332 MANUAL OF MILK PRODUCTS 



(3) Do not mill dry curds early. 



(4) A dry curd can be made mellow by soaking in pure cold 



water after milling, but the cheese will not have a good 

 keeping quality. 



(6) Paraffin the cheese as soon as possible. 



(7) Ripen the cheese in a cool room where the atmosphere con- 



tains at least eighty per cent moisture. 



G. Acid Textures. 



These may be either dry or moist, but in either case they are 

 of a mealy or sandy character. They have a sour taste. 

 Cause. 



(1) Ripening the milk too much before adding the rennet. 



(2) The development of too much acid during the manufacture, 



especially before the whey is removed. 



(3) The great majoritj^ of acid or sour cheese are caused, not 



by the giving of too much acid, but by not having the 

 curd firmed in the whey when the acid has developed. 



(4) Using large starters. 

 How to prevent. 



(1) No sour milk or milk containing more than twenty-six 



hundredths of one per cent acid should be taken from 

 any patron. 



(2) Add the rennet early enough so that the curd may be firmed 



in the whey by the time the acid has developed suffi- 

 ciently. 



(3) Do not use too much starter. 



(4) Keep the development of acid under control by controlling 



the moisture. 

 Remedy. 

 When it is absolutely necessary to make sour milk into cheese 

 it should be done in the following manner : 



(1) Heat the milk not above 80° Fahr. 



(2) Use an extra amount of rennet. 



(3) Cut the curd into smaller pieces. 



(4) Heat higher. The degree of heat will depend on the 



rapidity with which the acid is developing. Most fast 

 working curds contract rapidly so the heating can be 

 hurried. 



(5) As soon as possible after heating the whey should be run 



down to the level of the curd. This greatly facilitates 

 stirring and firming of the curd, and if more than one vat 

 is being used, time is saved when the remainder of the 

 whey is to be removed. If by this time the curd is not 

 firm and shows too much acid, a sour cheese can be pre- 

 vented by, 



