CHEDDAR CHEESE-MAKING 219 



The curd should be cut into very small pieces to cheddar. 

 The smaller the pieces, the faster the whey drains away. 

 Sometimes it is necessary to cut the curd into pieces six 

 inches square. The pieces should not be piled but should be 

 turned often and stood on edge to let the whey drain away 

 and sometimes pressed with the hands to force the whey out. 

 It is often all one man can do to keep the curd turned. 



The curd is not cheddared very long but is milled early 

 so that the whey can escape. If it is thought that the 

 cheese will be sour, the curd should be washed in cold 

 water to remove the acid and milk-sugar. A little more 



FIG. 50. At the left is a regular shaped, close, solid textured cheese; 

 at the right one puffed up with gas. 



salt is sometimes used. A product made from over-ripe 

 milk, no matter how skillful the cheese-maker, will show 

 traces of a sour cheese. 



(2) Gassy milk. If a cheese-maker knows that there 

 is " gassy " fermentation, he should add more starter 

 and develop more acid when ripening the milk to try to 

 overcome this. There are different kinds of gassy fer- 

 mentation. Some produce acid and some do not. Some 

 will not show until the cheeses have been on the curing- 

 room shelves several days. Others will cause the curd 

 to float in the whey. Usually the gas shows as pin-holes 

 while the curd is being cheddared. 



