The cheesemaker's tools and the processing phases, the custodians of a centuries-old tradition

Conciseness and precision are key in the dairy. Processing Parmigiano Reggiano requires a mix of traditional and modern equipment, but the heart of the process remains artisanal.

Here is the essential equipment divided by production phases.

🥛 1. Processing Phase (Cooking and Coagulation)

This is the most delicate and visible phase, which takes place inside the processing room, or "boiler room".

• Copper Boiler : This is the central piece of equipment. It must be made of copper (traditionally in the shape of an inverted bell), which is an excellent heat conductor and allows the cheesemaker to precisely control the thermal stages of the process (from curdling to cooking at approximately 55°C).
  
• Spino : A long tool with metal rings (formerly thorny branches, hence the name) used to break the curd into tiny granules, similar to grains of rice. The size of the granules is crucial for drying the cheese.
  
• Wooden/Steel Paddle : Used to lift and stir the curd at the bottom of the boiler, especially during the cooking phase, to ensure uniform heating.
  
• Spannarola : A long, wide ladle, used to remove the fat that has risen from the milk (for the production of butter) before the rennet is added, and for the final collection of the curds.
  
• Telani di Telate (Fasce Telate): Large cotton or linen cloths used to collect the cooked cheese mass, which is lifted from the bottom of the boiler in a single shape, called a "fagotto".

🗜️ 2. Forming and Branding Phase

Once removed from the boiler, the cheese must assume its characteristic shape and receive the identification marks.

• Fascera : It is the cylindrical tool that gives the wheel its final shape.
  * Formative Band (or "Cage"): It is used in the first few hours to give the initial cylindrical shape, often with the help of weights or pneumatic presses for the initial draining of the whey.
  * Branding Band: Made of food-grade plastic (or metal), it bears a raised dotted logo with the words "PARMIGIANO REGGIANO," the dairy's serial number, and the month/year of production. This band imprints crucial information on the rind before it hardens.
  
• Casein Plate (or Casein Tag): A disc with a unique alphanumeric code that is applied to each individual wheel, ensuring traceability from the very first hours of life.
  
• Draining Tables/Banquets : Stainless steel or wooden worktops, equipped with channels, on which the cheeses are left to form and drain off excess whey.

🧂 3. Salting and Storage Phases

• Salting Tank (Salina): Large concrete or stainless steel tanks filled with saturated brine (water and sea salt) where the cheeses remain immersed (typically for 18-25 days) to absorb the salt necessary for maturing and crust formation.
  
• Salting Grids/Carts : Structures used to keep the cheeses immersed and to move them within the salt pan.
  
• Seasoning Racks (Shelves): Large, sturdy wooden structures (traditionally made of fir wood) on which the cheeses are arranged, cleaned and periodically turned for the long seasoning period (minimum 12 months).

🔨 4. Control Tools (After 12 Months)

These tools are essential for the Battitore (the Consortium expert) who verifies the quality.

• Hammer : A small, long-handled hammer used to tap the wheel in various places. The expert cheesemaker listens to the sound it makes: a hollow sound indicates internal defects (cracks or bubbles); a full sound indicates the perfect consistency of the cheese.
  
• Pin (or Needle): A fine-tipped tool used to take a small sample (tapping) from the wheel and evaluate its smell, consistency and colour, verifying correct maturation.
  

These tools, from the copper boiler to the pin, are the guardians of a centuries-old tradition and allow Parmigiano Reggiano to maintain its standard of excellence.