246 CREAM RIPENING 



for storage purposes, such butter will show a better flavor 

 when it comes out of storage, than butter made from ripened 

 cream. 



The per cent acid to which cream may be ripened in case 

 cream ripening is practiced, should be governed also by the 

 richness of the cream. The development of lactic acid is the 

 result of the action of the lactic acid bacteria on the milk 

 sugar. The milk sugar is present only in the serum of the 

 cream. The acid, therefore,, also is confined to the serum, the 

 fat being practically neutral. The relative amount of serum 

 varies with the per cent of fat in the cream. The higher the 

 per cent of fat, the smaller the proportion of the serum and 

 the lower the per cent af acid required in the cream. The proper 

 per cent of acid in the ripened cream therefore varies with, and 

 should be adjusted in accordance with the fat content of the 

 cream. It is obvious that, if uniformity of results is to be 

 secured, there must be uniformity of the per cent of acid in 

 the serum. 



Authorities are at variance as to the exact per cent of acid 

 which cream of a given richness should contain. A few years 

 past the general tendency was to favor a rather high acidity 

 while more recently the danger of the detrimental effect of 

 high acidity on the keeping quality of the butter has become 

 more thoroughly appreciated, and those who have given this 

 subject most careful study practically agree that an acidity of 

 about .6 per cent for cream of good quality and testing 25 per 

 cent fat is sufficiently high to meet the demand of the public 

 for flavor and is less apt to jeopardize the keeping quality of 

 the butter than a higher degree of ripeness. It should be under- 

 stood that these figures refer only to cream of good quality 

 and that reaches the creamery in sweet or nearly sweet, con- 

 dition. Ripening to this acidity is justifiable only when but- 

 ter is intended for immediate consumption and the trade de- 

 mands a high flavored butter. Accepting .6 per cent acid as 

 the proper acidity for 25 per cent cream, it is a simple matter 

 to calculate the per cent acid of the serum, which may be 

 adopted as the standard. 



The per cent serum in cream is determined by deducting 

 the per cent fat from 100. Cream testing 25 per cent fat there- 



