152 CHEESE MAKING. 
293. Dipping the Curd. 
When the curd is finally firm enough, the wooden brake 
in the side of the kettle is taken out and the curd is set whirling 
in the kettle so that when it settles it will collect in a lump in the 
middle of the kettle. It is then gathered up into a linen strainer 
cloth for pressing. The cloth is gathered at one edge in the 
hand and wet in the whey; it is then spread out and rolled onto 
a flexible iron band. The opposite end is held by an assistant, 
or if the operator is alone, he holds it in his teeth, and then the 
iron band is bent into an arch and slid under the lump of curd. 
Fig. 75.—Block Swiss molds. A, the adjustable end, moved by a screw. 
B, the partition which fits into the grooves, making the right sized molds 
after the blocks are cut. C, the cover or follower. 
The corners of the cloth are then tied together and the whole 
thing drawn up with a rope and tackle which runs on a pulley 
and track, like a hay fork, to the pressing table. 
It is claimed that if the pieces of curd that are collected at 
last are put into the center, they will cause the cheese to crack 
and from the crack a rotten place will start. The curd should 
therefore be put into the hoop in a lump, and as quickly as pos- 
sible, so that it will not become cool and brittle and therefore 
erack. Where there is curd enough, the lump in the kettle may 
be cut in two and put into two hoops in different dippings. 
We have seen that the curd is cooked to 135° F.; this would 
seem a very high temperature for a man to put his arms into, 
as the maker has to do when he scoops the curd into the cloth. 
Some observations on this point will show that the whey cools 
