120 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Feb., 1916. 



BUTTER-FAT IN CHEESE. 



By E. T. Archer, Senior Dairy Inspector. 



To further demonstrate tlie eqiiitability of pureliasing milk for 

 oiiocse-making according to its butter-fat contents a number of cheeses 

 has been made by Mr. G. C. Sawers, Departmental Cheese Instructor, 

 from milk containing different percentages of fat, and the results are 

 given below: — 



Six cheeses were made each from 500 lbs. of milk, varying in fat 

 contents from 5.4 per cent, to 2.6 per cent. The amount of cheese made 

 varied from 58^ lbs. to 46^ lbs. — a difference of 12 lbs., which, at 6d. 

 per lb., amounts to 6s., or 12s. per 100 gallons, equal to 1.44d. per 

 gallon, practically lid. Yet many suppliers to cheese factories in 

 Victoria to-day consider payment at per gallon most satisfactory, 

 though there is such a difference in value for the purpose for which it 

 is bought. 



It may be said that this wide variation in quality is unusual. At 

 one factory last season the writer found the variation from 5.4 per 

 cent, to 2.3 per cent. The last sample contained 46 per cent, of added 

 water. Is further comment necessary? 



It is not the purpose of this article to enter into the question of 

 whether it is more profitable to make the milk into butter or cheese, 

 but to show that for Ciieese-making it is just as necessary to pay for 

 the milk according to quality, as it is for butter-making. From the 

 result of the analysis it will be seen that when very rich milk is made 

 into cheese by itself rather more loss of fat in the whey is incurred. 

 This is not so, however, when the milk is pooled and the high test milk 

 mixed with that of a low test. 



On the other hand, it will be noticed that cheese from rich milk 

 contains a far higher percentage of fat than that made from poor unl'c, 

 and the more fat there is in cheese the higher quality it is, and any 

 loss of fat that may occur in rich milk is fully compensated for by the 

 improvement in general quality of the cheese. 



The analysis shows that the cheese made from the rich milk contains 

 only 33.54 per cent, of moisture. That from the poorest contains 40.57 

 per cent. The cheese from the rich contains 40.47 per cent. fat. The cheese 

 from the poor contains 25.46 per cent. 



A study of the table will show that each cheese was made from 

 500 lbs. of milk, varying in fat contents from 5.4 per cent, to 2.6 per 

 cent. 



Milk with the highest test, viz., 5.4 per cent, made 58^ lbs. of cheese. 

 Valuing that at 6d. per lb. for convenience gives 29s. 3d., equal to 7d. 

 per gallon. 



The milk containing 2.6 per cent, fat made 46-?^ lbs. of cheese, equal 

 to 23s. 3d., equal to 5^d. per gallon. 



The milk testing 3.8 per cent, fat yielded 51^ lbs. cheese, equal to 

 25s. 9d., equal to 6d. per gallon. 



The milk testing 4.7 per cent, gave 56^ lbs. cheese, equal to 2Ss. 3d., 

 equal to 6fd. per gallon. 



To obtain the different percentages of butter fat cream had to be 

 added or extracted. Normal milk would show greater variation, a? 



