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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Savoie, France

Beaufort PDOBeaufort

Raw whole milk from Tarine and Abondance cows is set in a copper vat at 32–35 °C, cut and cooked to 53–56 °C, then moulded in a wooden hoop that gives the wheel its concave side. The wheels are brined for a day and ripen for at least five months at 6–12 °C under a smear rind. Made in 7 steps over 5.8 months. The longest step, ripen, takes at least 5 months (INAO 2024) and runs at 6–12 °C (INAO 2024). Thermophilic lactic starter, mostly lactobacilli does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 5 monthsSet[beaufort-cdc-2024][beaufort-cdc-2010]Ripen
Temperature6–12 °CSet[beaufort-cdc-2024][beaufort-cdc-2010]Ripen

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe rules fix the ingredients and the temperatures but no amounts. A wheel weighs 20–70 kg.
Raw whole cow milk · Never heated above 40 °C before renneting; from one or two consecutive milkings[beaufort-cdc-2024]
Thermophilic lactic starter · Mostly lactobacilli, grown in the dairy's own whey (recuite)[beaufort-cdc-2024]
Rennet · The only coagulant; grown with the starter in whey with calf stomach (caillette). Commercial rennet may set up to 30 % of the milk in the vat[beaufort-cdc-2024]
Salt · As near-saturated brine, then rubbed on the rind[beaufort-cdc-2024]
Starter: thermophilic lactobacilli grown in whey with calf stomach, which also supplies the rennet

Total time across the recorded steps: 5.8 months

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
up to 40 °C

What changes: Starting material: raw whole milk from Tarine and Abondance cows

Step 1 of 7
Bring in raw milk from one or two milkings
Time
up to 20 h
Set
Temperature
up to 40 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactobacilli
Corynebacteria

Renneting must start before 12:00 for the morning make and before 23:00 for the evening make. Output: raw whole milk in the vat.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

native raw-milk flora; the milk is never pasteurised

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Beaufort has no eyes, unlike Emmentaler, and its wooden hoop gives the wheel a concave side. "Été" wheels are made from June to October; "chalet d'alpage" wheels are also made twice a day in a chalet above 1500 m from one herd.

Milk
Raw whole cow milk from Tarine and Abondance herds
Ripening
At least 5 months at 6–12 °C
Size
20–70 kg, 35–75 cm across, 11–16 cm high at the concave side
Composition
At least 48 % fat in dry matter and at least 61 % dry matter when ripe

Related ferments

Variants

  • Beaufort étéMade from June to October, including from alpine milk.
  • Beaufort chalet d'alpageMade June to October, twice a day, in a chalet above 1500 m with milk from one herd.

Safety

The PDO rules set the cook temperature and a minimum of five months of ripening for a raw-milk cheese.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

  1. [beaufort-cdc-2024] INAO 2024, Cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine protégée « Beaufort », amendment approved by the national committee on 20 June 2024spec
  2. [beaufort-cdc-2010] INAO 2010, Cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine « Beaufort », version 14 of 8 November 2010spec