CONDITIONS AFFECTING AVEIGIIT LOST BY 

 CHEESE IN CURING* 



L. L. VAN 8LYKE. 



SUMMARY. 



I. The loss of weight by cheese in curing has not received 

 systematic study in America under carefully controlled 

 conditions. 



//. Equipment far investigation. — Six curing-rooms have been so 

 built and equipped as to keep temperature and moisture under 

 control. Each room is kept at a fixed temperature, and the 

 different degrees represented in the work are the following: 

 55°, G0°, 65°, 70°, 75°, 80° F. The temperature varies only one 

 m' two degrees from the desired point, and then only for brief 

 periods. The moisture is kept mostly between 70 and 80 per ct. 

 of saturation. The method is given for determining proportion 

 of moisture in air, with necessary tables. 



///. Conditions affecting loss of weight in cJieese-curing. — The 

 weight lost by cheese in curing is due almost entirely to evapora- 

 tion of moisture from cheese, except at temperatures above 

 70° F., when there may be some added loss due to leakage of fat. 

 The rapidity and extent of loss per 100 pounds of cheese vary 

 with the following conditions: (1) The percentage of moisture 

 originally present in the cheese. The more moist the cheese, 

 the greater and more rapid is the loss of weight. (2) The 

 texture of cheese. The more open the texture, the greater the 

 loss of moisture. (3) Temperature. Loss of weight increases 

 with increase of temperature. ,(4) Size and shape of cheese. 



*A reprint of BuTletin No. 207. 



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