134 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



Ripening Cheese in Cold Storage. 



Owing to tlie contiDued satisfactory reports from Canada and the 

 United States last year, regarding- tlie maturing of cheese at low 

 temperatures, the Agricultural Department here took steps to demon- 

 strate its value to the dairymen of Victoria. Quantities of cheese- 

 have been received and put into cold store at various times since early 

 in December last. In each case duplicates from the same vat were 

 kept in the factory to be ripened in the ordinary way at about 68 

 degrees Fahr. On account of not being able to alford a sj^ecial 

 chamber for cheese, a thorough or systematic plan was out of the 

 (juestion. The cheeses were placed on arrival in an egg chamber at 

 31 degrees Fahr., this being the highest temperature available. Since 

 then, however, two air-locks have been utilized — one at 38 degrees 

 and the other at 50 degrees Fahr. The humidity of each place was 

 different — that of the egg chamber being kept at 75 per cent. ; in one 

 of the air-locks it was (50 per cent,, and in the other 95 per cent. 



These experiments are not all completed, and the railway strike 

 prevented the arrivals of duplicates from the country to enable com- 

 parisons of quality to be made. However, I have sutticient evidence 

 to permit me to safely announce that the system will ])rove a great 

 boon to producers. As well as getting an improved (juality and 

 better prices, they will be able to market more cheese from every gallon 

 of milk. The aggregate gain will be sufficient to leave a good profit 

 after providing for the increased cost of treatment. 



The loss of weight in cheese in the curing period is chiefly due to 

 the evaporation of .moisture, and in hot weather to leakage of fat in 

 addition. The extent and rapidity of loss depends on the per cent, of 

 moisture originally in the cheese, the texture, the shape and size, the 

 temperature, and the proportion of moisture in the air. The average 

 loss of all the cheeses kept in cold store for three months equalled 6"30 

 per cent, against 10*4o per cent, in the case of the duplicates at the 

 factories under ordinaiy conditions. The small cheeses averaged 9*0 

 per cent, and 10*83, whilst the large resulted in 5'97 per cent, and 

 10"37 per cent, respectively. The only comparison of quality made so 

 far turned out decidedly in favour of the cheese ripened in cold store. 

 As well as being milder and cleaner in flavour, it proved to be firmer' 

 in l)ody, and suitable for a better class of trade. Messrs. Wood, 

 Dunn and Co., agents for the factory, report on the quality as follows : 

 — " On careful examination of every cheese we are certainly of the 

 opinion those matured under freezing conditions are fully ^d. to Id. lb. 

 1 tetter in quality than those kept under ordinary circumstances." 



About 5,000,000 lbs, weight of cheese is made in Victoria yearly,, 

 at least 3,000,000 lbs. of which is manufactured from November ta 

 March that might be adyantageously ripened in cold store. The 

 saving in weight alone at 4 per cent, would total 120,000 lbs,, equal 

 to the whole year's output of a tidy little factory. An improvement 

 in quality to the extent of only ^d. per lb. would be worth £3,125, and 

 this added to the increased output at 6d. per lb., £3,000, makes a 



