TESTING THE BACTERIAL CONDITION OF MILK IO7 



(2) a well insulated tank to hold the jars, (3) rennet 

 extract, (4) a thermometer, (5) a case-knife or simi- 

 lar instrument for cutting curd, and (6) a small pipette 

 for measuring rennet-extract. 



Operation of test. — The test is conducted as fol- 

 lows: The jars, including covers, just previous to 

 use, are sterilized with live steam, scalding water or 

 dry heat (212° F.). Each jar or can is filled about 

 two-thirds full with the milk to be tested and the ster- 

 ilized cover put on at once. The jars are then placed 

 in the tank which is filled with water at 100° to 102° 

 F. up to the upper surface of the milk in the jars. The 

 temperature of the water should be kept at 100° to 

 102° F. during the whole operation. To hasten the 

 warming of the milk, the jars are taken out and shaken 

 occasionally. The temperature of the milk is observed 

 with a sterile thermometer, and when the milk has 

 reached 98° F., one adds 10 drops of rennet-extract 

 to each jar and mixes thoroughly by giving the con- 

 tents of the jar a rotary motion. When the milk has 

 coagulated, it is allowed to stand until it is firm, usu- 

 ally about 20 minutes. To enable the whey to sepa- 

 rate more readily, the curd is then cut fine with a 

 thin knife, which must be carefully rinsed with hot 

 water after finishing each jar and before using it in 

 another, in order to avoid carrying contamination from 

 one milk to another and spoiling the test. The curd 

 is allowed to settle completely. When the whey has 

 been separating half an hour, the samples are exam- 

 ined for flavor by smelling, after which the whey 

 is carefully poured out of the jars and this is re- 



