264 CHURNING AND WASHING BUTTER 



perature of the cream be right, the butter will be in proper con- 

 dition for washing and working. If the churning temperature 

 be not right it is difficult through any device that may be 

 adopted subsequently such as tempering the wash-water to 

 bring the butter into the best condition for salting and working. 

 Regulation by means of a change in temperature of the wash- 

 water will prove a partial, but not a complete remedy par- 

 ticularly if the butter be very soft when it comes. 



Unless the butter is of very poor quality, excessive washing 

 should be avoided. Cold water is said to absorb a considerable 

 portion of the flavoring substances. If the quality of the butter 

 is poor, many of the undesirable flavors and odors are removed 

 by excessive washing; while if the butter has a fine, rich flavor, 

 it should be retained, and not extracted by washing the butter 

 more than is needed. No definite temperature can be given, as 

 the temperature of wash-water must vary according to the hard- 

 ness of the butter when churned. 



If the temperature of the wash-water is too high, and the 

 churning in the wash- water is continued a very long time, much 

 water will be incorporated in the butter. If the butter is quite 

 firm in the first place, and the temperature of the wash- water 

 is not above 60 F., there is not much danger of getting too 

 much water in the butter. Rapid changes in the degree of 

 hardness of the butter in the presence of water are conducive to a 

 high moisture-content. Very soft butter chilled in very cold 

 water, and hard butter softened in very warm wash-water are 

 two conditions which should be avoided. 



As to the quantity of wash water that should be used: with 

 cream of average richness, it will be about the same as that of the 

 buttermilk; with very rich cream a little greater. In washing 

 the butter the churn is usually run from 10 to 15 revolutions on 

 high speed. Some, instead of following this practice of churning 

 the butter in the wash water, run the churn about 2 to 5 revolu- 

 tions at slow speed with the worker in gear; modifications and 

 combinations of these two methods are made. For instance, 

 where butter is first washed or sprayed and a second wash-water 

 is used, some adopt the practice, during the second washing, of 



