CHAPTER V 



Moisture and Acidity in Curd and Cheese : 

 Conditions, Effects and Control 



The detailed operations of cheese-making have 

 for their primary object, in large measure, regula- 

 tion of the amount of water and degree of acidity 

 in the curd. So important is the control of these 

 factors in relation to the quality of cheese, that 

 sometimes, under abnormal conditions, as, for ex- 

 ample, in case of overripe milk, they can be regu- 

 lated only by sacrifice of some of the fat, and the 

 question of saving fat then becomes a matter of 

 secondary importance. Of such importance is a 

 knowledge of these factors and their relations to the 

 detailed operations of cheese-making that a special 

 chapter seems desirable, even though the treatment 

 involves some repetitions. 



To a considerable extent, moisture and acidity 

 are closely associated. Water means whey, of 

 course, and the most important constituent of whey 

 is milk-sugar, the raw material used in making 

 lactic acid. The larger the percentage of water 

 or whey in curd or fresh cheese, the larger is the 

 amount of milk-sugar, and, therefore, the greater is 

 the degree of acidity that can be developed. The 

 relations of moisture can be better understood if 

 we keep in mind the connection between (i) 

 moisture, (2) whey, (3) milk-sugar and (4) acidity. 



45 



