DEFECTS IX AMERICAN CHEDDAR CHEESE. 

 Causes, Remedies, and How to Prevent Them. 



The purpose of this bulletin is to provide a ready reference that will 

 aid New York manufacturers of American cheddar cheese to prevent 

 or remedy the most common defects in their product. In order to 

 understand and to be able intelligently to remedy or prevent defects 

 in cheese, it is necessary to know just what the underlying causes are. 

 If a correct diagnosis is made, then the treatment is usually easy. 



I. Defects in Flavor. 



A. Acid Flavors. 



Indicated by a sour smell and taste. 



Cause. 



Over-development of acid during the manufacturing period, 

 which is commonl}^ due to one or more of the following: 

 (i) Ripening the milk too much before adding the rennet. 



(2) The use of too much starter. 



(3) Failure to firm the curd before removing the whey. 



How to prevent. 



(i) Have less acid in the milk before adding the rennet. Sour 

 milk should not be accepted from any patron. 



(2) Use less starter. Generally one-half per cent, to two per 



cent, is sufficient. 



(3) Add the rennet early enough so that the curd will become 



firm in the whey before developing the desired amount of 

 acid. 

 Remedy. 



Refer to the treatment explained under remedy for acid texture. 

 (Page 8.) 



B. "Off" Flavors. 



Flavors that are not clean. When in an advanced stage, cheese 



so affected are called "stinkers." 

 Cause. 



Undesirable bacteria which gain entrance to the milk or to 



the curd some time during the manufacturing process, 



commonly due to: — 



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