METHOD OF MANUFACTURING STILTON 85 



prolonged coagulation, is not unusual in the 

 making of sweet curd cheeses. 



CURD DRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF 

 ACIDITY. When ready, the curd is ladled out 

 of the vat into straining-cloths, placed in the 

 curd-sink. These cloths are about a yard 

 square, and hold from three to four gallons each. 

 In the act of ladling the curd is cut into thin 

 slices, whereby the drainage of the whey is 

 facilitated. The curd is allowed to stand for half- 

 an-hour in its own whey, or longer if it is 

 soft. The whey is then let off, and the curd tied 

 up by bringing together the three corners of the 

 straining-cloth and using the fourth as a bindery 

 and here in the curd-sink it drains until evening. 

 To aid the draining, tighten the cloths every 

 hour during the first eight hours. This tighten- 

 ing requires to be done with care, so that no curd 

 is crushed in the operation. In the evening the 

 curd is cut up into squares of about four inches 

 and laid in the draining-sink with a light cotton 

 cloth thrown over it. Here it remains over 

 night, and during this time it slowly oxidizes. 

 The evening's milk is treated in the same 

 manner as the morning's milk, being allowed to 



