540 COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES OF BUTTER 



the buttermilk, that which adheres to the surfaces of the butter 

 granules, is removed and replaced by the water and when the 

 butter is salted and worked a portion of the "remaining butter- 

 milk and water is replaced by or fuses with, the brine, or both. 



When the butter is worked, most of the free water is ex- 

 pelled, while the firmly held and finely emulsified microscopic 

 droplets in the interior of the butter granules remain in the 

 butter. For this reason, during the first stages of the working 

 process the water content of butter decreases, and under normal 

 conditions drops to about 13 per cent or slightly lower. 



As the working process progresses, the butter loses its 

 granular state and becomes less friable and more plastic. When 

 this state is reached further working causes the butter to "pick 

 up" water from the churn and the water content increases again. 

 The amount of water which the butter now assimilates and 

 the extent to which the water content increases, depends on the 

 mechanical condition of the butter, as determined by the melting 

 point of the butterfat, the temperature of the cream and the 

 washwater, and on the amount of water there is in the churn. 

 The amount of water present in the churn obviously is largely 

 governed by the extent of draining, with the churn doors ajar 

 before and during the working process. If the churn is stopped 

 with the doors ajar and down after every few revolutions of the 

 churn, and the butter is allowed to drain completely each time, 

 so that all the free water escapes, further working decreases the 

 water content of the butter. 



But even when working with the churn doors closed, so 

 that free water remains in the churn, a point is gradually reached 

 when further working no longer materially increases the water 

 content of the butter. A point of saturation has then been 

 reached that does not permit of additional incorporation of 

 water. The time when this point is reached depends largely on 

 the mechanical firmness of the butter and the temperature of 

 the water in the churn. The softer the butter and the warmer 

 the water, the greater the amount of water that can be in- 

 corporated before the point of saturation is reached. 



Conditions that tend to disturb the emulsion of buttermilk-, 

 water-, or brine-in-fat, reduce the amount of water that is capable 



