The book of cheese by Charles Thom and W. W. Fisk

(4 User reviews)   3650
By John White Posted on Dec 22, 2025
In Category - Aviation
Fisk, W. W. (Walter Warner), 1888-1979 Fisk, W. W. (Walter Warner), 1888-1979
English
Hey, have you ever thought about how cheese gets from the farm to your fridge? I just read this fascinating book that's basically a detective story about dairy. It's not a cookbook—it's the true account of how two scientists in the early 1900s basically saved American cheese. They were on a mission to figure out why so much cheese was going bad, spoiling, or just tasting weird. It turns out, the culprit was invisible! This book follows their hunt to identify the good and bad microbes that make or break a wheel of cheddar. It's a story of science, food safety, and the quest for the perfect slice that changed what we eat. You'll never look at a cheese platter the same way again.
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together into synoptical form our knowledge of groups of varieties. These groups are then discussed separately. The problems of factory building, factory organization, buying and testing milk, and the proper marketing of cheese, are briefly discussed. Such a discussion should be useful to the student, to the beginner in cheese-making, as a reference book on many varieties in the hands of makers who specialize in single varieties, and to the housekeeper or teacher of domestic science. The material has been brought together from the experience of the writers, supplemented by free use of the literature in several languages. Standard references to this literature are added in the text. No introduction to the subject of cheese should fail to mention the work of J. H. Monrad, who has recently passed away. Mr. Monrad never collected his material into a single publication, but his contributions to cheese-making information, scattered widely in trade literature over a period of thirty years, form an encyclopedia of the subject. Bulletins of the Agricultural Experiment Stations and United States Department of Agriculture have been quoted extensively, with citation of the sources of the material. Personal assistance from Professor W. A. Stocking and other members of the Dairy Department of Cornell University, and C. F. Doane of the United States Department of Agriculture, is gladly acknowledged. Students cannot learn out of books to make cheese. They may, however, be aided in understanding the problems from such study. To make cheese successfully they must have intimate personal touch with some person who knows cheese. Sympathetic relations with such a teacher day by day in the cheese-room are essential to success in making cheese which, at its best, is one of the most attractive of food-products. THE AUTHORS. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGES GENERAL STATEMENT ON CHEESE 1-4 Nature of cheese, 1; Cheese-making as an art, 2; Cheese-making as a science, 3; Problems in cheese-making, 4; History, 5. CHAPTER II THE MILK IN ITS RELATION TO CHEESE 5-28 Factors affecting the quality, 6; Chemical composition, 7; Factors causing variation in composition, 8; Milk constituents, 9; Water, 10; Fat, 11; Casein, 12; Milk-sugar, 13; Albumin, 14; Ash, 15; Enzymes, 16; The flavor of feeds eaten by the cow, 17; Absorption of odors, 18; Effect of condition of the cow, 19; Bacteria in the milk, 20; Groups of bacteria in milk, 21; Acid fermentation of milk, 22; Bacterium lactis-acidi group, 23; Colon-aërogenes group, 24; Acid peptonizing group, 25; Bacillus bulgaricus group, 26; Acid cocci or weak acid-producers, 27; Peptonizing organisms, 28; Inert types, 29; Alkali-producing bacteria, 30; Butyric fermenting types, 31; Molds and yeasts, 32; Bacterial contamination of milk, 33; Germicidal effect of milk, 34; Sources and control of bacteria in milk, 35; The cow, 36; Stable air, 37; The milker, 38; Utensils, 39; The factory, 40; The control of bacteria, 41; Fermentation test, 42; The sediment test, 43. CHAPTER III COAGULATING MATERIALS 29-40 Ferments, 44; Nature of rennet, 45; Preparation of rennet extract, 46; Pepsin, 47; Chemistry of curdling, 48; Use of acid, 49; Robertson's theory, 50; Rennet curd, 51; Hammarsten's theory, 52; Duclaux theory, 53; Bang's theory, 54; Bosworth's theory, 55. CHAPTER IV LACTIC STARTERS 41-54 Acidifying organisms, 56; Starter, 57; Natural starter, 58; Commercial starter or pure cultures, 59; Manufacturer's directions, 60; Selecting milk, 61; Pasteurization, 62; Containers, 63; Adding cultures, 64; Cleanliness, 65; "Mother" starter or startoline, 66; Examining starter, 67; Second day's propagation, 68; Preparations of larger amount of starter, 69; Amount of mother starter to use, 70; Qualities, 71; How to carry the mother starter, 72; Starter score-cards, 73; Use of starter, 74; The amount...

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Okay, let's clear something up right away. Based on the title, you might think this is a collection of recipes or a guide to fancy cheeses. It's not. 'The Book of Cheese' is a scientific adventure story. Published in 1918, it documents the real-life work of bacteriologists Charles Thom and Walter Fisk.

The Story

In the early 20th century, American cheese making was in trouble. Production was huge, but quality was wildly inconsistent. Cheeses would develop strange flavors, weird colors, or just rot from the inside out, causing massive financial losses. Thom and Fisk were hired as food detectives. Their job was to enter cheese factories and aging caves to find out what was going wrong. Using the new science of microbiology, they collected samples, peered through microscopes, and ran experiments. They discovered that the world of cheese was a battlefield of invisible fungi and bacteria. Some were essential for creating flavor, while others were destructive invaders. This book is their field report, cataloging these microbial heroes and villains and giving cheese makers the knowledge to control them.

Why You Should Read It

What grabbed me was the sheer passion for problem-solving. Thom and Fisk weren't just lab scientists; they were down in the cellars, getting their hands dirty (sometimes literally). The book turns something ordinary—cheese—into a landscape of mystery and discovery. You get a real sense of the 'Aha!' moments as they connected a specific mold to a blue vein in Roquefort or pinpointed the bacteria that caused a bitter taste. It makes you appreciate that every bite of consistent, safe cheese we eat today rests on this kind of foundational work.

Final Verdict

Perfect for food history nerds, science enthusiasts who love real-world applications, or anyone with a curiosity about where their food really comes from. It's a niche read, but if the idea of 'microbial forensics in the dairy industry' sparks your interest, you'll find it utterly absorbing. Think of it as the surprising prequel to every cheese plate you've ever enjoyed.



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Charles Perez
11 months ago

Clear and concise.

Mark Jones
6 months ago

Amazing book.

Noah Jones
1 year ago

Wow.

Joseph Lewis
1 year ago

This is one of those stories where the content flows smoothly from one chapter to the next. A valuable addition to my collection.

4
4 out of 5 (4 User reviews )

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