10 May, 1918.] How to Mal-e Home-made Cheese. 31 ^ 



4. In the morning (before the morning's milk has been added) skim 

 the evening's milk. 



5. Add the starter* to the skim milk (1 oz. to every 10 gallons). 



6. Heat the cream (by standing in hot water) to about 8'0o Fahr. 

 and remix with the milk in the vat, stirring thoroughly. 



7. Add the uncooled morning's milk. (When mixed the tempera- 

 tures of the whole milk in the vat should be 84° to 86° Fahr.) 



8. If coloured cheese is desired annatte should now be a.dded and 

 stirred gently for two or three minutes— a quarter or half-teaspoonful 

 to every 10 gallons. 



9. Now ascertain by the following test whether the milk is ready for 

 the rennet : — 



The milk in the vat should be about 85 degrees of temperature. 

 Take 4 ozs. of the milk in a cup and float a tiny wooden chip 

 (bit of wooden match) on the milk ; noting the position of the 

 seconds hand on a watch add 1 drachm of rennet ; stir imme- 

 diately for 10 seconds; then withdraw the spoon and note 

 carefully the time of coagulation. (Coagulation is indicated 

 by the chip becoming stationary.) If coagulation occurs 18 

 to 20 seconds after the introduction of the rennet, the milk 

 is ready for renneting without delay. If a longer time 

 elapses the milk is not yet ripe enough and some delay is 

 necessary. 



10. Assuming the test shows the milk to be ripe, note the time and 

 add the rennet — about ^ oz. for every 100 lbs. (The amount of rennet 

 is important, but as different milks vary in their curd content and dif- 

 ferent kinds of rennet vary in strength, the exact amount can only be 

 arrived at by experience.) The rennet, before adding, should be diluted 

 — 20 parts to 1 with clean cold water. 



11. Stir the milk for three to five minutes after adding the rennet, 

 and watch for the milk coagulating. When this occurs, carefully note 

 the time, because the time which elapses between the adding of the 

 rennet and the setting of the curd is the best guide when to cut the curd. 

 (Coagulation should occur in 12 or 14 minut-es.) 



12. As soon as the milk shows the first indication of thickening, and 

 time has been noted, place canvas cover over the vat. 



13. The number of minutes which the milk took to curdle should bs 

 multiplied by 2|, and the number of minutes in the result is the time 

 to be allowed between coagulation and cutting. Thus, if it took 12 

 minutes to thicken, it should be ready for cutting 30 minutes after. At 

 this stage the curd should split clean in front of the thermometer when 

 inserted diagonally. 



14. Cut with a long-bladed knife in strips ^-inch apart lengthways. 

 Then do the same crossways. so that the surface appears cut into ;|^-inc]i 

 squares. Uniform cutting is important. After cutting allow the curd 

 to settle to the bottom of the tub for a few minutes, but dip off a portion 

 of the whey and scald it up to 140^ Fahr. 



15. Stir the curd gently by hand for ten to fifteen minutes before 

 applying the rake. 



16. Add a little hot whey. 



* An article on tlie propagation of culture starters for Cheese-making was published in this 

 Journal for November, 1915. 



