WORKING OF BUTTER 291 



Distilled water should be used in making the reagents and 

 for the test. The reagents should be kept in brown glass bottles 

 and out of strong light. 



It is not advisable to make up more than about a month's 

 supply of silver nitrate solution at a time. 



WORKING OF BUTTER 



Objects. The objects of working butter are: 

 (i) To distribute the salt and brine evenly in the butter. 

 The number of revolutions in the churn necessary to accom- 

 plish this will vary somewhat according to the conditions of 

 the butter, and according to the kind of butter-workers employed. 

 If the butter is of medium firmness, about twelve revolutions in 

 the Victor Combined Churn will usually distribute the salt 

 properly, providing the working is well distributed over the 

 working period. It used to be, and is still, the practice in 

 creameries to add the salt while the butter is in a hard granular 

 condition, and then rotate the churn several times in slow gear 

 without putting the workers in gear. This is done in order to 

 mix the salt thoroughly without working. Then it is allowed 

 to stand for five or ten minutes, then worked about four revolu- 

 tions and allowed to stand a little while again, then the working 

 is completed by allowing the churn to revolve four or five times 

 more, or as many as is deemed necessary to bring the butter into 

 proper condition. 



It has, however, been demonstrated that it is not advisable 

 to add the salt while the butter is in this hard granular form. 

 The butter should be united into larger irregular granules before 

 the salt is added. If the salt is added to the butter in a more 

 or less gathered condition, the workers should be put in gear at 

 once, for otherwise the salt will be scattered on the inside of the 

 churn. Butter can be worked three or four revolutions and 

 then allowed to stand until the salt is almost dissolved, at which 

 time the working can be completed by revolving the churn four 

 or five revolutions more. Some prefer to work a little more 

 than ten revolutions in order to be sure that the salt has been 

 evenly distributed. 



