RIPENING AND CHURNING CREAM. 85 



1 twenty-four hours before churning. The cream 

 should be well stirred at each addition of fresh cream, 

 using a tin stirrer never a wooden one. 



Cream from the centrifuge should be cooled at 

 once to 50 or 60 degrees, if it is to be held for two or 

 three days. If it is to be churned next day, it should 

 be cooled to 65 or 70 degrees, and have ten to fifteen 

 per cent, of a pure culture added. 



For a large quantity of cream a vat is 

 convenient. For a smaller quantity use a 

 can which is light and easily cleaned. 

 Crocks are heavy, easily broken, and are 

 not suitable for producing changes of tem- 

 perature in the cream. All heating or 

 cooling of cream should be done by sur- 

 rounding the vessel of cream with cold or 

 warm water, then stirring it until it comes 



( to the desired temperature. Warm or cold 

 water or ice should not be put in the 

 cream, if it can be avoided, as it tends to 



injure the flavor and grain of the butter. 



MILK AND 



When the cream commences to thicken ' CREAM 

 it may be gradually cooled to churning 

 temperature. It is ripe when thick and glossy in 

 appearance, when it smells and tastes slightly sour, 

 when it pours like good molasses, and has .5 to .6 

 per cent, of acid. The cream for a churning should 

 be mixed in one vessel at least twelve hours before 

 churning, in order to ensure uniform ripening. If 

 lots of cream having different degrees of ripeness be 

 mixed and churned at once, there is too great a loss 



