep enough to cut the cottage cheese with a long kitchen knife.
To make cheese, you need raw goat's or cow's milk, starter culture, rennet and salt. If desired, you can tint the cheese with orange food coloring.
Raw whole milk from a goat or cow produces the richest cheese. You can also use skim milk. Often, to preserve milk, preserves are added to it. This alone worsens the curdling of milk.
In this case, it is better to use pasteurization.
Never use powdered milk. Firstly, it undergoes appropriate processing, and secondly, it produces “skinny” cheese. Use only fresh, high-quality milk from healthy animals.
Do not use milk from animals that have been given antibiotics less than three days ago. Even a small amount of antibiotics in milk suppresses the acid formation process in cheese.
Raw or pasteurized milk can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Before use, it is heated to room temperature and kept until a mature curdled mass containing lactic acid is formed, i.e. until sour.
-Sour milk should only have a slightly sour taste, because... Subsequently, during the ripening process, the amount of acid will increase. It is best to use milk from morning and evening milkings. Cool the evening milk to a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, otherwise too much acid may form when adding warm milk. Likewise, cool your morning milk before mixing it with your evening milk. If you use only morning milk, then it should be cooled to a temperature of 15-18 degrees C and kept for 3-4 hours. Otherwise, the required amount of acid will not be formed to obtain the desired taste, and the cheese will have a weak consistency.
If you are milking one cow or several goats, store the milk mixture in the refrigerator until you have collected 12-15 liters of milk.
If you decide to make cheese, select 10-12 liters of the best milk. Remember that from milk Low quality The result is cheese of the same quality.
From 4 liters of milk you get about 0.5 kg of hard, slightly more soft, or about one liter of homemade cheese.
Some types of starter must be used to cause enough acid to form to ensure good quality cheese.
Different starters give different flavors to the cheese. You can use buttermilk, yogurt or special starter powders. You can make your own homemade sourdough starter by leaving two cups of fresh milk at room temperature for 12-24 hours to curdle or sour.
A more complex, but also much more interesting, starter can be made by adding 1/8 of a stick of yeast to one cup of warm milk and leaving this mixture for a day. Then pour out half and again add one cup of warm milk. Every day for a week, pour out half mixture and add one cup of warm milk instead. Keep the starter in a warm place. On the last, seventh day, add two cups of warm milk to the mixture and leave it for another day. This starter is ripe and ready to use.
If you make cheese regularly, reserve two cups of sour milk from each previous batch of cheese. You can store them covered in the refrigerator for a week.
Allow the milk to sour so that a curd curd forms and the whey can be separated, which happens within 18-24 hours.
Some people prefer the taste and texture of homemade cheese made without rennet.
It has been noticed that in very warm weather, milk begins to spoil before it has time to curdle. In winter, milk curdles for quite a long time.
After you've made cheese a few times, you'll learn how much salt to add. Adding salt is necessary to obtain a good taste of the cheese. You can use regular table salt.
Do each technological operation carefully, and with a little training you will become a real cheese master. Over time, you will understand the intricacies of cheese making (the stages of milk ripening and their influence on the taste of the future cheese, the duration of heating of the curd and its effect on the structure of the product, the amount of salt, how the number of bricks for pressing is related to the moisture content, and also how the aging time of the cheese affects the pungency of its taste). All these details are reflected in the properties of the final product and determine the variety of taste and structure. The more you learn about this, the better the cheese you produce will be.

MAIN TYPES OF CHEESE PRODUCED AT HOME
There are three main types of cheese prepared at home:
> hard;
> soft;
> actually home.
In addition, there are recipes for homemade processed cheese.

HARD CHEESE
It is made on the basis of cottage cheese, separated from the whey, washed and squeezed. The resulting cottage cheese in the appropriate quantity is placed under a press and kept until the taste appears. Well-pressed and aged cheese is obtained within a month. You can eat hard cheese immediately, but it will taste better if you keep it longer.
The longer the aging, the sharper the taste of the cheese. The heavier the load applied, the denser its structure. The best hard cheese is made from whole milk.

SOFT CHEESE
It is made in the same way as hard, but the period of exposure under pressure is much shorter. This cheese is also not paraffin-coated and is aged only for a week or not aged at all.
Usually soft cheese can and should be eaten immediately after production or in the coming weeks. It cannot be stored as long as the hard version due to its high liquid content.
Soft cheeses can be made from either whole or skim milk.

HOMEMADE CHEESE
Homemade cheese is a soft cheese made from separated cottage cheese with a high water content; it cannot be stored for a long time. It is usually made from skim milk, but can also be made from whole milk. This cheese is the easiest to make compared to other types.

TECHNOLOGY FOR PREPARING HARD CHEESE
1. Heat the milk to 32 degrees C and add 2 cups of starter. Mix thoroughly for 2 minutes to distribute it evenly. Cover the container with milk and leave in a warm place overnight. Try milk in the morning. If the milk has a slight sour taste in the morning, move on to the next step. If you are not using rennet, skip the next step and let the milk sit for 18-24 hours until curds and whey form.
2. Add rennet in the amount of 1/2 teaspoon or one tablet dissolved in 1/2 cup of cold water to milk at room temperature. Mix the mixture thoroughly for 2 minutes. Cover the container with milk and leave for 30-40 minutes until the milk curdles.
3. As soon as a dense curd clot has formed and a little whey has separated, you can start cutting the curd. Using a clean long knife, cut it into 3x3 cm squares, lowering the knife to the bottom.
Make the first cuts every 3 cm, cutting the cheese into ribbons. Then tilt the knife as far as possible, cutting the mass perpendicular to the first cuts. Then turn the pan a quarter turn and repeat. Mix the pieces thoroughly with a long-handled wooden spoon or a paddle and cut up any pieces that turn out to be larger size, mix carefully, trying not to destroy the pieces.
4. Place the smaller container in a larger one filled with warm water, and heat the curdled mass very carefully, raising the temperature every 5 minutes by 2 degrees. Heat the water to 38 degrees C in 30-40 minutes, then maintain this temperature until until the mass reaches the desired density. Stir carefully to prevent the cubes from sticking together and forming a single lump. As the cubes become denser from heating, reduce the stirring frequency to help prevent sticking. Check the piece for tightness by gently squeezing it with your hand and quickly releasing it. If it easily breaks into pieces and the cubes do not stick together, then the mass is ready. Usually this state is achieved within 1.5-2.5 hours from the moment the rennet is introduced into the milk.
It is very important that the cheese is firm enough when you squeeze out the whey.
If the density is insufficient, the cheese will have a weak paste-like consistency, sour or other undesirable taste.
If the density is excessive, the cheese will turn out dry and tasteless.
Once the mixture has become dense enough, remove the container from the warm water.
5. Pour the curdled milk mass into a large container, the inside of which is lined with filter cloth. Then remove the fabric with its contents and place in a colander. It is convenient to use a five-liter container with holes as a colander.
When most of When the whey has separated, transfer the curd from the cloth into a container and tilt it from side to side for a while to release the remaining liquid. Stir occasionally to avoid forming a solid lump. To achieve better separation of liquid, mix the mixture with your hands. When the mass cools down to 32 degrees C, acquires the density of rubber and squeaks while chewing a small piece, you can add salt.
Save the whey. It is a very nutritious product and a good nutritional supplement for livestock. Many people drink it themselves or cook food with it.
6. Pour one or two tablespoons of salt into the mixture and mix well. As soon as the salt has dissolved and the mass has cooled to 30 degrees C, spoon the cheese into a mold lined with a cloth on the inside. Be sure to make sure that the mass has cooled to 30 degrees C.
7. When you have filled the cheese mold with the curd mass, bring the ends of the fabric lining the mold together at the top. Then insert the piston and put everything under the press. Start squeezing with 3-4 bricks in the first 10 minutes.
Then remove the plunger and let any serum that has accumulated inside drain out. Reinsert the plunger and add another brick. Repeat until the number of bricks reaches 6-8. When the mass has rested under the load of 6-8 bricks for an hour, the cheese is ready for wrapping.
8. Remove the bricks, remove the plunger and turn the mold upside down to remove the mixture. Pull firmly on the fabric to make it move easier. Remove the fabric from the formed mass, then immerse the mass in warm water to wash off the fat from its surface. Using your fingers, level and smooth out any holes and cracks to achieve a smooth surface. Then wipe dry.
Now cut a piece of fabric 5 cm wider and longer than the girth of the cheese so that you can wrap it with small reserve. Wrap the cheese tightly using two pieces of cloth in a circle shape so that the ends overlap. Place the cheese in the mold, place the plunger on it and press down with 6-8 bricks. Leave it like this for 18-24 hours.
9. Remove the cheese from the press. Remove the wrapping cloth and dry the surface with a clean, dry cloth. Look for holes or breaks in the piece. Wash with warm water or whey until the crust is hard. Seal holes and cracks in the head by placing them in water and smoothing them out with your fingers or a knife. Then place the cheese in a cool, dry cabinet. Turn and wipe it daily until the crust is dry. This usually happens in 3-5 days.
10. Heat 250 g of paraffin in a flat container to 80 degrees C. Its depth should be such that you can lower half the head of cheese at once. Heat paraffin only in a water bath, never using fire. Place the head in hot paraffin for 10 s. Leave for 1-2 minutes and let harden. Then fuse the other half. Make sure that the entire surface of the cheese is evenly covered with paraffin.
11. Turn the cheese over every day.
Wash the cabinet weekly, ventilate and dry it.
After about six weeks of aging at a temperature of 5-15 degrees C, the cheese will acquire a dense consistency and delicate taste.
You will get a sharp taste from the cheese if you keep it like this for 3-5 months or more. The lower the cheese storage temperature, the longer the aging period. Taste your cheese sometimes. You can cut the cheese into four equal parts before pouring paraffin, and use one of them for testing. Decide for yourself how long to age the cheese, guided only by your own taste.
As a rule, Colby cheese is ready in 30-90 days, cheddar - no earlier than 6 months, Romano - in about 5 months. Some cheeses are aged for only 3-5 weeks. You will find out the duration of aging by noting for yourself the time during which the cheese acquired the taste you like.

RECIPES FOR PREPARING HARD CHEESE
First recipe
Add 2 cups of starter to 4.5 liters of warm cow's milk. Cover and place the vessel in a warm place for 12-24 hours until the milk turns into curdled milk. Follow the basic directions from point 4 when heating the curd. Squeeze the whey as stated in step 7, bypassing step 6. Remove the cheese from the press, add 4 tbsp. spoons of butter and 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda. Chop with a knife until the cottage cheese turns into crumbs and the butter and soda are well mixed. Place the mixture tightly in a bowl or clay pot, pressing to the bottom, and leave in a warm place for 2.5 hours. Then transfer the mass to a form for heating the cheese, after adding 2/3 cup of sour cream and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Start heating slowly. Once the mixture is heated, start stirring. When all the additives are evenly distributed throughout the mixture, pour the mixture into a well-greased pot or bowl and refrigerate. This cheese is ready to eat as soon as it cools down. It can also be aged for 2 to 3 months.
Second recipe
This is a salted cheese made from sheep or goat milk such as feta cheese, Adyghe, Ossetian and other pickled cheeses. To make it, follow the directions, including step 7 - pressing the cheese, but skipping step 6 - adding salt. Press the cheese for 1 - 2 hours, then remove from the mold, cut into cubes and immerse in a salty solution (1/4 cup of salt per 1 liter of water). Leave the cheese in the solution for 24 hours. Then strain out the cubes, dry and place under the press again for 18 hours. The cheese is kept in a diluted salt solution (1/4 cup of salt per 2 liters of warm water) for 8-10 days. Well-aged cheese is white or cream in color.

RECIPES FOR PREPARING SOFT CHEESE
Soft cheese is usually of a delicate consistency and does not last long. Him short term excerpts. It is not coated with paraffin, but rather wrapped in wax paper and stored in the refrigerator until used. With few exceptions, soft cheeses are eaten within a week or so, i.e. as long as they taste the best.
The simplest soft cheese is ordinary cottage cheese.
Most cheeses have a creamy consistency because they are made by straining the whey through a cloth bag. Making soft cheeses is not as difficult as hard cheeses. Here are the most common soft cheese recipes.
First recipe
Bring 5 liters of milk to a boil. Cool until lukewarm and add half a liter of buttermilk and 3 beaten eggs. Stir gently for 1 minute, then let stand until a thick sediment forms. Strain everything through a tight bag to drain the whey. After 12 hours you will get delicious cheese.
Second recipe
Add 1 cup starter to 2 cups warm milk. Let the mixture sit for 24 hours. Then pour in 2 liters of warm milk and let the mixture curdle overnight. After this, heat in warm water in a water bath for 30 minutes and pour into a thick cloth bag.
Let the whey drain. After one hour, remove the cheese, add salt to taste and wrap in wax paper! This cheese can be used immediately for sandwiches or with dry biscuits. It must be kept in a cool place until use.
According to this recipe, along with 1 teaspoon of salt, you can add 1 liter of sour cream to the mass, and then hang this mixture for filtering in a cold place for 3 days.

RECIPES FOR MAKING HOMEMADE CHEESE
Homemade cheese can be eaten immediately after preparation as a low-calorie food product on its own or with the addition of sour cream. It is most delicious when chilled, but its shelf life is limited to one week in the refrigerator.
First recipe
Heat 4.5 liters of milk to 24-26 degrees C and add 1 cup of starter. Cover and leave in a warm place for 12-24 hours until curdled and a little whey on top.
Now cut the curd with a knife lengthwise and crosswise into centimeter cubes. Place the container with the mixture in a large bowl with warm water. Heat to 40 degrees C, stirring continuously so that the mass does not stick together. Don't overheat - watch the temperature carefully! Monitor the hardness of the cottage cheese particles by periodically tasting the mixture. Some people like soft cottage cheese, while others prefer hard granulated cottage cheese, so when the mass seems ready, pour it into a colander covered with a cloth and strain for 2 minutes. Having removed the fabric from the colander along with its contents, place it under running warm water and, gradually adding cold water, rinse off the whey. Place the mixture in a bowl, add salt and cream to taste and cool well before using.
Second recipe
Pour 1 cup of starter into 4.5 liters of fresh milk. Cover and leave overnight in a warm place. In the morning, add 1/2 tablet of rennet dissolved in 1/2 cup of water. Stir for 1 minute, cover and let stand for 45 minutes. Cut the curd into centimeter cubes, then heat in a water bath to 40 degrees C. Then continue as in the first recipe, when the mass heats up and reaches the density you need.

PREPARING PROCESSED CHEESE AT HOME
To prepare cheese you will need 3 liters of milk, 1 liter of sour cream, 5 eggs, 1 tbsp. spoon of salt and sugar.
Supplies you will need are cutting boards and a stone for pressing.
You need to boil the milk and beat the sour cream with the eggs so that you get a homogeneous mixture.
Salt and sugar are added to the boiling milk, and when it boils, pour the sour cream and egg mixture into it in a thin stream.
The resulting mixture should be heated over low heat, stirring until it curls. When a dense clot forms in the pan, you need to remove it from the heat and immediately place it in a colander lined with two layers of gauze.
When the whey has been partially decanted, the cheese mass is tied with gauze, the ends of which are straightened, and placed between two clean cutting boards, after which it is pressed down with a stone. When all the whey has been removed, the cheese can be considered ready. The whey can be used to knead the dough for pancakes.
The resulting cheese cannot be stored for a long time. It will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days.

RECIPES USING CHEESE

KHACHAPURI
> 0.5 liters of matsoni, 2 eggs, 0.5 teaspoons of salt, flour - as needed. > For the filling: 500 g cheese, 7-2 eggs, 100 g butter.
From matsoni (see the second section of the book for preparation) or curdled milk, from which most of the whey, eggs, salt and wheat flour have been previously strained, knead a soft dough (sometimes baking powder - soda is added to the dough), divide into 4 parts. Roll each into thin pancake layers, somewhat thicker than for noodles (the size of the frying pan in which the khachapuri will be baked). Spread the prepared filling on each layer with a layer of about 0.5 cm, place the same layer of a smaller diameter on top and pinch the edges tightly. Khachapuri can also be open like a cheesecake, then it is baked in the oven.
Grease a cast iron frying pan, place the khachapuri on it seam side down, close the lid and bake for 8-10 minutes. When one side is browned, turn it over and continue baking, but do not cover it with the lid.
Grease the finished khachapuri with oil and serve hot. Preparing the filling. Pre-soak the pickled cheese (Imereti, Chanakh, Kobi, feta cheese), cut it into slices up to 1 cm thick, put in an enamel bowl and fill with cold water. Depending on the degree of salinity, soaking lasts from 2 to 5 hours. Then squeeze the cheese through a napkin, chop (grind, mince), add butter and egg.

CROQUETTES WITH CHEESE AND SEMALOIN
> For 1/2 liter of milk: 100 g semolina, / egg, 100 g grated cheese, 2 cm. "spoons of butter, ground crackers, salt, pepper - to taste.
Boil thick semolina porridge in milk, add an egg, grated hard cheese, salt and pepper to taste and mix everything, apply the porridge in a layer of about 1.5 cm on the board and cool. Cut the cooled porridge into squares, roll in grated cheese and breadcrumbs and fry in butter.

CHEESE STICKS
The cheese is cut into slices 2-3 cm thick and then into oblong sticks.
Each stick can be decorated in different ways: by placing a radish, a piece of egg, sprats, a piece of pineapple on the cheese and whatever the hostess’s taste and imagination dictate.

PEPPERS STUFFED WITH CHEESE CHEESE AND EGGS
> 1 kg pepper, 500 g feta cheese, 5 eggs, 150 g butter and ground red pepper.
For strong, straight pepper pods, cut the upper wide part not completely, in the form of a lid, remove the stem with seeds, and open the lids. Mash the cheese and pour the eggs into it. You can add a little red pepper for coloring. Fill the pepper pods with this mixture and cover them with lids so that the filling does not fall out when frying. Heat a little oil in a suitable bowl and brown the stuffed peppers on all sides, then put them in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Serve hot (and if cooked at vegetable oil, then you can do it cold).

CHEESE QUENELS
> 250 g grated cheese, 100 g semolina, 4 eggs.
Grind the yolks, mix with grated cheese and semolina, add salt, let stand for 2-3 hours. Then mix with the beaten whites and place on a wet napkin, giving the mixture the shape of a roller. Wrap tightly in a napkin, tie the ends tightly and, securing the edge with thread, place the roll in boiling salted water. When the roll floats to the surface, carefully remove it by unrolling the napkin. Cut the roll into round pieces, place on a plate and pour over the sauce.

CAKES WITH CHEESE
> 300 g shortcrust pastry, 200 g cheese, 1 glass of milk, 1 cm. spoon of flour, South butter, 2 eggs, a pinch of salt, pepper.
Place 5mm thick dough on a greased baking tray and cover it with thinly sliced or grated cheese. Spread the top with custard made from milk, flour, eggs with salt and pepper. The pan should be covered 3/4 of the way up. Bake for 20 minutes in the oven. Cut the finished pie into cakes.

COOKIES WITH CHEESE
> a glass of wheat flour, 7 1/4 cups of grated cheese, 100 g of butter, 3 cm. spoons of thick cream 20% fat, salt and red pepper to taste, 1 egg.
Mix wheat flour, grated cheese, butter, cream, add salt, red pepper and knead everything thoroughly; Leave the resulting dough for 3 hours to mature, then roll it out into a layer and cut out round cakes with a small glass. Brush them with beaten egg and bake in the oven.

The food market in our country is very diverse and is represented by a large assortment of different products. Despite the apparent saturation, budding businessmen may well create good competition for existing food manufacturers. One of these products, the production of which can be a profitable investment, is cheese products. Cheese production today is one of the most profitable directions in the food industry.

Brief business analysis:
Costs of setting up a business:700,000 - 1,000,000 rubles
Relevant for cities with the population: no limits
Industry situation:high competition
Difficulty of organizing a business: 3/5
Payback: 10 - 12 months

Advantages and disadvantages of this business

Cheese production has the following advantages:

this product is in demand in our country - according to statistics on cheese consumption per capita, we are in the top thirty in the world ranking;
after the import substitution program, the amount of cheese on the shelves retail outlets decreased significantly due to the cessation of import of the product from abroad, and therefore the resulting niche can play into the hands of novice businessmen;
raw materials for cheese production are not expensive and are widely available in our country.

Naturally, as when opening any business, the following risks may arise when producing cheese:

oversaturation of the sales market in some regions of the country. Before starting production, it is necessary to carefully study the market for similar products in order to assess the possibility of competition with existing manufacturers;
fairly short shelf life finished products, as well as the need to control temperature conditions in warehouses;
possible release risk low quality products due to insufficiently high levels of raw materials used in production.

Business options

When opening a cheese production workshop, you can set up a mini-production at home or a large-scale workshop that produces a wide range of finished products in large volumes.

The choice and determination of production capacity may depend on the following factors:

magnitude starting capital businessman;
the desire of the entrepreneur himself to associate himself with high risks, but, at the same time, provide himself with large profits;
presence of experience in this field or a team of qualified specialists;
the existence of a raw material base close to the location of the workshop;
the need for your cheeses in the finished product market.

Necessary documents for starting a business

To open and legally operate a business in the cheese production industry, the following documents will be required:

certificate of state registration as an individual entrepreneur or legal entity;
certificate of registration as a tax payer;
when renting a finished premises - a lease agreement with all documents confirming the rights of the owner;
during the construction of a workshop - approval of the construction project, a documented conclusion on the allocation of a site for construction;
permission to commission the facility allocated for the workshop premises;
technological production maps (finished product recipes indicating the parameters of all operations);
documentary approval of the product range that will be produced by the designed workshop;
an approved list of equipment installed at the enterprise, as well as data on employees and their medical examinations;
contract for the removal of technical and household waste;
contract for disinfection of the workshop;
a positive conclusion from the fire inspection and the SES on the possibility of launching the workshop.

Before you start producing cheese, you should first of all take care of the quality of the raw materials used for this. The main raw materials used in this industry are:

regular and skim milk;
cream;
food grade pepsin;
biological and bacterial starter cultures;
table salt;
sodium and potassium nitrate.

Cheese production technology may vary depending on the type of starting product. General scheme of cheese making looks like this:

the stage of preparing raw materials (milk) for subsequent coagulation. If there is a small amount of raw material, in order to obtain a higher yield of the finished product, it must contain as much protein as possible. Milk is subjected to purification, cooling, pasteurization and separation;
stage of cheese ripening. In specially designed boilers, the cheese grain is formed, for which the milk is brought to a certain temperature, starter cultures, special enzymes and calcium chloride are added. The resulting mixture matures for up to 14 hours, then coagulates;
formation stage. At this stage, the curd is given the required density and excess moisture is released. Next, at a low temperature, cheeses with eyes of the required shape are formed;
pressing stage. After this stage, the cheese has a perfectly smooth and even surface without pores. In the production of soft cheeses, this operation is either completely absent or carried out in less time (maximum a week);
ambassador. After shaping, the cheese is salted in special containers or basins filled with a saturated salt solution. For hard cheeses, the salting time is several days, for soft cheeses – up to several hours;
drying and ripening. Occurs in chambers with a set temperature, humidity and air speed with constant turning. At the end the cheese is covered with a special protective coating.

Selection of suitable premises

When choosing premises for organizing a cheese production workshop, the following factors should be taken into account:

the area of the premises, depending on the production capacity, should be from 20 square meters;
hot and cold water supply must be present;
the workshop must be equipped with a heating, ventilation and sewage system;
Natural lighting must be present; if it is absent or insufficient, it is compensated by artificial lighting;
the configuration of the premises must ensure that there is no overlap between raw materials and finished products;
there must be convenient access for the supply of raw materials and removal of finished products.

Required equipment

To open a cheese production workshop you will need the following equipment:

containers for raw materials and finished products;
technological tables;
racks;
pasteurization bath;
paraffiner for coating finished cheese;
press;
cheese molds of the required configuration;
refrigeration units for storing raw materials for production and finished cheese.

Selection of assortment

When selecting a range of finished products, you should be guided by technical capabilities premises and equipment, as well as the demand for a particular finished product.

In general, cheese producers can produce the following products:

according to the specifics of production technology (rennet, brine, fermented milk and whey);
by production method (hard, soft and fused);
by type of raw material (cow, goat, sheep, etc.);
by the presence of additional processing operations (with spices, with additives of plant and animal origin, with mold, smoked).

Necessary raw materials and search for suppliers

The following requirements are imposed on the quality of raw materials to obtain a product that meets all the necessary indicators:

milk used for production must be obtained exclusively from healthy cows;
milk acidity readings must be no less than 6.8;
the fat content of milk cannot exceed 3.5%, and the protein composition is not less than 3% of the total mass;
milk cannot contain antibiotics;
the temperature of the raw materials upon acceptance should not exceed 12 degrees.

The search for suppliers should be carried out among those available near the workshop farms, and the closer they are located, the less costs will be incurred for its transportation.

Staff

To open a workshop you will need the following workers and specialists:

production technologist;
workshop foreman;
equipment operators;
veterinarian;
support workers;
cleaners;
purchasing and sales managers;
accountant-cashier.

Advertising and product distribution channels

The main buyers of the products produced by the cheese-making workshop can be:

population as the final consumer;
regular shops and supermarkets;
catering establishments;
wholesale companies specializing in the sale of cheeses.

To promote manufactured products on the market, you can carry out the following actions:

opening a company store;
visiting shops and supermarkets with price lists and product samples;
carrying out various promotions to reduce prices, as well as tasting their products at retail outlets;
“cold” advertising calls to potential buyers;
creating your own website, which will contain information about the range of cheeses and prices.

Financial costs for production

To start cheese production you will need the following minimum investments.

One-time costs:

purchase industrial equipment– from 550 thousand rubles;
business registration – from 10 thousand rubles;
repair and preparation of the premises for the launch of production - from 100 thousand rubles;
personnel training – from 30 thousand rubles.

The total amount will be from 690 thousand rubles.

Monthly production costs will be:

premises rental – from 30 thousand rubles;
payment for water, electricity – from 20 thousand rubles;
workers' salary – from 100 thousand rubles;
purchase of raw materials for production - from 100 thousand rubles;
other expenses – from 50 thousand rubles.

total amount monthly production costs can range from 300 thousand rubles.

Approximate calculation of profit, return on investment

The amount of future income, as well as the efficiency of investing in opening a cheese production workshop, can be determined by the following main economic indicators:

profit from the sale of manufactured products;
level of profitability;
payback period of capital investments.

As practice shows, the level of profitability of this business depends on large quantity factors and initial production parameters and is at the level of 10-15% depending on various types of factors and can bring a monthly profit of 200 thousand rubles or more and pay off in less than a year.

You need to understand that economic indicators, depending on various factors, can change significantly and only the hard and coordinated work of your team will help you get a stable profit.

The history of organizing a specific cheese business

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A profitable type of business in Russia is cheese production. This healthy product will always be in guaranteed demand, as it is an important part of every person’s healthy diet. The cheese business can become a promising, in-demand business. This became especially relevant under the conditions of sanctions, when the Russian government restricted the import of these products from abroad.

Many entrepreneurs start this business already having necessary knowledge and certain experience. They know many of the nuances and features of this production process. Others start their cheese production business from scratch.

Creating a business plan

The first step in starting your own business should always be drawing up a thorough business plan. It sets the main directions of all your further actions in order to develop production. This document makes it possible to determine the size of the initial financial investment, formulate the correct assortment, intelligently think through the pricing policy, plan the volume of goods produced and the possibility of its sale, predict consumer demand, and identify problems that may arise.

When developing a business plan, you should determine strategic priorities in pricing, and also think about finding a niche in the sales market. To do this, you need to study consumer demand for this product in the market in all its segments. Initially, cheese can be sold in the region where the enterprise for its production is located. Later, when volumes are increased, the sales market can be expanded.

Registration of permits

It should be taken into account that in order to open cheese production as a business, it is necessary to obtain numerous permits, including obtaining certificates of various kinds.

First of all, you need to obtain the main document giving the right to maintain entrepreneurial activity- registration certificate. You will receive all permits from the relevant authorities.

Product range

You need to decide the main question: will your company produce new varieties of cheese products or well-known ones that are in demand. Your choice will determine your business development strategy.

Considering technological process production, natural cheeses are classified into fermented milk and rennet products. The production of the former occurs by fermenting milk using starter culture. In the production of the second type of cheese, milk is curdled with rennet.

What types of cheese are traditionally represented in Russian retail chains?

Hard rennets: Dutch, Russian, Parmesan, Edam.
Soft fermented milk or rennet cheeses.
Pickle drinks, which contain a lot table salt: cheese, Adyghe, sulguni.
Semi-solid rennet products: Roquefort.

Cheese business and start-up capital

To organize a cheese production business you need considerable cash. Therefore, to begin with, in order to accumulate starting capital, you can choose various available business forms in this domain:

produce, supply and fulfill primary processing milk and butter;
melt cheeses;
produce fillers and flavoring additives for cheese products;
ensure the preparation of raw materials and deep processing of milk;
store and age cheeses in refrigeration and climate control units;
create specialized packaging for various types of cheese;
implement wholesale supplies in retail sales networks.

Determination of pricing policy

To determine the price range for your product that is acceptable to consumers, you need to study competitors' prices. And only after this can the final figures be established. This is very important, since a mistake in this matter will entail significant losses, which will nullify all your efforts to open a cheese business.

Making cheese at home

This recipe for making delicious homemade cheese is suitable for treating family and guests. Producing 0.5 kg of such cheese at home will cost you 300 rubles. But this method is not suitable for organizing a cheese business, since it requires continuous high-tech conveyor production.

Cheese product manufacturing technology

This process occurs under the influence of microflora and enzymes. For example, Russian hard cheeses are made from high-quality cottage cheese. It is separated from the whey, squeezed out and kept under pressure for about one month. The finished product will be denser if a heavy weight is used. For cheese to be of high quality, it must be ripened at low temperatures. Hard cheese more in demand among consumers than soft cheeses.

Most quality species cheeses are made from whole milk. To produce a soft product, the same technology is used, but the pressing stage is either eliminated or lasts less - no more than a week. Soft cheese contains a lot of liquid.

Stages of cheese product production

First, the milk is prepared for curdling. After weighing and quality tests, it is cleaned, cooled, pasteurized and separated.
Then the cheese grain is produced in special boilers and baths. The milk is heated, starter, enzyme, calcium chloride are added and the cheese grain is kneaded.
To ripen it, it is kept at the right temperature for up to 14 hours and enzymes are added so that it curdles in about an hour.
The finished protein clot is further processed to make it elastic and durable. Excess moisture is removed from it during the heating process. The finished cheese grain acquires the required density.
Next, at a low temperature, cheeses are formed from the finished mass in cheese containers, which have a characteristic pattern in the form of empty round eyes. The finished product is given the required dimensions and shape of a cylinder, ball, square, rectangle, etc.
Then this product is pressed, after which it acquires a perfectly smooth, even surface without pores.
After this, the molded cheese is salted in special containers, pools filled with a saturated solution of table salt. Soft cheeses stay there for only a short time, hard cheeses – for several days.
The salted cheese product is dried on special racks and sent to ripen in special chambers, where it is constantly turned over, and the surface is covered with a protective coating of paraffin or polymer film.

Equipment and raw materials for cheese production

All necessary equipment for each stage of cheese product production must be purchased: refrigerators, baths, containers, etc. Needs to be equipped industrial premises for the step-by-step creation of products that comply with regulatory requirements.

Since natural milk is used as the raw material, the cheesemaker must enter into detailed agreements for its supply with farmers and dairy farms. These documents indicate all necessary requirements to the quality of milk, supply volumes, payment procedures and delivery method.

Profitability calculation

It makes sense to open a profitable business in those regions of Russia where you will be able to profitably and constantly purchase raw materials.

One of the expense items will be payment wages employees.

To purchase a cheese production plant along with equipment and raw materials, you need an investment of about 30 million rubles, which you can recoup in about four years. Not everyone has the opportunity to find such funds.

That's why good option may be the acquisition of a mini-workshop for the production of cheese, the price of which is about 100 thousand rubles. This enterprise, which has a small area of up to 15 m², is capable of producing about 20 kg of cheese per day from 200 liters of milk. Taking into account raw materials and electricity, the initial costs will be approximately 130 thousand rubles. The profitability of such a mini-workshop will be up to 25%.

Under sanctions, not only the production of products from our own raw materials, but also farming becomes relevant. Read further in our article about how profitable goose farming is.

Later, you can purchase a larger mini-workshop at a price ranging from 190 thousand to 770 thousand rubles. with a productivity of up to 200 kg per day, the profitability of which is about 32%.

Organizing a cheese business is a complex and troublesome task. It is impossible to do without suppliers of raw materials, specialists and workers. Strict adherence to production technology is necessary. Production facilities and equipment should be maintained in proper condition. We need a lot of money as start-up capital.

However, if all necessary conditions are carefully observed, a conscientious producer of cheese products will not only have good income, but also an excellent reputation among consumers of this healthy and tasty food product.