CREAM-RIPENING. 197 



produce desirable results, providing the starter is of the proper 

 kind. A poor starter is worse than none at all. 



It is a good plan to pour the starter into the ripening-vat 

 before the cream is separated. Some also practice skimming a 

 heavy cream and then add some good morning milk to it. 



Before the starter is added all precautions possible should 

 be taken in order to prevent the entrance of undesirable germs 

 into the cream. The top layer of the starter should be skimmed 

 off; and the very bottom portion of the starter should not be 

 emptied into the cream-vat either, as it usually contains some 

 of the sediments from the milk. It is essential that the starter 

 should be thoroughly stirred previous to adding it to the cream, 

 otherwise lumps of curd are likely to trouble during the re- 

 mainder of the process of manufacture. The curd, if not 

 properly enmlsified previous to adding it to the cream, is likely 

 to show itself in the butter in the form of white specks. This 

 stirring of the starter can be brought about most satisfactorily 

 by pouring it back and forth from one can into another, until 

 the body of the starter assumes a uniform, not lumpy, con- 

 sistency. The cans used for this purpose must be carefully 

 cleaned and scalded previous to using them. Dippers and 

 stirrers of any kind should always be thoroughly sterilized 

 previous to using them in starters. The stirrer or dipper used 

 should have solid handles. This makes cleaning easier. 



Stirring of Cream During Ripening. — As soon as the starter 

 has been brought into a proper condition it is added to the 

 cream. If necessary it should be strained before adding. The 

 cream should then be thoroughly stirred. If cream is not 

 thoroughly mixed with the starter, the ripening will not be uni- 

 form. If allowed to stand quietly, the cream soon separates 

 into two distinct layers. The fat, by reason of its being lighter 

 than the rest of the constituents, soon forces its way to the 

 surface, and incorporates with it a considerable amount of 

 casein. But the bottom layer will be similar to skim-milk; 

 for, being better mixed with the starter, the lactic-acid fer- 

 mentation proceeds more rapidly in this milky or bottom layer, 



