96 DAIRY CEEMISTBY 



88. Process of Stirred Curd Cheese Making. — In 



cheddar cheese making, the curd is allowed to mat 

 in the vat after the whey has been removed. In the 

 stirred curd process, the curd is not allowed to mat 

 or cheddar, it is kept stirred and manipulated in 

 such a way that the whey is drained off and the curd 

 particles are not allowed to unite. It is then salted, 

 pressed, and cured. By this process of cheese mak- 

 ing, a softer and milder-flavored cheese is produced. 

 This stirred curd process results in the incorporation 

 of a larger amount of water in the cheese, and the 

 ripening requires less time than for cheddar cheese. 

 These two processes, the cheddar and stirred curd, 

 are often so varied that a sharp dividing line 

 between the two cannot be made. For firm, long- 

 keeping export cheese the cheddar process is fol- 

 lowed, and for a soft, mild, quick-ripening cheese 

 the stirred curd process is employed. 



89. Distribution of Milk Solids in Cheese Mak- 

 ing. — About one half of the milk solids are recov- 

 ered in the cheese. The fat is not as completely 

 recovered as in butter making. The whey usually 

 contains about 5 per cent of the total fat of the milk. 

 Of the 12|^ or 13 pounds of solid matter in milk, 

 about 3 pounds of the casein, 3|- pounds of the fat, 

 and a portion of the ash are recovered in the green 

 cheese, while the milk sugar, albumin, and a portion 

 of the ash are lost in the whey. The solid matter 

 of cheese is mainly composed of fat and casein, and 

 any increase in the amount of fat in the milk is 



