298 MANUAL OF MILK PRODUCTS 



nature of the ripening processes. There is no relationship 

 between the percentage of water in the milk and that in the 

 fresh cheese, but there are many factors in the process of mak- 

 ing which influence the amount of moisture which the finished 

 cheese will contain. Some of these conditions are not within 

 the control of the cheese-maker, while others are within his 

 control and can be modified at will. It is possible for the ex- 

 perienced cheese-maker to vary the percentage of moisture in 

 the cheese between rather wide limits and to make a product 

 which will test within 3 or 4 per cent of any desired moisture- 

 content. The conditions which affect the percentage of mois- 

 ture and the yield of cheese are summarized by Fisk 1 as follows : 



"1. Setting the milk at a high temperature reduces the loss 

 of fat in the whey more than setting the milk at a low temper- 

 ature. Setting at a high temperature increases the yield of the 

 green and the cured cheese. This increase is probably due to 

 the increased moisture-content of the cheese. 



"2. An increase of rennet to a certain point increases the 

 moisture-content of cheese. This is due to greater coagulation, 

 and has the same effect as setting at a high temperature or 

 cutting the curd hard. 



"3. Cutting the curd fine causes a larger loss of fat in the 

 whey than cutting the curd coarse. Coarse-cut curd increases 

 the yield of green and of cured cheese and increases the moisture- 

 content of the cheese. If great care is not taken and the pieces 

 of curd are broken, the result will be the same as a fine cut. 



" 4. Cutting the curd soft reduces the percentage of moisture 

 and the yield of the green cheese, and also increases the loss 

 of fat in the whey. Cutting soft has the same effect as setting 

 at a low temperature or as a small amount of rennet. 



"5. A low acid at the time of removing the whey increases 

 the yield of the green and the cured cheese. The low acid also 

 increases the percentage of moisture in the cheese. If a high 

 1 Cornell Exp. Sta. Bui. 334. 



