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 emulsified 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, 
