Neufchatel. 205 



before much cream rises to the surface. The tem- 

 perature of the room may vary within rather wide 

 limits, though if it is above 80° F. the curd is likely 

 to be hard and tough, while if it is 60° F. or below, 

 the curd is not injured, though the process is greatly 

 retarded. Probably the same rule holds here as in 

 cream -ripening, namely, that it is not possible to 

 name a single temperature arbitrarily as the cor- 

 rect one. The most important point in the whole 

 process is to determine w'hen the curd should be 

 dumped from the coagulating cans upon the drain- 

 ing cloths. It should stand until the whey is 

 markedly acid to the taste, as much so as mildly 

 ripened cream, and until the hand passed down 

 between the sides of the can and the curd notes 

 that the latter is firm, with a peculiar elastic cush- 

 iony feel. The amount of whey that gathers on the 

 top of the curd is not a safe indication of the time 

 to dump, for at high temperatures a large amount 

 of whey often separates while it is still sweet, and 

 in case of gassy fermentations the curd floats and 

 the whey is found at the bottom. If the cans are 

 dumped before sufficient acid has developed, it will 

 be very difficult to drain the curds, the flavor will 

 be very bad, the texture pasty and slimy, and later, 

 as the acid develops, an additional amount of whey 

 will separate, making a leaky cheese. When ready, 

 the cans of coagulated milk should be dumped on 

 draining racks 15x24 inches, with slatted bottoms 

 covered with heavy, closely -woven cotton sheeting. 

 The dumping should be carefully and skilfully done, 



