CONTROLLING MOISTURE IN BUTTER. 123 



of wash water used in each churning was one-half 

 the volume of the cream churned. The butter was 

 first rinsed with water of the same temperature as 

 the water used for washing. In order to ascertain 

 what eifeet these quantities of wash water at the 

 temperatures mentioned had on the moisture con- 

 tent and on the quality of the butter, the butter 

 was worked ten revolutions in the water, in slow 

 gear. It can readily be seen that under such condi- 

 tions and temperatures the moisture content was 

 not high. As far as could be detected these churn- 

 ings had the same firmness of body and handled 

 about the same during the manufacturing process. 

 The foregoing trial would indicate that the moisture 

 in butter will vary somcAvhat, even though the but- 

 ter is made under the same conditions. 



During a period of four days, between the churn 

 test and the tub test, the average moisture shrink- 

 age was .54 per cent. For some reason one tub did 

 not show any shrinkage, one showed .18 per cent 

 and four showed above .50 per cent shrinkage. The 

 cause of the high shrinkage on this butter may be 

 due in part to loss of moisture during the packing 

 of the butter and to sampling it from the tub with a 

 trier when quite cold, thus losing a little water by 

 drawing the plug. It is claimed by some creamery- 

 men that the churn moisture test can be 17 per cent 

 and the butter will not contain more than 16 per 

 cent of moisture when it reaches the market. I wish 

 to caution butter makers against putting faith in 

 such cleaims because well made butter does not al- 

 ways lose one per cent of moisture from the time it 



