52 THE BOOK OF CHEESE 



The qualities mentioned in this score-card can be 

 quickly and easily determined by examining and tasting 

 the starter and by making an acid test of a sample. The 

 acid test is conducted as with milk (see Chapter II) ex- 

 cept the starter must be rinsed out of the pipette with 

 pure water. Some starter score-cards call for a bacterial 

 examination and counting of the starter organisms. This 

 takes a considerable period of time and is not entirely 

 necessary. The physical properties and acid test are 

 closely correlated with the presence of the desired organ- 

 isms. 



74. Use of starter. If all milk could be clean and 

 sweet and the only fermentation from it were the clean 

 acid type, a starter would be useless. Such milk is hard 

 to obtain ; therefore, a starter is used to overcome the bad 

 fermentation. This improves the flavor, body and tex- 

 ture of the cheese. The common contaminations which 

 the starter will tend to correct are : 



1. Gas-producing bacteria. 



2. Yeasts. 



3. Bad flavors or taints. 



The length of time a starter may be carried depends 

 on the accuracy and carefulness of the maker. This 

 calls for scrupulous attention to the temperature, the 

 selection of milk and keeping out contaminations. The 

 maker must remember that a starter is not merely milk, 

 but milk full of a multitude of tiny plants, very sensi- 

 tive to food, temperature, clean surroundings and the 

 quantity of their own acid. 



75. The amount of starter to use depends on the 

 amount of acid desired in the milk for any particular 

 kind of cheese. The great abuse of starter is the practice 



