70 VERMONT DAIRYMEN'S REPORT. 



The temperature of churning needs to be higher when cows are 

 in an advanced stage of lactation ; also when they have dry 

 feed in winter, and when cotton-seed meal is fed to any extent. 

 When cream is rich in butter fat, such as can and ought to be 

 obtained with the separator, containing from 30 to 35 per cent, 

 of fat, the temperature of churning can below, usually from 52 

 to 55 F. This is the way to get the most exhaustive churning ; 

 the amount of buttermilk and the per cent of butter- fat in it 

 will be small at these low temperatures. With deep cold set- 

 ting the cream will be much thinner, containing considerable 

 milk, and therefore the percent of butter-fat will be low, and it 

 be useless to try to churn at a low temperature. In such cases 

 from 6o° to 62 F. will be necessary. 



Cream from shallow setting, if it is skimmed pretty clear 

 of milk, can be churned at a somewhat lower temperature than 

 that from deep setting. Sometimes the cream from shallow 

 setting, especially if the process of heating and cooling has been 

 resorted to in raising the cream, is so thick that it will not fall 

 when the churn is revolved. In that case it must be diluted. 

 Water is better than milk as a dilutant. 



The churn should be revolved at a speed that will produce 

 the best concussion. With a forty gallon box or barrel churn 

 this will be about fifty revolutions per minute ; with a smaller 

 churn somewhat more speed is required. One can soon learn 

 to tell by the sound when the cream begins to break. Then 

 close watching is needed, so as not to churn it too much. The 

 churn should be stopped when the granules of butter are some- 

 what smaller than wheat kernels. Use water enough to make 

 the butter float well, so that the buttermilk can be drawn off. 

 Then revolve the churn a few times. Draw off the buttermilk 

 through a hair sieve, so as to catch the granules of butter that 

 escape from the churn. Then wash the butter with pure water 

 at a temperature of 50 F. or below. This will harden the granules 

 so they will not so quickly mass together. Wash it twice, each 

 time using ten or twelve quarts of water to every twenty pounds 

 of butter, and revolve the churn a few times. Do not wash it 

 more, nor let the water stay on a great while at a time, for this 

 will be likely to wash out the flavor and aroma for which fine 

 butter is prized. 



I am aware that this is contrary to the instructions given by 

 many teachers on this subject. They advise washing more, 

 saying that it should be washed till the water runs clear. But 

 numerous experiments where the butter has been submitted to 

 the judgment of experts, seem to prove conclusively that the 

 market yet demands some of the flavor that is found in butter 

 which has not been excessively washed. 



