ON BUTTERMAKING 25 



What are the qualities of an ideal commercial 

 starter? 



1. It should have a clean, sour taste and a mild, 

 characteristic aroma. 



2. It should be nicely curdled, but not hard or 

 lumpy. 



3. It should have about .7 per cent acidity. 



4. A brownish color indicates thorough pasteur- 

 ization. 



5. It should be glossy and have a liver-like con- 

 sistency. 



What are the common defects in starters? 



1. They may contain large numbers of undesir- 

 able bacteria. 



2. They may be " gassy." 



3. They may have a bitter taste due to over- 

 development of acid or from being kept at too high 

 temperature. 



4. They may curdle while heating, due to ab- 

 normal or over-ripe milk. 



5. They may be " slimy " or "ropy," due to im- 

 perfect pasteurization. 



6. They may become " wheyed-off," caused by 

 over-development of acid or too high temperature. 



What are the effects of a bad starter upon the qual- 

 ity of the butter? 



1. The flavor of the starter will be imparted to 

 the butter and buttermilk. 



2. Mechanical losses are greater. 



3. Keeping quality of the butter is greatly im- 

 paired. 



