8 Feb.. 1908.] Flavors in Cheese. 87 



adding rennet by the addition of starter. Lactic organisms destroy those 

 of the ropy milk. 



Bitter milk is often come across and may be due to bacterial growth or 

 to some undesirable food consumed by the cows. If to the latter cause 

 the taste is noticeable immediately after the milk is draw-n but if due to 

 the first mentioned cause the flavor develops on letting the milk settle. 

 Bitter milk is found frequently in cold weather particularly when cheese- 

 making is conducted on alternate dJiys or at -nfrequent intervals. The 

 excessive low temi)erature seems to favour the development of some 

 organism that produces bitterness. It is better to keep milk at a tempera- 

 ture tending to fa\our the action of the lactic organism as it has been 

 founa that those kinds of organisms do not produce bitterness when the 

 milk shows an acid reaction ; 60 degrees Fah. is a most suitable tem- 

 perature. 



]Milk from cows a long period in lactation often causes trouble through 

 being of an alkaline or salty nature. With such milk a bitter cheese is 

 produced and as the milk often contains a larger percentage of dirt 

 the development of lactic acid is retarded and the conditions rendered 

 more favorable for other organisms. The use of milk from sick cows 

 cannot be too strongl\- condemned. When a cow declines in health the 

 quantity as well as the quality lowers. Different diseases axe said to 

 affect the milk in different ways and it is well understood that a derange- 

 ment of the digesti\e organs has a marked influence on the flavor of 

 milk. Cows that do not clean well after calving .secrete milk with a bad 

 taste and when they are in season the milk not only decreases in quantity 

 but assumes a very disagreeable flavor. When any quarter of the udder 

 contains matter on no account should the milk be added to the rest of 

 the milk. Only quite recently I traced a fault in a cheese factory to a 

 dair\- where one cow gave a milk which produced a spongy curd. The 

 cause was due to a slight injury to the udder. Another cow in the same 

 dairy gave a milk on which rennet would not act, and which when kept 

 back did not turn sour for several davs although the temperature was 

 high. The milk of both these cows was kept out of the cheese vats with 

 beneficial results. When it is known that any cows give abnormal milk 

 they should be the last to be milked in the herd for, unless the buckets 

 are washed after such cows are milked, contamination is likely to occur. 

 The.se troubles are not easily noticed by merely taste or smell but the 

 tracing of same can be easily done by a method known as the Wisconsin 

 Curd Test which will be explained further on. 



The feeding of the animals is fairly well under the control of the 

 dairyman. It may be said that the cleaner the pastures the purer the 

 milk supply, other conditions being equal. Everv effort should be made 

 to eradicate Cape Weed. Camomile, &c., which are very injurious to the 

 flavor. Lucerne should not be fed to the cows in the green state but should 

 be cut and then allowed to wilt for 24 hours. Foods that may have a 

 tendency to convey bad flavors, such as turnips, ensilage, and cabbage, 

 should be fed immediately after the milking process is completed. Some 

 authorities are of opinion that when cows are fed on growing lucerne or 

 clover for about an hour after milking, and not allowed to lie down 

 amongst the food that no taint will be conveyed to the milk. 



The water supply is of course of \"ast importance and every precaution 

 must be taken to keep this pure. Where dams exist they should be 

 fenced so that the animals can drink without standing in the water. There 



