MANUFACTURE OF COTTAGE CHEESE IN CREAMERIES. 5 
Raw milk of good flavor, allowed to sour naturally, usually de- 
_velops a well-flavored curd, but the probability of regularly obtain- 
ing a fine-flavored product is greatly increased by pasteurization and 
the use of a good starter. A starter of poor quality should never be 
used, because it does more harm than good by introducing unde- 
sirable fermentations; in fact, it would be better to depend upon 
the natural souring of the skim milk. 
CUTTING AND HEATING THE CURD. 
The best time to cut the curd is shortly after it shows a firm and 
uniform coagulation, with an acidity of from 0.65 to 0.80 per cent, 
for at that stage a mild-flavored cheese is obtained and at the same 
time sufficient acid is present to give a clear separation of the whey 
from the curd. The object of cutting and heating is to get rid of 
the desired quantity of whey and to remove much of the acidity, 
with the least possible loss of curd. The best method of cutting the 
curd is to use regular cheese-curd knives which cut the curd into 
fairly uniform cubes from which the whey can be expelled with 
but small loss of finely broken particles of curd passing through 
the drain cloth. To break the curd or coagulum with a mechanical 
stirrer produces too many fine particles of curd, which are easily 
lost in draining. 
The heat is turned under the vat when the curd is cut, and the 
temperature raised gradually to the desired point, the curd being 
Fic. 2.—Stirring the curd during heating. 
