802 Agriculhiral Gazette of N.S.W. [Oct. 2, 1908. 



The Rennet Test described. 



Take 4 oz. of niillc in ;i cui) oi- <);l;iss, lie sure the temperature is 86' Fahr., 

 place a float in the milk, a pic(;e of straw or a chip or wood, add one dram of 

 rennet, and stir with a spoon for five seconds, then witli(h-;iw the spoon from the 

 cup altogether, and note how manv seconds the milk t;ikes to coagulate, -when 

 the straw ceases to twirl in tlif ciiii ilic milk has Ixn-onic thick. Take the number 

 of seconds from when the rennet is added until fehe straw stops twirling. Now, 

 for example, say we set at twenty .seconds with the rennet test, and we found 

 that the curd was slow in working (laid a long time before the whey was 

 ready to draw), n^xt day we would allow the milk to ripen a little more before 

 .setting, — that is, reduce the seconds on the rennet test from twenty to, say, 

 sixteen ; or, on the other hand, if the curd worked too fast, set sooner, say 

 twenty-two Seconals. Thus it is the rennet test that is a guide to the 

 cheesemaker and regulates the work through the day, inasmuch as he knows — - 

 by careful manipulation of his test — he can set his milk at tlie proper time, 

 which wdl enable liim to have a good firm shotty curd when the whey is 

 ready to draw off. 



If miking a coloured cheese, add the colouring before adding the rennet, 

 in the quantity of a quarter of an oz. to an oz. to 1,000 lb. of milk, according 

 to the shade of colour required. In setting the milk the quantity of rennet 

 depends upon the strength of the rennet ; sufficient rennet should be added 

 to coagidate the milk to have it firm enoiiyh to cut in from thirty to fortv-five 

 minutes. The quantity as a rule is from 'i\ to 4 oz. to 1,000 lb. of milk ; 

 dilute the r^^nnet in a little clean cold water, and stir into the milk ; the 

 stirring should continue from three to four minutes to ensure it being properly 

 mixed ; the stirring should then cease and the milk allowed to set. If the 

 cream .shows a tendency to rise to the top, the surface could be agitated 

 with the hand or a light piece of wood, but the moment coagtdation shows 

 signs of taking place, this should cea.se. After about 30 minutes has elapsed 

 the curd should be tried to see if it is ready to cut. A good way to da 

 this is to wet the finger and dip into the curd in a slanting direction, then 

 on lifting it up if the curd breaks readily and clean off the finger it is 

 sufliciently firm to cut with the curd-knife ; avoid cutting too soon when the 

 curd is soft; it should be allowed to remain a little longer until it becomes 

 lirm. If the knives are used before the curd is sufliciently firm a good deal of 

 waste takes place, because the curd being in a soft condition gets broken up, 

 resulting in the fine particles of curd floating away in the whey. Use the 

 horizontil knife first longitudinally, or up anfl down the vat: do not hurry 

 the operation, and be careful not to break the curd l)y pushing it in front of 

 the knife ; once with the horizontal knife is sufficient. Then use the perpen- 

 dicular knife across the vat. and then up and down the vat. When the 

 operation is complete the curd is cut into cubes of about three-eighths of an 

 inch in diameter. If the milk should be working fast, necessitating the 

 hurrying of the cooking of the curd, it will be found an advantage to cut 

 tbe curd finer ; a second application of the perpendicular knife will be 

 found to be an advantage. After the curd has been cut with the curd-knives. 



