CHAPTER XVI. 
SWISS CHEESE—WORK IN THE CELLAR. 
299. Starting the Eyes. 
From the salting shelf or brine tank the cheese is taken to 
the curing cellar. The curing covers two stages and the cheese 
should be handled in two cellars to secure the proper conditions 
for a perfect curing. The first curing cellar should be kept at 
a temperature of about 70° F. At this temperature the gassy 
fermentations set in and start the eyes. By tapping the cheese 
with the finger, the eyes can be located, for the cheese will be- 
gin to sound hollow. Care should be taken to prevent the eyes 
from forming too much in one part. Eyes may be checked by 
salt, or they may be developed by a little higher temperature 
and more moisture. As a cheese dries out the eyes are checked. 
A steam jet in the cellar will provide desired moisture. 
300. Reason for Making Block Swiss. 
Block Swiss are handy for cutting. Sometimes where the 
fermentations are hard to control, block Swiss is made instead 
of the round variety, for the blocks being smaller, gassy fermen- 
tations can be checked quicker, and on the other hand, where 
the eyes are slow in forming they can be coaxed easier. 
301. Handling on the Shelves. 
The large round cheese is kept on a round cheese board. 
By this means the cheese can be easily handled. It is kept free 
from mold by frequent scrubbing with a lcng-handled brush 
made for the purpose. When it becomes necessary to turn a 
cheese, it is carried on the board to a table, where it is flopped 
over onto another board of the same kind. The turning of the 
cheese at the press is done in like manner. 
302. The Second Cellar. 
After the eyes have been well started, the cheese is trans- 
ferred to a second cellar which is kept at about 60° F. Here 
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