WASHING THE BUTTER 313 



butter flat in flavor. When butter is churned into large lumps 

 there is not so much danger from this source. Small granules 

 are also more sensitive to variations in. temperature. All of 

 these conditions point to the desirability of washing small gran- 

 ules of butter more rapidly and less extensively than butter 

 in the form of lumps. 



In the case of churns which tend to unduly mass the but- 

 ter during the washing process, thorough removal of the but- 

 termilk is difficult. In such cases it is advisable to spray the 

 first washing over the butter granules from the hose or by other 

 means, with the buttermilk gate open, until the drain loses its 

 milky appearance and then add the second washing in the usual 

 way. 



Where the subsequent working of the butter is done in the 

 churn, as is now the case in most American creameries, the 

 washing is best done in the churn also, by giving the churn 

 a few revolutions after each addition of wash water. Where 

 the butter is taken out of the churn for subsequent working, 

 as is usually the case in farm buttermaking on a small scale, 

 the butter may be washed in the churn before it is placed on 

 the worker, or the water may be poured over the butter on the 

 worker. 



As a whole, defects in the body of the butter cannot be 

 overcome by any particular method of washing or temperature 

 of wash water, though they may be somewhat minimized. The 

 character of the body of the butter is determined prior to, and 

 during the churning process, incident to the formation of the 

 butter granules. If a good, solid, compact body, free from 

 slushiness, leakiness and weakness is desired, the cream must 

 have been cooled to the proper churning temperature and held 

 there long enough to yield firm granules of butter. It is at 

 this point that the stability of the emulsion of water-in-fat is 

 determined. If it is not accomplished then, the butter is prone 

 to have a defective body regardless of the process of washing 

 and working. 



Temperature of the Wash Water. The temperature of the 

 wash water should be regulated according to the firmness or 

 softness of the butter. Inasmuch as the mechanical firmness 



