360 Milk and Its Products 



sample, and a special moisture scale. The scale is specially adapted 

 for moisture work, but may be used as a cream scale in operating the 

 Babcock test. 



The scale has a tare weight for balancing the cup and a large and 

 small weight for weighing the sample and obtaining the percentage 

 of moisture. The beam has two rows of figures which give readings 

 with the larger weight. The lower row gives readings in grams and 

 the upper row in percentages. The smaller weight gives readings in 

 grams when the weight is moved from 1 forward. Each notch repre- 

 sents .02 grams, the total value of the small scale being .2 grams. When 

 the small weight is moved from backward, each notch represents a 

 loss of .1 per cent of moisture when 20.2 grams of butter are used. The 

 small weight is intended to be used only in moisture work. In using 

 the scale for Babcock work, the small weight is not used but is left at 

 rest on the figure 1. Then, when the scales are balanced, the small 

 weight is negligible. Care must be taken not to let any draft of air, 

 as from an open window, strike the scales when in use, as they are so 

 sensitive that a very slight current of air would throw them out of 

 balance. The scales will give readings in percentages only when 20.2 

 grams of butter have been weighed or, in other words, when the large 

 weight is on 20 (of the gram scale) and the small weight is on zero. 



The cup used is of cast aluminum and is durable and perfectly 

 smooth. The absence of creases or crevices allows it to be cleaned and 

 dried thoroughly. 



Operation of the test. It is necessary that a representative sample 

 be taken for a moisture-test. If the butter is sold in tubs, the sample 

 should be taken from the tub with a butter trier, after the butter has 

 been packed. It is best to take three drawings one from near the edge, 

 one from the middle, and one half way between the edge and the mid- 

 dle. Some butter-makers test the butter as soon as it is worked. This 

 is a mistake, since considerable moisture is lost in the process of print- 

 ing and packing. 



Place the sample to be tested in a glass container which has a fairly 

 wide mouth, so that the sample can be stirred. A quart fruit jar is 

 useful for this purpose. Then hold the container in warm water until 

 the butter begins to melt. Remove the container from the warm bath 

 and thoroughly mix the melted with the unmelted butter. In the lab- 

 oratory a long-bladed cheese knife was found very useful for mixing 

 the butter. A wooden stirrer should not be used, as it is likely to take 

 up moisture from the sample. The process of melting the butter and 

 mixing it with the unmelted butter is repeated until the sample con- 



