120 PROFITABLE DAIRYING 



is ripened at a temperature of from 65 to 70 

 degrees F., and when it reaches an acidity of 

 four-tenths to five-tenths of one per cent (which 

 may easily be determined by any one of the 

 many acidity tests available), the cream is cooled 

 to about 54 degrees and held at this temper- 

 ature for at least two hours before churning, 

 with an occasional stirring. When cream is held 

 for three or four days before churning, it should 

 be well stirred at least twice each day. It is not 

 desirable to hold cream at a low temperature 

 longer than necessary, because, as has been pre- 

 viously stated, at these low temperatures organ- 

 isms develop that produce bitter flavors. The 

 ripening process should be started as soon as 

 possible after separation, because the develop- 

 ment of the lactic acid germs has a tendency 

 to check the growth of these bitter flavor organ- 

 isms. Great care must also be exercised to 

 check the acidity, as the keeping quality- of the 

 butter may be seriously impaired by over 

 ripening. 



Churning. The best kind of a churn is one 

 that has no internal parts. A barrel churn is 

 about as satisfactory as any on the market. The 

 cream, being at a low temperature, should no{; 

 begin to gather in much less than thirty minutes, 

 otherwise the butter is likely to have a soft 

 body. When the butter is gathered into granules 



