CHEESE MAKING. 



has been reached. Stop heating to a higher degree and stir for fifteen 

 Mutes. Let the curd settle and cover up the vat for a time until the 

 i shows silky threads on a hot iron of lin. in length. When this 

 siage is reached run off the whey, and cut the curd into bars like 

 ihen put the bars of curd on a rack and turn every twenty 

 -nmutes, until the curd gets tough and when torn shows threads It 

 thus show a hot iron test of 2in. It is then ready to be put 

 through the curd mill. After putting the curd through the mill com- 

 mence salting at the rate of 2*lb. of salt to 100 gallons of milk, which 

 is equal to about loolb. of cheese. Put to press at once, putting on 

 the pressure gently at first, after an hour's time heavier for another 

 nour. ihen adjust the binding top and bottom and put to press again 

 11 next day, when the cheese will be ready for the curing room " 



Mr. Sinks adds the foregoing system is adopted with sweet milk 

 only : " It is simple, and requires no rennet test to ascertain one's 

 position before commencing operations. If milk tastes sour in the 

 morning, don't use it. If an accident should happen and the milk 

 turn sour, heat up to io6deg. Fahr., and carry the whole operation 

 through as quickly as possible." But he prefers sweet milk, and the 

 whole process to take six hours, as 'follows : One hour for the milk 

 to coagulate, one hour cutting and heating, one hour cooking, and 

 three hours cheddaring, milling, 'and salting. Mrl Binks adds : 

 '' When the whey is drawn off the curd, the curd must not be allowed 

 to cool till ready to salt, then only to between 7odeg. and Sodeg. 

 Fahr., as cold curd will not press close enough." 



Mr. John Mahon, principal, Agricultural College, Queensland, who 

 is, like Mr. Binks, a most practical cheese maker in all climates and 

 weathers, says : " If good cheese is to be made it must be done 

 through the production of good milk. The man is not yet born who 

 can manufacture good cheese from unsound or badly handled milk. 

 After a person has been taught his business his whole success as a 

 cheese maker depends on the quality which he is called upon to treat 

 from day to day. 



" The milk should be drawn from the cows in the cleanest possible 

 manner, removed from the yard and run over a milk cooler, which 

 should be placed under a sound roof, in a clean atmosphere. The 

 manager should, nevertheless, taste all the milk before allowing it 

 into the receiving vat. 



" In Cheddar cheese making the state of the milk and the weather 

 should receive the strict attention of the cheese maker, and calcula- 

 tions based on the facts made for the day's working. Ten minutes' 

 consideration of existing conditions will save much work and worry 

 during the day's operations. 



" After the milk has been received in the vat, heat the whole up to 

 84deg. Fahr. and add sufficient annatto to suit the market require- 

 ments (about 2 oz. will be found sufficient dor 100 gallons of milk). 

 Stir carefully for a few minutes. Before adding the rennet we must 

 have a knowledge of existing influences and the relation o>f the ripe- 

 ness, heat, and rennet to each other proper to the case. To make a 

 uniform cheese we must have a standard ripeness to work on, and 

 the whole milk must be always brought to that point before adding 

 the rennet. If the milk should get beyond the proper stage of ripe- 

 ness it must be counteracted in the quantity of rennet, and the tem- 

 perature o-f the milk must be reduced. The quantity of the rennet 

 must in all cases be regulated according to the ripeness of the milk, 

 but in sufficient quantities to coagulate the milk in from twelve to 

 fifteen minutes, and produce firmness for cutting in twice and one 

 half that time. Any departure from this method means a loss in 

 flavour and quality. 



291. 



