286 BUTTER-MAKING. 



churn thick cream, a higher temperature is necessary. It is 

 difficult to stop the churn without over churning a trifle. These 

 two conditions, thick cream and high temperature, are both 

 conducive to a higher moisture-content. 



(4) Amount of work the butter receives. If the butter is 

 in a moderately firm condition, the more the butter is worked, 

 in the absence of water, the less moisture it will contain. If 

 the moisture is present in a leakj^ form as mentioned above, it 

 is expelled to a great extent by working. But if the moisture 

 is properly incorporated and the butter is not too firm, work- 

 ing has little effect upon changing the moisture-content of the 

 butter, providing there is no water present in the churn. 



Several other factors, such as pasteurization of cream, full- 

 ness of churn, and character of fat in cream, all have a small 

 influence in governing the moisture-content of butter, but in 

 this summary it is sufficient to say that temperature, degree 

 of churning, and thickness of cream are the only conditions 

 which materially influence the moisture- content. If churning 

 is carried on to an excess, whether it be in the buttermilk or 

 in the wash-water, all other factors are subordinate and have 

 little or no influence in regulating the moisture-content of 

 butter. Low temperature is the chief factor that delays in- 

 corporation of moisture in excessi^'e churning. 



Fat. — The Enghsh, the German, and the United States 

 governments have endeavored to protect consumers in regard 

 to the amount of nutriment in butter, by recommending 16% 

 of water as a maximum limit. Such a ruling has worked suc- 

 cessfully now for se^'eral years. Efforts have recently been 

 made in the United States to base by law the nutritive quality 

 of butter upon a certain minimum percentage of fat. The 

 minimum amount of fat recommended by the appointed com- 

 mittee of chemists is 82^%. A minimum standard of 82i% 

 of fat in butter would be unintentionally ^•iolated, while a basis 

 of 80% fat in butter ^^-ould be more consistent with the quality 

 of butter as manufactured. 



