194 THE BOOK OF CHEESE 



over the finger and clear whey will separate to fill the 

 opened crack. Another arbitrary but more or less satis- 

 factory rule is that the time from adding the rennet until 

 cutting should be two and one-half times that from the 

 addition of rennet until the first sign of coagulation is 

 observed. 



The condition of the curd itself is the best guide 

 to show when it is ready to cut. The condition of 

 the curd is constantly changing, so that in a large vat, 

 if the cutting is not begun until the curd is in the best 

 condition, by the time the last of the curd is cut it will be 

 too hard or firm. It is better to begin while the curd 

 is a trifle too soft so that the cutting will be taking place 

 while the curd is at the proper stage. At best the last 

 of the curd may become too hard. If too hard, it will 

 break ahead of the knife instead of cut. Breaking 

 causes more fat loss than cutting because there is more 

 surface exposed and hence more fat globules. The 

 softer the curd when cut, the quicker and easier the 

 moisture can be expelled. 



If the curd is cut when soft, care must be exercised not 

 to stir it too hard immediately after cutting. Soft curd 

 breaks very easily. When the curd is cut soft and then 

 stirred vigorously, there is a larger loss of fat than 

 when the curd becomes hard before it is cut. 



Two knives are used to cut the curd. (See Fig. 11.) 

 These knives may have either wire or blades for cutting. 

 The space between the wires or blades varies from A to f 

 inch. Knives used should have blades or wires close 

 enough together to cut the pieces as small as desired, 

 without a second cutting. When the curd has to be cut a 

 second time it usually results in pieces of uneven sizes, be- 

 cause the pieces already cut cannot be evenly split in two. 



