MANUFACTURE OF NEUFCHATEL AND CREAM CHEESE. 9 



ICING. 



When the cheese is made in large quantities, the bags of curd are 

 always- in alternate layers of cracked ice prior to pressing. Usually 

 a large rectangular box about 3 feet high, 8 led long, and '■'> feel 

 wide is provided in which alternate layers of ice and hag- of curd 

 are placed. Under the first system of draining, the curd may be 

 cool enough in a few hours to permit pressing, while, if the pressing 

 is not to be done until the following day, the bags are left on ice, 

 overnight. The object of chilling is to harden the curd so that it 

 does not so readily pass into the meshes of the drain cloths and in- 

 terfere with draining, and also to give it sufficient body to be 

 molded. 



PRESSING. 



After chilling, the bags of curd are placed in a lever press pro- 

 vided with ratchet and pawl, where firm but increasing pressure is 

 applied gradually, in order to allow the escape of whey and incor- 

 porated air. Without this precaution there is danger of applying 

 so much pressure as to break the drain cloths, which is more liable to 

 occur at first with a comparatively light pressure than later when 

 more pressure is applied. The pressing should continue until a 

 yield of 18 to 20 pounds per 100 pounds of milk is obtained for 

 cream cheese and 14 to 16 pounds for Neufchatel cheese. This is 

 equivalent to a yield per bag (30-pound unit of milk) of 5^ to 6 

 pounds of cream cheese and 4^ pounds of Neufchatel. The acidity 

 of the whey at the beginning of pressing is about 0.50 to 0.55 per 

 cent. 



WORKING AND SALTING. 



After pressing, the cakes of curd are salted and worked by ma- 

 chinery into a more or less buttery consistence. This is accom- 

 plished by either of two machines, namely, (1) a grinding machine 

 consisting of a hopper and two grinding cylinders, which are rotated 

 in opposite directions by power, and (2) a. bread mixer or similar 

 mixing device, wdiich consists of a tilting mixing box provided with 

 knives revolving in opposite 'directions, operated by electric power. 

 Salt is sprinkled on the cakes of curd, usually at the rate of 1 pound 

 of salt to 100 pounds of curd. Some manufacturers salt as high as 

 1^ pounds to 100 pounds of curd ; the amount of salt to use will of 

 course depend upon the trade demands. Either of the machines 

 mentioned is used to distribute the salt uniformly throughout the 

 curd ; the rest of the work necessary for a cheese of smooth consist- 

 ence is to be performed by the spiral screw of the molding machine. 

 The mixer type gives the curd a very soft consistence, so much so 

 that it must be kept at a low temperature for several hours or over- 

 night before it will be in a fit condition for molding. On the other 

 hand, the grinding machine is less vigorous in action and handles 

 70784°— 18— Bull. 669- -2 



