286 BUTTER-MAKING. 



churn thick cream, a higher temperature is necessary. It is 

 difficult to stop the churn without over churning a trifle. These 

 two conditions, thick cream and high temperature, are both 

 conducive to a higher moisture- content. 



(4) Amount of work the butter receives. If the butter is 

 in a moderately firm condition, the more the butter is worked, 

 in the absence of water, the less moisture it will contain. If 

 the moisture is present in a leak}^ form as mentioned above, it 

 is expelled to a great extent by working. But if the moisture 

 is properly incorporated and the butter is not too firm, work- 

 ing has little effect upon changing the moisture-content of the 

 butter, providing there is no water present in the churn. 



Several other factors, such as pasteurization of cream, full- 

 ness of churn, and character of fat in cream, all have a small 

 influence in governing the moisture-content of butter, but in 

 this summary it is sufficient to say that temperature, degree 

 of churning, and thickness of cream are the only conditions 

 which materially influence the moisture- content. If churning 

 is carried on to an excess, whether it be in the buttermilk or 

 in the wash-water, all other factors are subordinate and have 

 little or no influence in regulating the moisture-content of 

 butter. Low temperature is the chief factor that delays in- 

 corporation of moisture in excessive churning. 



Fat. The English, the German, and the United States 

 governments have endeavored to protect consumers in regard 

 to the amount of nutriment in butter, by recommending 16% 

 of water as a maximum limit. Such a ruling has worked suc- 

 cessfully now for several years. Efforts have recently been 

 made in the United States to base by law the nutritive quality 

 of butter upon a certain minimum percentage of fat. The 

 minimum amount of fat recommended by the appointed com- 

 mittee of chemists is 82^%. A minimum standard of 82^% 

 of fat in butter would be unintentionally violated, while a basis 

 of 80% fat in butter would be more consistent with the quality 

 of butter as manufactured. 



