CHEDDAR CHEESE 291 



the drawing of the milk from the cow and the conditions under 

 which it is drawn, and the care which it later receives will very 

 largely determine the quality of the finished cheese. It is, 

 therefore, evident that the milk should be drawn under as 

 clean conditions as possible. Those factors influencing the 

 cleanliness of milk as described in Chapter VI for the produc- 

 tion of market milk should be observed in producing milk for 

 a cheese factory. Freedom from dirt and bacteria are of prime 

 importance. As in the case of market milk, milk that is to be 

 used for cheese-making should be cooled as promptly as pos- 

 sible in a manner which will reduce the temperature without 

 subjecting the milk to additional contamination. This can 

 be done by placing the cans in cold running water or ice water 

 or by passing the milk over some form of cooler (see Chapter V). 

 If a cooler is used, great care should be taken that the cooling 

 process be done where the atmosphere is free from dust and 

 odors, or the condition of the cooled milk may be worse than 

 at the beginning. If the cans are set in cold water, they should 

 be stirred frequently until the temperature has been reduced 

 to approximately the desired point. The cheese-maker is 

 primarily dependent on the quality of the milk which the 

 patrons bring him for the quality of his finished product, and 

 it should always be kept in mind that cleanliness and cooling 

 are indispensible conditions in milk for cheese-making. It 

 should also be remembered that strong feeds such as cabbage, 

 rape, or onions should not be fed to cows which are producing 

 milk for the cheese factory. The strong aroma from these 

 feeds is almost sure to taint the milk and produce cheese of 

 poor quality. 



On its arrival at the factory, each can of milk should be 

 carefully examined. If it shows any signs of souring or has 

 a bad flavor or odor, it should not be accepted. With expe- 

 rience, the milk receiver can become very expert in judging the 

 quality of milk by the senses of taste and smell. Under some 



