242 THE BOOK OF CHEESE 



come familiar with the process for whole-milk Cheddar. 

 Skimmed-milk cheeses are usually highly colored. 



When part skimmed-milk cheese is manufactured, there 

 is often difficulty in getting the milk in the vat to test the 

 desired percentage of fat. Some cheese-makers skim all 

 the milk and then put in the desired amount of cream. 

 This practice seems wasteful, not only because of the cost 

 of separation, but because the fat will not mix easily 

 with the milk but will tend to float on the surface. If the 

 fat floats, there will be a large loss. After a very few 

 trials an operator can tell about how much of the whole 

 milk must be skimmed in order to have the mixed skimmed- 

 milk and whole milk test the desired percentage of fat. 

 The necessary percentage of fat in the mixed milk to pro- 

 duce cheese of a certain grade can be determined by 

 testing the cheese by the Babcock test. (See Chapter 

 XIX.) 



228. Full skimmed-milk Cheddar cheese. In the 

 summer there is not much demand for full skimmed-milk 

 cheese, but it is made in large quantity in winter. The 

 method of manufacture is as follows : 



Skimmed-milk as it comes from the separator is at a 

 temperature of about 88 to 90 F. ; it is ripened and set 

 at this temperature. It is ripened rather highly on the 

 acid test, from 0.18 to 0.20 of 1 per cent, and to correspond 

 on the rennet test which will not be many spaces. In 

 about twenty-five to thirty minutes it is coagulated ready 

 for cutting. The curd of skimmed-milk cheese is cut a little 

 softer than is that of whole-milk cheese. Milk is usually 

 set at 88 to 90 F. The curd is not ordinarily cooked 

 above this temperature. If the milk was 84 to 86 F. 

 when set, then the curd should be raised to 88 to 90 F. 

 The curd firms in the whey very rapidly. When firm 



