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. == Regulations ==