MOISTURE AND ACIDITY IN .CURD, ETC. 53 



degree of acidity. Excessive acidity (whey) gives 

 the cheese a sour flavor. Insufficient acidity is apt 

 to be accompanied by. a sickish flavor, unless the 

 cheese is ripened with care at sufficiently low tem- 

 perature. 



Acidity and keeping quality. It has been al- 

 ready stated (p. 18) that the presence of lactic 

 acid bacteria in milk and curd is essential to pre- 

 vent the development of undesirable forms of 

 fermentation, which may be present in the early 

 stages of cheese-making. The lactic acid thus 

 formed is the active material employed in doing this 

 sanitary work. Cheese with too little acidity usually 

 becomes defective in flavor in a comparatively short 

 time. 



Acidity and finish. Excessive acidity (whey) 

 causes formation of poor rind; frequently the rind 

 cracks and leaks whey. 







CONTROL OF ACIDITY IN CHEESE- 

 MAKING 



Below we give in brief form the means to be used 

 in controlling acidity in the operations of cheese- 

 making. 



(1) Producer's care of milk. In order to re- 

 tard the too rapid growth of lactic acid bacteria 

 before milk is delivered at the cheese-factory, the 

 milk should be cooled at once after milking to 60 

 F., or better to 50 F., and not allowed to get above 

 this temperature. 



(2) Ripening milk. In making sweet-curd 

 cheese, care must be taken not to ripen the milk 



