CHAP. YI. CHEDDAR CHEESE. 823 



examine the condition of the night's milk, and, if acidity be perceptible, 

 the morning's milk only should be heated ; as a rule, this is advisable 

 from about the middle of June to the end of August. The night's milk 

 should be skimmed, and the cream put in with the milk which is to be 

 heated in a tin vessel called a warmer, surrounded by hot water in the 

 open boiler, in the boiler house, and in which the whey is also heated. 

 Particular care must be taken not to exceed a temperature of 95. By 

 this the united milk should be raised to 84 ; but by the end of June it 

 may be reduced to 82. A little sour whey may be added in the earlier 

 and later months, but its regular use cannot be recommended. 



When annatto is used, it should be well stirred in, and then sufficient 

 rennet added to coagulate the milk in sixty minutes. The intimate 

 mixing of the milk and rennet is very important, and should usually 

 occupy ten minutes, not only for its thorough incorporation, but also 

 to prevent the cream rising to the surface. It is necessary that the 

 tub should then be covered over till coagulation is complete, in order 

 to guard against a too rapid fall in the temperature of the milk. By 

 the time the curd will break clean over a tubular thermometer, the 

 delicate operation of breaking should begin. This is facilitated by the 

 use of a thin knife, long enough to reach the bottom of the tub, for 

 cutting the curd into squares of about two inches. 



This done, it should be left to harden a few minutes and for the 

 whey to separate, when, by the use of a shovel-breaker, the splitting of 

 the curd in its own grain commences. This at first must be done with 

 the greatest caution, or the whey will get white and loss of quality 

 ensue ; but the speed should increase as the curd hardens always 

 taking care that it is regularly broken, and not smashed, until it is the 

 size of a pea, and the whey of a greenish hue ; the time of this opera- 

 tion depends somewhat upon the quantity dealt with, but it should 

 take from fifty to sixty minutes. The mass should now be allowed to 

 settle for ten minutes, when with a syphon sufficient whey may be 

 drawn off, as, when heated to not more than 130, would raise the 

 whole to 90. During the application of this whey the curd should be 

 well stirred and mixed. A further rest of ten minutes takes place, 

 when enough whey should be drawn oft' for heating to 130, and the 

 whey in the tub lowered till it only covers the curd by about two 

 inches. The heated whey should now be poured in a small stream 

 over the curd, the operator taking the utmost care that the whole mass 

 is thoroughly broken up and incorporated with it, the thermometer 

 being frequently used, until it stands at 100, the limit desired ; but 

 the stirring must be continued until the curd becomes shotty and is 

 disposed to sink, the whey showing above it clear and green. 



This operation may take from ten to thirty minutes, but should the 

 curd not harden sufficiently fast, and the temperature fall quickly, it 

 would be well to add more hot whey, so as to retain the heat at 100. 

 The curd may now rest thirty minutes (or, if it is sufficiently acid, a 

 shorter period will do), when all the whey may be let off, and the curd 

 piled as high as possible in the centre of the tub. Carefully wash down 

 all crumbs, strain, and place them on top of the mound. Cover and 



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