-BRICK CHEESE. 163 
gas in the cheese if the milk is a few hours old. On the other 
hand, milk that is over-ripe cannot be used without destroying 
the peculiar character of brick cheese. 
The rennet test and the acid test previously described (82 
and 186) are of importance in obtaining milk of the proper 
acidity for brick cheese. If the milk is found to be very sweet, 
a lactic ferment starter may be added, so that a pure lactic acid 
fermentation may predominate over the gas forms, and thereby 
secure a cheese with fewer holes. 
311. Quantity of Rennet Required. 
Brick cheese is a quick curing cheese, and a little more 
rennet is used than for a medium curing Cheddar. The milk 
will, of course, be a little sweeter than for Cheddar and enough 
rennet is used to coagulate it in twenty minutes. 
312. How Cooked. 
Brick cheese is made in a steam vat; it is set at 86° F., the 
eurd cut and the temperature raised for firming, the same as 
with Cheddar cheese. The temperature at which the firming 
takes place depends on the acidity of the milk. With milk 
nearly as ripe as for Cheddar, 108° F. will do, while 118° or 
120° may be required for very sweet milk. The temperature 
usually employed is about 114° F. 
313. Testing Curd for Firmness. 
Curd, when ready to dip, should feel as firm as curd for 
Cheddar cheese. An over cook will make the cheese dry and 
corky, and an under cook will make a soft cheese approaching 
a Limburger. 
314. Dipping the Curd. 
When the curd is firm enough, the whey is drawn off so that 
only enough is left in the vat to keep the curd from matting 
together. A few handfuls of salt per 1000 pounds of milk are 
then added to the curd for the supposed reason of checking 
gas fermentations, but as the salt dissolves in the whey and 
runs away, this operation can be of little use. Some makers 
are in the habit of salting the milk by placing salt in the strainer 
when the milk is running into the vat, to check the develop- 
