July 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of 2\.S.W. 491 



" Unclean." 



The remark " unclean " may be understood to mean that the butter con- 

 cerned has a dirty taste, and not the clean flavour associated with good 

 butter. This common fav,It is caused in quite a number of ways, probably 

 the most common of which is by the milk or cream from which the butter is 

 made coming in contact with and being contaminated by something foul or 

 unclean, sucli as a dirty separator, dirty cans, dirty utensils, &c. 



The dirty hands of the milker are a common source of contamination, as is 

 also the body of the cow herself, by particles of filth falling into the milk 

 dui'ing the }>rocesR of milking and there setting up an undesirable fermenta- 

 tion. The mixing of the milk from newly-calved cows, " strippers," or from 

 cows suffering from disease or any undue excitement with that of the 

 remainder of the herd also causes contamination owing to the large percent- 

 age of albumen usually present in such milk quickly decomposing. This 

 decomposition is a frequent cause of unclean flavour in butter. 



The absorption by milk or cream of a foul odour from some dirty or insani- 

 tary place may be the direct cause of this trouble, and the butter made from 

 it be described as unclean in flavour. Cream badly affected in this way 

 shonkl be graded second grade or lower. 



Care on the farm and strict attention to the smallest detail in the general 

 cleaning at the factory, if practised conjointly with the help of the pasteur- 

 iser, should do away with unclean flavours in butter. I mention the word 

 coxijointly advisedly, because I am convinced that, although the pasteuriser 

 may be regarded in some quarters as a "cure all" for faults found in butter 

 and cream, it is not so, for it cannot improve a thoroughly unclean cream to 

 such an extent as produce an untainted or clean fla » oured butter The 

 combined help of the farmer on the one hand and of the factory manager on 

 the other is therefore i-equired, so that the machine may have as clean a 

 cream as possible to treat and be given every chance to do its woi"k well . 

 When these important factors are thoroughly combined, the word "unclean" 

 in connection with the flavour of butter will be a thing of the past. 



Absorbed Flavours and Aromas. — There are certain flavours and aromas that 

 milk, cream, and butter absorb, such as that of paint, disinfectants, oil engine 

 fumes, apples, &c., which, although not what might be classed as actually 

 unclean in the same sense as those caused by the other contaminations 

 mentioned, still give to butter a flavour and aroma that is foreign to the 

 good article, and which therefore may be included under the main heading 

 " unclean." When flavours such as these are noted by the grader, it is 

 the custom to specify on the grade slip or check grading' form what par- 

 ticular foreign flavour they resemble. Neutralisation and pasteurisation do 

 not wholly eradicate these flavours from cream. 



Unclean AfLer-Jtavour. — This means that the butter has an unclean 

 flavour which is not at once detected on first being tasted, but is only noticed 

 after the fat has melted considerably on the palate. This fault is really a 

 partially developed form of the unclean flavour already mentioned, and usually 

 becomes morej pronounced as the butter becomes older. The remarks with 

 regard to the cause aiid remedy for unclean flavours apply to this fault also. 



