122 SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF CHEESE-MAKING 



(6) Paraffin the cheese as soon as practicable. 



(7) Ripen the cheese in a cool room where the humidity 



of the atmosphere is at least 80 per cent. 



ACID BODY 



Cheese under this head may be either dry or moist, 

 but in either case is of a mealy or sandy character. 

 It has a sour taste. 

 Cause : 



(1) Overripe milk. 



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



(3) The development of too much acidity during the 



cheese-making process, especially before the whey 

 is removed. 



(4) Acid or sour cheese is most frequently caused not by 



developing too much acidity, but by^ having the 

 curd insufficiently firm in the whey when the acidity 

 has developed. 



(5) Using large amounts of starter. 



Prevention : 



(1) No sour milk, or milk containing more than 0.26 per 



cent of acidity, should be received from any patron. 



(2) The rennet should be added when the milk is at such 



a stage of ripeness that there will be time to firm 

 the curd in the whey before too much acidity has 

 developed. 



(3) Do not use too much starter. 



(4) Keep the development of acidity under control by 



controlling the amount of whey in the curd. 



Remedy : 



The method of handling overripe or sour milk, when it is 

 absolutely necessary to make such milk into cheese, is as fol- 

 w\ lows : 



(1) Heat the milk not above 84° F. 



(2) Use an extra amount of rennet. 



(3) Cut the curd into smaller pieces. 



(4) Heat higher. The degree of heat will depend on the 

 rapidity with which the acidity is developing. 

 Most fast -working curd contracts rapidly and there- 

 fore the raising of ihe temperature can be hurried. 



