SOFT CHEESES RIPENED BY BACTERIA 141 



In some cases the night's and morning's milk is mixed 

 and then warmed to about 94 F. This practice is not 

 recommended but is frequently adopted, when the supply 

 of milk becomes too small to work in two lots. As soon 

 as all of the milk has .been delivered, the cheese-making 

 process begins. No starter is used. The milk is not 

 ripened because no acid development during the making 

 process is desired. > The milk is set or curdled at the 

 temperature at which it is received at the factory, usually 

 from 90 to 96 F. Sufficient rennet extract is used to give 

 a firm coagulation in twenty to thirty minutes. This 

 usually requires 2j to 3 ounces of rennet extract for 

 each 1000 pounds of milk: This is diluted in about 

 forty times its own volume of cold water and added to 

 the milk. (For method of adding rennet extract to milk, 

 see Chapter V.) When the coagulum has become firm 

 so that it will split clean over the finger, the curd is 

 ready to cut. Coarse Cheddar cheese knives are used. 

 Sometimes only the perpendicular knife is employed, 

 and the curd is broken up while being stirred with 

 the hands and rake. This usually causes a large fat 

 loss. After cutting, the curd is stirred first by hand 

 and later with an ordinary wooden hay rake. Usually 

 the curd is not " cooked " or heated after setting, 

 though occasionally it is brought up as high as 96 F. to 

 98 F. If the curd does not firm up, the temperature 

 may be raised to 98 to 100 F. to aid in expelling the 

 moisture. 



When ready to dip, the curd should still be in large 

 soft shiny pieces. It requires from one hour to an hour 

 and thirty minutes from the time the rennet extract 

 is added until the curd is ready to dip. When, in the 

 judgment of the cheese-maker, the curd has become suffi- 



