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The Cheese Insider

Brick cheese is a Wisconsin original, created in 1877 by John Jossi, a Swiss born cheesemaker. Jossi came to America in 1857 with his family as a twelve-year-old. The family first lived in upstate New York, before moving to Richwood, Wisconsin. At fourteen Jossi was managing a Limburger factory in the village. He married the daughter of a cheesemaker and in 1873 moved back to New York to work in a large Limburger factory. It was while he was in New York that he came up with the idea of creating a milder wash rind cheese that was to become Brick cheese.

Jossi wanted a cheese with a drier curd and less smell than Limburger. He also came up with the idea of forming the cheese in the shape of bricks as well as using bricks to press the whey out of the curd. Jossi moved back to Wisconsin in 1877 and started producing Brick cheese, which quickly became successful. Jossi died in Milwaukee in 1902.

There is a difference from hand made brick, a wash rind, surface ripened cheese made with a smear that gives it its full distinctive flavor and smell, and other factory made Brick cheese that lack the traditional, distinctive flavor.

Today the tradition of hand made Brick cheese is carried out by Joe Widmer, of Widmer’s Cheese Cellars in Theresa, Wisconsin, not far from Jossi’s original factory. Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker Joe Widmer is a third generation cheesemaker. His grandfather John Widmer came from Switzerland and became a cheesemaker in 1922. Joe, as well as his father, were raised in the living quarters above the cheese factory that is in use today. Joe still sticks with the way the Brick cheese was made by his grandfather, and it is regarded as the best Brick made in this country. He makes two versions of the cheese, mild Brick, with a milder and sweeter flavor and just a touch of nuttiness, and an aged brick, the stronger, more flavorful version.

The curds used to make brick at Widmer’s are carefully transferred by hand from the vat to the cheese molds, hand turning them three times during the first day. Joe uses the same bricks used to press the curds as the ones his grandfather used. The use of bricks in making his cheese would not be permitted in a new cheese plant, but the Widmer’s have a “grandfather clause” allowing them to use the old world methods. The cheese is then placed in brine tanks before aging them in a climate-controlled cellar.

One of my all time favorite sandwiches is made with Widmer’s Aged Brick and a dash of mustard. Try it on a burger or any other sandwich that you want melted cheese; it is a delightful and flavorful cheese. A good craft beer and real brick cheese is also hard to beat…try some today, you will like it!

Sources: Wisconsin Cheese, by Martin Hintz and Pam Percy, 2008 and Joe Widmer, friend of author

Michael C. Thomas is co-owner of Schoolhouse Artisan Cheese with his wife Janice. With locations in Ellison Bay and Egg Harbor, they aim to bring the best of Wisconsin artisan cheeses to Door County, and with “The Cheese Insider” Michael hopes to bring all things cheese to readers of the Pulse.