THE MILK IN ITS RELATION TO CHEESE 27 



The jars are then set in water at 110 F. to bring the 

 temperature of the milk to 98 F. The jar should be kept 

 covered. A sink or wash-tub makes a convenient place 

 in which to keep the jars. When the temperature of the 

 milk is 98 F., ten drops of rennet extract or pepsin is added 

 to each jar. A uniform temperature of 98 F. should 

 be maintained in the jars. This will necessitate the 

 addition of warm water occasionally to the water sur- 

 rounding the jars. When the milk is coagulated, the 

 curd is broken up with a sterile knife. Precaution should 

 be taken to sterilize the 

 knife after using it in one 

 jar before putting it into 

 another. The best way 

 to do this is to hold the 

 knife for a minute in a 

 pail of boiling water, after 

 taking it out of each jar. 

 The same precaution 

 should be observed with 

 the thermometer. Unless 

 care is taken, contamina- 

 tion is liable to be carried from one jar to the other. After 

 cutting, the whey is poured off. The temperature should 

 be kept at 98 F. so that the organisms will have a suitable 

 temperature for growth. The whey should be poured 

 from the jars occasionally, usually about every half hour. 

 As the fermentation takes place, different odors will 

 be noticed in different jars. In ten to twelve hours the 

 jar should be finally examined for odors and the curd 

 taken out and cut to examine it for gas pockets. By 

 this means, bad flavors and gas in the cheese can be 

 traced to their sources. 



FIG. 4. A gang sediment tester, one 

 tester removed. 



