WORKING TH BUTTER 359 



than hard butter and when the churn is stopped, the moisture 

 is incorporated in the butter granules in the form of very fine 

 drops which are expelled with difficulty. Whenever the butter 

 maker has difficulty to keep the moisture down, the butter should 

 be drained very thoroughly before working and should be worked 

 with the churn doors ajar. It is then advisable to work the but- 

 ter four to five revolutions before the salt is added and to drain 

 again. During the working the churn should be stopped after 

 every two to three revolutions, allowing it to swing freely, with 

 the churn doors ajar and down, permitting the free moisture 

 to escape readily. In cases of extreme difficulty of keeping the 

 moisture within the limits of the law, it may be necessary to 

 delay the working after the salt has been added, for a consider- 

 able time. This gives the salt an opportunity to assist in the 

 expulsion of moisture. Owing to its great affinity for water 

 it draws the minute drops of water out of the butter and gathers 

 them in larger drops which, upon subsequent working, are more 

 easily expelled. 



It occasionally happens that, owing to the extreme natural 

 softness of the butterfat, or to faulty handling of the cream 

 before churning, or to too high a churning temperature, no 

 amount of working will reduce the moisture content to or below 

 the maximum legal limit. In such butter the moisture has 

 formed so intimate a mixture with the fat, and moisture incor- 

 poration is so complete, that additional working, even to the 

 extent of injuring the grain of the butter, fails to expel water. 

 The only practical way to bring the moisture content of such 

 butter within the limits of the law, is to set the butter in the cold 

 room and allow it to harden over night. The next day it is 

 then cut up into small pieces and worked again with the churn 

 doors ajar and in a similar manner as above described. Unless 

 its moisture content is very greatly in excess and the incor- 

 porated moisture is present in the form of abnormally fine drops, 

 this second working will remove sufficient moisture to meet the 

 requirements of the law. If it still contains over sixteen per cent 

 moisture, more moisture may be expelled by putting the butter 

 back into the cold room and working it again the next day. The 

 hardening of the butter in the cold changes its mechanical make- 

 up and makes it more granular. Some of the minute water par- 



