368 PACKING BUTTER 



pores and cracks. The paraffine may be applied with a brush or 

 by pouring a small amount into the tub and rotating the tub 

 until the entire surface is covered, or it may be sprayed into the 

 tub under pressure. The brush method is somewhat crude and 

 tends to produce an uneven coating owing to rapid cooling of 

 the paraffine. 



In order to secure satisfactory results and avoid a rough 

 and uneven coating of paraffine, the paraffine must be heated 

 to the proper temperature. Rogers 1 found that at a temperature 

 of 250 to 260 degrees F. the paraffine can be applied most satis- 

 factorily. The paraffine may be heated over an oil stove or 

 gas burner, but a more convenient arrangement, devised by 

 Rogers, consists of a large pail or small tank equipped with a 

 steam coil connected with the steam line of the creamery, and a 

 drip is provided extending through the bottom of the tank and 

 permitting the condensed steam in the coil to escape. A small 

 amount of the hot paraffine is dipped from the tank into the tub, 

 the tub is rotated so that the paraffine covers its entire inside 

 surface. Then the tub is inverted on a galvanized iron drip tray in 

 order to pour out, and reclaim any excess paraffine in the tub. 

 Such an outfit can be constructed at small cost and is very 

 serviceable, especially in small creameries. 



There are now on the market also patented paraffiners 

 which both steam and paraffine the tub. The paraffine is heated 

 by a steam heated jacket. The tub is inverted over the paraffin- 

 er and steamed and sprayed with paraffine under pressure. These 

 machines operate very fast, coating the tub with a smooth 

 layer of uniform thickness and economizing the paraffine. These 

 paraffiners are rapidly replacing the dipper and brush method. 



Aside from protecting butter against mold contamination 

 and mold growth the paraffining of tubs is advisable in order 

 to minimize loss in weight due to leakage of moisture and to 

 give the tub a neater appearance. Rogers 1 found the following 

 loss of moisture in 12 paraffined and 12 unparaffined tubs of 

 butter on the eighth day after packing: 



1 Rogers, Prevention of Molds in Butter Tubs, U. S. Dept. Agr. B. A. I. 

 Bull. 89. 1906. 



