CHEESE TRIER — This little but valuable tool is used by cheesemakers, cheese graders and competition judges answering numerous questions below the surface of cheese — grade, appearance, texture, maturity, smell and flavor without opening a wheel, block or barrel of cheese. The trier, now made entirely of stainless steel, is based on an antique Dutch cheese iron and is available in numerous sizes. Cheesemaking isn’t guesswork and sometimes necessary to see the readiness and what is going on inside. When inserted into the cheese and turned, the trier pulls out a core sample revealing the answers to the question(s) of those taking a sample. After determining the required information the plug is placed back into the hole and on occasion mended with wax. Triers are also used for butter and large barrels of cheese. At a time when Swiss cheese was the majority of production, the grader came into the factory to determine the grade which was an A, B, C, or D basically taking into consideration the formation of the eyes/holes which determined price. -Photo supplied by the National Historic Cheesemaking Center