202 BUTTER-MAKING. 



a low temperature (50 F.) immediately after it has been 

 skimmed or received, then allowing it to stand until the next 

 day. The second day's cream is then poured in with the first 

 day's cream, the starter added, and the ripening process com- 

 pleted. Others prefer to add the starter to the first batch of 

 cream immediately after it has been skimmed, then ripen it 

 almost to the normal degree of acidity, and cool to about 50 F. 

 The next day the new cream is skimmed into this already 

 ripe cream, stirred thoroughly, and the ripening process com- 

 pleted. The latter method, if done properly, has given the best 

 satisfaction. When cream is ripened according to the method 

 first described, undesirable fermentations are likely to gain 

 ascendency. As has been mentioned before, the undesirable 

 germs grow better at a lower temperature than do the bacteria 

 producing lactic acid. When the next day's cream is skimmed 

 into this, the undesirable ferments may preponderate to such 

 an extent that the desirable germs cannot overcome or suppress 

 them during the remainder of the ripening process. According 

 to the latter method, the first day's cream is ripened as usual. 

 When the next day's cream is skimmed into this, the first lot 

 of cream acts as a starter. The lactic acid present inhibits 

 the growth of other undesirable species, and consequently 

 better results are obtained by this method. 



This latter method of holding cream is recommended when 

 cream is to be held for any length of time, such as over Sunday, 

 or when the creamery is run only every other day, and the 

 churning done once or twice per week. If possible, and all 

 the other conditions consistent, it is better to ripen the cream 

 and churn it the day it is delivered than it is to hold the cream 

 over for several days before it is churned. Butter will always 

 keep better than cream, under any conditions. 



MIXING OF CREAM. 



With the introduction of hand-separators the quality of 

 cream received at creameries varies considerably. The ques- 

 tion then arises, should the different quantities of cream be 



