Brick cheese
Brick cheese is a cheese originating in Wisconsin, United States, made in brick-shaped form due to using actual bricks to form the shape. The color ranges from pale yellow to white with an orange rind. When unaged, this cheese has a sweet, mild flavor and is suitable for melting; after aging it has a stronger smell and a nuttier taste.
Origins
Brick cheese was originally produced in Wisconsin beginning in 1877. The cheese-making process was derived from white American Cheddar that is cultured at a slightly higher temperature, which results in a marginally higher fat content and a slightly altered protein structure. The resultant "brick cheese" has a slightly softer texture.Culturing
Brevibacterium linens grows on the surface of brick cheese, making it surface-ripened. Brevibacterium linens is also the bacterium responsible for the aging of Limburger cheese and many French cheese varieties. Cheesemakers often refer to the growth of the bacteria as a "smear" and this process is known as smear-ripening. This is reflected in the Brevibacterium's species name linens which is Latin for 'besmearing'.The cheese is placed on wooden shelves, then gets washed with a whey-and-water mixture and turned. It can stay in cold storage up to five months, and is considered ready for consumption after two weeks have passed.