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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from United States

Colby

Cow milk is soured with lactic bacteria and set with rennet, and the curd is cut, stirred and heated. Part of the whey is drained and cold water is added while stirring, which washes out milk sugar and keeps the curd from matting. The curd is then drained, salted and pressed into forms. Made in 5 steps over 2 months. The longest step, ripen cold, takes at least 2 months (US Code of Federal Regulations) and runs at at least 2 °C (US Code of Federal Regulations). Lactic acid bacteria does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 2 monthsSet[cfr-colby]Ripen cold
Temperatureat least 2 °CSet[cfr-colby]Ripen cold
AciditypH 5.1 → 5.4Measured[lee2011]Ripen cold
Fully documentedCheese2 monthsUS standard of identity (21 CFR 133.118)Family: Washed-curd cheese family (Gouda as template)More washed-curd cheesesMore from United States

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe US standard fixes the steps and the composition, not the amounts.
Cow milk · May be pasteurised, clarified or warmed; its fat may be adjusted[cfr-colby]
Lactic acid bacteria · Present in the milk or added[cfr-colby]
Rennet · Or another milk-clotting enzyme; calcium chloride up to 0.02 % of the milk weight[cfr-colby]
Cold water · Added to the curd to cool and wash it; 10 °C in one study[cfr-colby][lee2011]
Salt[cfr-colby]
Colouring (optional) · Harmless colouring may be added[cfr-colby]
Starter: lactic acid bacteria present in the milk or added

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 months

Start
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shapes, not to countLactic acid bacteria

What changes: Lactic bacteria and rennet go into the milk and it sets

Step 1 of 5
Sour the milk and set it with rennet
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria

Output: coagulum.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
soft gel
Colour
white, or orange if coloured

Microbes at work in this step

lactic acid bacteria sour the milk; rennet sets it

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

Colby curd is not cheddared into slabs. Part of the whey is replaced with cold water while the curd is stirred, which washes out lactose and keeps the pieces apart. With less lactose left, less lactic acid forms during ripening.

Milk
Cow milk, pasteurised or raw; raw-milk cheese is cured at least 60 days
Composition
US standard: no more than 40 % moisture; at least 50 % milkfat in the solids
Ripening
US standard: at least 60 days at no less than 35 °F if the milk is not pasteurised

Related ferments

Variants

  • Colby-JackColby and Monterey Jack curds pressed together into a marbled block.

History and sources

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

  1. [cfr-colby] US Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 133.118 Colby cheese (standard of identity)gov
  2. [lee2011] Lee M.R., Johnson M.E., Govindasamy-Lucey S., Jaeggi J.J., Lucey J.A. 2011, Effect of different curd-washing methods on the insoluble Ca content and rheological properties of Colby cheese during ripening, Journal of Dairy Science 94:2692–2700, doi:10.3168/jds.2010-3753paper
  3. [lee2010] Lee M.R., Johnson M.E., Govindasamy-Lucey S., Jaeggi J.J., Lucey J.A. 2010, Insoluble calcium content and rheological properties of Colby cheese during ripening, Journal of Dairy Science 93:1844–1853, doi:10.3168/jds.2009-2734paper
  4. [yousef1988] Yousef A.E., Marth E.H. 1988, Behavior of Listeria monocytogenes during the manufacture and storage of Colby cheese, Journal of Food Protection 51:12–15, doi:10.4315/0362-028X-51.1.12paper