The word 'Poodle' used as synonym for 'barrel'. Ever hear of it?

[Ignotus]

@Qadgop_the_Mercotan

Thanks for the clarification.

Best I can elaborate on it is that ‘barrel’ is more than just a unit of measure for oil. Barrels come in all sizes, from the 42 gallon size for petroleum to the 36 gallon for beer, and even down to 9 gallon sizes, called firkins, and 2 gallon sizes for nails.

But they’re all made of hoops and staves, whether they’re huge to store oil or small for flour or nails or whatever.

And they were the go-to containers for early cheesemakers, of the hard cheese variety. Compare them to the containers you see in this website: Cheese Molds and Cheese Presses | Cheese Making Supply Co.

You’ll see the similarity, I’m sure. These hard cheese molds are smaller, for the home cheesemaking aficionado, but just jump the size up for small commercial operation, and you’ve got a need for small and medium barrels. Line it with cheesecloth, fill with curds, put the weights on to squeeze the whey out thru the cracks, move it to the cheese storage area to age, and to ship. Easy peasy.

Assuming a barrel of standard shape, like the one in one of your previous links, this makes me wonder: how the hell do you get the cheese out of the barrel? Wouldn’t you have to knock off the hoops to make the staves fall apart? Or does the cheese shrink enough during the aging process to make it pass through the chime?

[Derleth]

@Atamasama

There is also a kind of cheese called “barrel cheese” which is cured to be turned into processed cheese.

The USDA has requirements for what is accepted as barrel cheese used as federal government cheese:
http://www.apfo.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/dnac1.pdf

It requires that it be stored in 500 pound drums.

… and never served with green eggs, as that tends to constipate.

[SmellMyWort]

I’m sure you’re familiar with Henning’s in Kiel, WI. They have a small museum on site with lots of old equipment. Maybe someone there might have some info or even know of your corner.

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

@SmellMyWort

I’m sure you’re familiar with Henning’s in Kiel, WI. They have a small museum on site with lots of old equipment. Maybe someone there might have some info or even know of your corner.

Doubtful. Kiel’s kind of far, and Sheboygan County in 1910 had 105 listed cheese factories. Seriously, there was one on every 3rd or 4th rural intersection in America’s Dairyland (motto: smell our dairy air) back then.

My dad grew up a couple miles from the site, as did his dad and his grandfather. I’ve got historical atlases of the region from 1862, 1875, 1902, 1914, and 1947 showing a cheese factory (unnamed) there. I do not doubt its existence or its name. Or the use of wooden barrels to make cheese. I just wanted to know if ‘poodle’ could be equated with ‘barrel’. And now, thanks to cochrane, I know it can be.