158 MODERN HU'l'TEU ArAKING. 



feeds Hiiiy liiive a, tendency toward y)r()duciiiK' this 

 defect in butter, but as yet it luus not been dcifiiiitoly 

 determined just what conditions ai'e resi)onsiblc 

 for it. 



200. Fishy flavor. This very objeclionabl(^ flavor 

 seems to appear most fre(iuenfly in butter made 

 from over-ripe, old and unclean milk or cream ; es- 

 pecially if it is delivered in old and dirty cans. In 

 one instance fishy flavor disa])peared upon the im- 

 provement of sanitary conditions under which the 

 milk was jjroduced and delivered, as well as the 

 conditions under which the bu1t<'r' was made. Prom 

 this it would seem that cleanliness has a great effect 

 on the extent of the appearance of this flavor. It is 

 the opinion of some ])eoi)le that salt favors the j)ro- 

 duction of fishy flavor in butter, but there seems to 

 be very little doubt that it is due to unclean milk or 

 cream, and the extent to which it may develop is in 

 proportion to the extent to Avhich the milk or cream 

 is contaminated. It is possible that fishy flavor is 

 due to by-products of certain undesirable bacteria. 

 These by-products, when com])ined with lactic acid 

 and salt, may produce this flavor. It has been noted 

 that dirty milk cans, <'specially when the iron is ex- 

 posed to the action of acid, have caused tile ai)pear- 

 ance of fishy flavor. 



201. Brittle butter. This is not a common defect 

 in butter, and is known to appear more frequently 

 in some localities tlian in othei's. I<]xcessive feeding 

 of beet- leaves has been known to ])rodnce a brittle 

 body in butter. Wasliing Inittef in very cold water 

 has a tendency to make it dry, with a slightly brittle 



