DIFFICULT CHURNING 259 



they are often fed on food which causes hard butter fat, as 

 described under " Effect of Food upon Fat." In the fall or 

 early winter, a large portion of the milk is usually obtained 

 from strippers, or cows almost dried up. Such milk contains a 

 large portion of the small fat-globules. Difficult churning 

 resulting from such conditions can usually be remedied by ripen- 

 ing to a higher degree of acidity and churning the cream at a 

 higher temperature. 



Complaints are occasionally heard of difficult churning which 

 cannot be remedied by such treatment. Sometimes cream froths, 

 and will not agitate in the churn. Such a frothy condition has 

 in some cases been found to occur even though the cream may 

 seem to be in an ideal condition for churning. It is believed 

 by some, notably Hertz, that such a condition in the cream is 

 brought about by a disease of the cow. Weigman has studied 

 and isolated a ferment which caused a soapy condition of milk 

 and cream. It is possible that such exceedingly difficult cases 

 in churning may be due to a disease of the cow, and it may also 

 be due to certain ferments that produce a soapy condition of the 

 cream. 



If thick cream at a very low temperature is put into the 

 churn, it sometimes causes difficult churning. When such 

 cream is first agitated in the churn it incorporates considerable 

 air. This air, together with the various gases developed at a 

 low temperature, does not readily escape. The viscosity of it is 

 so great that it will not release the air present. As a conse- 

 quence it assumes a stiff consistency, much the same as the beaten 

 white of an egg. If cream froths in the churn as mentioned, 

 a little warm water thrown on the outside of the churn will 

 often start the agitation of the cream within. If a combined 

 churn is used the rollers may be put in gear, and the churn 

 revolved in slow gear. This will often start the cream to agitate. 

 If these two remedies are not sufficient, a little water, lukewarm if 

 necessary, may be added directly to the cream. By letting 

 the churn stand a short time, the cream will usually condense 

 into a liquid form again, and many times the churning process 

 can then be completed. This latter method, however, usually 



