SOFT CHEESES RIPENED BY BACTERIA 135 



characters, although the products of the several factories 

 show noticeable differences in market quality. D'Isigny, 

 while the name of a French town famous for butter 

 production, is not used to designate a cheese in France. It 

 may, therefore, be accepted as a French name arbitrarily 

 applied to a domestic product. Brie as used in France 

 is a markedly different cheese (p. 131), and the name 

 should be dropped from this form as made in America. 

 As used for a member of this series made in America, it 

 merely means cheese 7 to 15 inches in diameter. The 

 cheese partakes of the characters of French Livarot, and 

 of Pont 1'Eveque without exactly reproducing either form. 

 The milk varies from separator skim to whole 

 milk, with resultant differences in quality. Freedom 

 from gas is essential to the best results. The milk is 

 curdled at 85 to 86 F. with sufficient rennet to produce 

 a very firm curd within a period of one and one-half 

 hours. Curd is then cut in two directions, allowed to 

 stand a few minutes or gently agitated to produce a very 

 slight toughness or " worked " condition, then scooped 

 into hoops 4^ to 5 inches in height and varying in diameter 

 from 2j to 15 inches according to the size selected for 

 manufacture. To aid in the escape of whey, three rows 

 of holes -T2 inch in diameter and 2 inches apart in the 

 row are made in each hoop. The hoops are arranged 

 upon draining tables with more or less corrugated surface, 

 which for best drainage should be covered with matting. 

 The cheeses are allowed to drain without pressure. They 

 are commonly turned the second morning, although they 

 are sometimes solid enough to turn within the first day. 

 When fully drained, the cheeses are salted by rubbing 

 coarse salt on the surface, after which they stand an 

 extra day. They are then arranged upon shelves in a 



