220 



THE BOOK OF CHEESE 



The gas causes tiny round holes in the cheese, resulting 

 in the cheese swelling or puffing out of shape and some- 

 times breaking open (Figs. 50, 51). The only time to 

 overcome the gas is during the cheddaring process. The 

 curd is piled and repiled until the holes flatten out. This 

 shows that the gas-producing organisms have weakened 

 and will not cause any more holes. Because the curd has 



FIG. 51. This shows the same cheeses as in Fig. 50, cut open to show 

 the solid and gassy texture. 



to be piled so many times and so long, the pieces become 

 very thin. The curd is ready to mill when most of the 

 holes have flattened. After milling, the curd should be 

 stirred and aired for some time before salting to allow the 

 bad odor to escape. 



Because of the high acid development, it often happens 

 that the cheese will not be gassy but will be sour. At 

 best a cheese made from milk having gassy fermentation 

 will have a bad flavor. The quality of the cheese can be 



