CHAPTER V 

 CURD-MAKING 



ASIDE from the purely sour-milk cheeses, the coag- 

 ulum or curd resulting from rennet action is the 

 basis of cheese-making. The finished cheese, whatever 

 its final condition, is primarily dependent on a particular 

 chemical composition and fairly definite physical char- 

 acters in the freshly made curd mass* These characters 

 are determined by a series of factors under control of 

 the cheese-maker. Assuming the milk to be normal in 

 character, success depends on the use of a proper combina- 

 tion of these factors. The possible variations in each 

 factor together with their number makes an almost in- 

 finite series of such combinations possible. The essential 

 steps in the process are, therefore, presented as under- 

 lying all cheese-making. The special adaptations of 

 each factor are considered in the discussion of the vari- 

 eties group by group. 



These factors follow : 



A. The coagulation group : 



1. Fat-content of the milk. 



2. The acidity of the milk. 



3. The temperature of renneting. 



4. The effective quantity of rennet. 



5. Curdling period or the time allowed for rennet 

 action. 



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