8o6 



consequently there is a danger of over-churning. If the churning 

 is done by hand, as soon as the butter commences to break, the 

 cream will sound watery and can be distinctly heard splashing in 

 the churn ; it will also be much easier to turn. The churn should 

 now be opened at once, and if the grains of butter are as large as 

 sago the churning has gone far enough, and care must be taken not 

 to over-churn. Cold water is now added in the proportion of 

 about one-sixth of the original quantity of cream, and the churn 

 started again very slowly and only a few turns given. If the butter 

 is very line and the grains not larger than the head of a pin, the 

 same proportion of cold water is added, but the churn is turned 

 quickly a few times and this brings the grains to about the proper 

 size. 



The reason for adding cold water is, that it hardens the globules 

 and prevents them sticking together, and thus allows the butter- 

 milk to get away for freely. It also thins the milk and allows the 

 iine particles of butter to come to the surface quicker, and helps to 

 clear them of any casein that might otherwise stick to them. Just 

 before the butter c^mes, or when it is coming, the lid of the churn 

 should be taken off, and the lid and slides, and wherever any cream 

 is adhering, should be carefully washed down with cold water r 

 otherwise the cream that remains unchurnecl may get into the 

 butter and spoil its appearance by causing white specks in it. The 

 butter-milk is now allowed to drain off, passing through a hair sieve 

 to catch any particles that pass away in it. If a proper sieve can- 

 not be easily obtained the butter-milk may be strained through a 

 piece of muslin doubled. When all the milk has been allowed to 

 run off, the churn should be half-filled with cold water again and all 

 adhering particles of butter to the sides or beaters of the churn care- 

 fully washed off. The churn should then be slowly rocked if it is a 

 concussion churn, or if a beater, turn the beaters slowly so as to allow 

 every particle of butter to come in contact with the water, then 

 allow the water to escape. This should be continued so lon^ 

 as the water shows any sign of milkiness at all. Of course, during 

 all this time the butter is supposed to be in a granular state, if it 

 should have gone into lumps it cannot be properly washed in the 

 churn. If the butter is in a correct condition it will readily separate 

 one grain from another, and although it may appear in lumps in the 

 churn after the water has been run off, as soon as fix-sh water is 

 added the granules will all separate again and float on the water. 



If the weather should be rather warm and a difficulty be omul 

 in getting the water cool, salt added to the water will help 

 greatly in hardening the granules and getting rid of the butter- 

 milk. The amount of water required and the number of changes 

 will depend greatly on the quality and condition of the cream. If 

 the cream is composed of globules that are large they will rapidly 

 rise and wash freely, but if the globules are small they will 

 wash slowly. As to the condition, if the cream has been well 



