76 MODERN BUTTER MAKIMG. 



kind of ripener used and the refrigerating or cool- 

 ing system employed. Whatever system is used the 

 cream should be handled in such a way as to guard 

 against too high acidity at the time of churning. 



100. Ripening temperature of cream. The season 

 of the year, the ripeners used, the per cent of starter 

 added and the skill of the operator determine to 

 some extent the temperature at which cream can 

 be ripened. Therefore the temperatures which are 

 used in ripening cream vary from 67° F. to 72° F. 

 in winter and from 64° F. to 69° F. in summer. If 

 cream were always of the same acidity, age, purity 

 and richness at the time of adding the starter, fewer 

 variations in ripening temperatures would be neces- 

 sary. Too high ripening temperatures have a ten- 

 dency to produce oily ar\d weak-bodied butter, while 

 too low temperatures favor the development of old, 

 flat and bitter flavors. 



101. Slow against fast ripening of cream. The 

 fundamental principle involved in the ripening of 

 cream is to develop a given per cent of acidity at a 

 temperature which will favor the production of a 

 fine quality of lactic acid. The temperature best 

 suited to this seems to be between 65° F. and 72° F. 

 Lactic acid will develop at a higher and also at a 

 lower temperature than that given above, but the 

 desired flavor is not produced at a much lower or 

 much higher temperature. As a general rule fast 

 ripening of cream is preferred for the reason that 

 quick ripening usually favors the production of 

 finer and milder flavored acid. It also helps to pre- 

 vent the development of undesirable flavors in cream 



