(') KII I.KTIX (Kill, r. S. DKIWKTMK XT OF A( i II 1( ' I' I .TURE. 



termines to a great extent t ho softness or firmness of the curd. Under 

 normal conditions it requires from 4."> to CO minutes to curdle milk; 

 tin' exact time to set a given lot of milk will, of course, depend upon 

 the temperature, acidity, rennet, and composition of the milk. 



RENNET OR PEPSIN. 



Commercial liquid rennet, one-third of an ounce, or five-sixths of 

 a gram o-f powdered pepsin, is added to each 1,000 pounds of milk. 

 The rennet should be diluted in a half pail of cold water, or if 

 pepsin is used, the powder is first dissolved in a little cold water 

 and then handled in the same manner as rennet. There is some ad- 

 vantage, in the case of cream cheese, in using half an ounce of liquid 

 rennet or 1 gram of powdered pepsin per 1,000 pounds of milk in- 

 stead of the quantities specified. Sometimes powdered rennin is used 

 as a curdling, agent, in which- case the quantity depends upon its 

 strength. One gram of powdered rennin is usually equivalent to 1 

 4 or 5 grams of liquid rennet. 



The powdered pepsin or powdered rennet should be weighed, on an 

 accurate balance and then dissolved in 20 times its weight of water 

 warmed to 105° F. The solution is. then poured through a strainer 

 cloth into a dipper of cold w r ater in order to remove any solid par- 

 ticles. Under no circumstances should powders be dissolved until 

 needed for use. Pepsin has given nearly as satisfactory results as 

 rennet and is less expensive. 



All liquid curdling agents should be kept in a cold place in dark- 

 brown bottles which are kept tightly corked. 



FILLING THE CANS. 



After being pasteurized and cooled clown to 80° or 83° F. and the 

 curdling, agent added, the milk is drawn off from the faucets of the 

 setting vats, which should be placed close to the cellar. The work 

 must be conducted rapidly so that the contents of the vat may be 

 removed within half an hour, to avoid agitating the milk after it 

 has. begun to set. Unless a sanitary connecting pipe is used in filling 

 the shotgun cans it requires several workers to remove them as 

 rapidly as the} 7 are filled. If not very carefully cleaned and 

 thorough^ sterilized daily, the connecting pipe can not be kept 

 in sanitary condition, and its use should be avoided. The shotgun 

 cans are usually filled in the forenoon in order that the curd may be 

 ready for drainage the following morning. 



DUMPING THE CURD. 



The following morning, if the fermentation or ripening has 

 progressed satisfactorily,, there should he about a quarter of an inch 

 of whey, winch is sufficient to form a scum on the surface of the 

 curd. This is a fairly accurate sign of a proper fermentation, while 



