202 



THE BOOK OF CHEESE 



any soft centers. The curd should be firm and springy. 

 When a double handful is pressed and suddenly released, 

 the curd particles should spring apart. The curd should 

 have a " shotty " feeling when in the whey. If the curd 

 has attained the proper firmness, and the acid has not 

 reached the correct stage to remove the whey, it may 

 be left in the whey until sufficient acid development 

 has been attained. This is liable to cause the curd to 

 become too firm and to result in a hard dry cheese. If 



there is no evidence of 

 the presence of undesir- 

 able organisms, such as 

 bad odors, or gas holes 

 in the curd, it is better 

 to remove the whey and 

 develop the acid when 

 the curd is in the "pack." 

 The pack refers to the 

 first piling of the curd. 



The whey may be re- 

 moved either by means 

 of a faucet or gate in the 

 vat or by a siphon (Fig. 

 36). With either form 



of removal a whey-strainer (Fig. 37) should be used to 

 prevent loss of curd particles. It requires considerable 

 time for the whey to escape from a large vat. After the 

 curd has been heated to the proper temperature, it is 

 well to remove a portion of the whey. In doing this the 

 surface of the whey should not be drawn down quite to 

 the top of the curd. When ready, the remaining whey 

 can be quickly removed. 

 If it is decided that the curd is not firm enough, when 



FIG. 36. Whey siphon with 

 strainer. 



