CHEESE MAKI^ZZ-^ 89 



whey and the curd is as firm as we want it. Anent the 

 stirring of curds, use the hands as little as possible. 

 There is nothing better for this purpose than the com- 

 mon hay rake with the handle shortened and one tooth 

 cut off from each end by severing the rake-head within 

 three quarters of an inch of the next tooth* 



DllAWING THE WHEY. 



We next draw the whey down to the curd leaving 

 enough to stir it in easily, and cool the whole mass down 

 to 90 degrees, to avoid too much packing, and draw off 

 the balance of the whey. The whey should be run off 

 before the acid develops, because acid, formed from the 

 milk in the sugar, dissolves the minerals and cuts some 

 of the oils in the curd, and these run off in the whey. 

 Many curds, by remaining in the whey too long, become 

 whey-soaked, and make cheese that is soggy and hard, 

 with a sour flavor. This kind of firmness is not desira- 

 ble, notwithstanding it is called for by buyers, who sel- 

 dom know anything about cheese making. If the acid 

 develops before the whey is properly expelled, or the 

 curd fs " cooked," it carries off the minerals, which are 

 in the form of phosphates, and this makes the cheese 

 poor indeed. These phosphates are of lime, iron, mag- 

 nesium, etc., but the principal is phosphate of lime. The 

 affinity of these minerals for lactic acid is stronger than 

 for phosphoric acid ; so they let go of the latter and unite 

 with the lactic acid, forming lactates and leaving the 

 phosphoric acid free. But if we get all of the whey out 



of the curd that we desire, and then get the curd out of 

 12 



