286 BUTTER-MAKING. 
churn thick cream, a higher temperature is necessary. It is 
difficult to stop the churn without overchurning 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 leaky 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 excessive churning. 
Fat—The English, 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 fer several 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 824% 
of fat in butter would be unintentionally violated, while a basis 
of 80% fat in butter would be more consistent with the quality 
of butter as manufactured. 
