252 



THE BOOK OF CHEESE 



that the enzyme galactase carries the ripening of the 

 protein from this stage. The question arises whether 

 these intermediate compounds must be found before other 

 agents can form the amido acids and ammonia. 



TABLE XV 1 



SHOWING THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF RENNET 

 EXTRACTS ON THE RATE OF FORMATION OF SOLUBLE 

 NITROGEN COMPOUNDS IN CHEESE RIPENING 



The above table shows that the more rennet extract 

 used the faster the cheese cures, measured by the 

 amount of water-soluble nitrogen compounds formed in 

 the cheese. 



238. The action of the bacteria. Authorities 2 dis- 

 agree as to the groups of bacteria found in Cheddar 

 cheese. This may be due to lack of proper classification. 

 Some of the groups are : Bacterium lactis acidi, B. 

 coli communis, B. lactis aerogenes, B. casei, Streptococci, 

 B? Bulgaricum and Micrococci. Authorities agree that 

 the B. lactis acidi group is the most prominent. This 

 group makes up 90 per cent or more of the total bacteria 



1 Wis. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1900, pages 102-122. 



2 Harding, H. A., and M. J. Prucha, The bacterial flora of 

 Cheddar cheese, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Tech. Bui. 8. 



3 Bacterium, Bacillus and Lactobacillus are preferred by dif- 

 ferent authors as generic placing of the Bulgarian sour milk species. 



