Diri^IOX OF AyiMAL IW SB Ay DRY 397 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



In view of the fact tliat tlic making of soft elicese is an important branch of the 

 dairy work lio: •. it is advisable to give in detail some of the experiences during the. 

 -past year. 



CHEESE. 



The object aimed at was to produce a ri])eued soft cheese, approximating as 

 closely as possible, the European original, Coulommier being the particular type 

 chosen to begin with. For this three rooms are desirable (making-, drying-, and 

 curing-rooms). This is not possible here, owing to lack of space, but by \itilizing the 

 butter dairy as a making-room, the clieese room was set free for a curing-room. 



Though by no means ideal, this arrangement rendered possible the manufacture 

 (in small quantities) of a well-flavoured Coulommier which ripened in from ten to 

 twelve days. The principal difficulty all througli has lain in controlling the tempera- 

 ture of the making-room, and the humidity of the curing-rooni. The temperature of 

 the former varied from 84° in summer to 20° in winter, the proper temperature being 

 from 65° to 08°. As nothing could be done to reduce the heat in this room, duiing the 

 hottest weather the cheeses were set and ladled at night. ^ 



A canvas screen arranged so as to keep the sun off the curing-room during the 

 afternoon improved the conditions there considerably, though even with this addition 

 the temperature was frequently higher than desirable. About the middle of Septem- 

 ber, it became necessary to heat the making room artificially at night. It was neces- 

 sary to transfer the cheeses to another room where there is a heater. Here it was 

 possible to control the temperature at will, but the question of humidity arose. The 

 room being very small, some cheeses were too near the heater, .causing excessive evap- 

 oration. The simplest remedy was to keep these cheeses covered during the earlier 

 stages. 



The curing-room at times became too dry; to remedy this the floor was flooded 

 and wet cloths hung up near the cheeses. These were the only means at hand for cor- 

 recting the conditions, and- proved fairly successful. 



At the beginning of September, a hardwood draining table was purchased to hold 

 OJie dozen cheeses. Previous to this, it had been impossible to make more than two 

 cheeses at one time. The straw mats for draining were purchased in England at a 

 cost of 54 cents per dozen. 



Experiments to determine the proportions, and rennetting temperature most suit- 

 able to the conditions here, show the following to be the best, subject to occasional 

 variations: Fresh morning's milk; rennet at the rate of 3-6 c.c. to 30 pounds milk, 

 starter (acidity -7 to -S) at the rate of 9 to 10 c.c. to 30 pounds milk, Eennetting 

 temperature of milk 80° ; room temperature G5° to 68°. Some cheeses were tried 

 without starter but were unreliable. They were doubtful under approximately cor- 

 rect conditions (July 27) and became vuimarketable where the conditions were bad 

 <July 21). 



It may be noted that the cheeses will stand heat better when the percentage of 

 moisture in the atmosphere is low, as here the percentage of moisture is usually high 

 in hot weather. It will be seen that in those which are set with starter (August 18 to 

 November 3), the room temperature may be somewhat raised or lowered without 

 injuring the products, though this variation is not desirable. Cheeses invaded by the 

 liquifying organisms may frequently be saved by exaggerated salting (July 27 and 

 August 4), but this depreciates the product considerably. 



Some experiments were made with Pont I'Eveque, but as the.y need different 

 ripening conditions, it was not possible to do them full justice side by side with 

 Coulommier. 



Coulommier sells at 15 cents retail. Pont I'Eveque have not been marketed, but 

 should realize 18 cents to 20 cents each. Cream cheeses have been made of both sweet 

 and acid varieties, but there is little demand for a cheese of this typo. 



Agassiz. 



