FARM DAIRYING 405 



tion will ripen a starter in twelve hours at about 65° F. The 

 temperature must be fairly constant. 



8. The starter is ripe when a curd forms. This curd should 

 be soft and like custard in appearance ; it should not be hard 

 and firm. 



9 When the starter is ripe, it should be used at once. If this 

 cannot be done, cool to 50° F. or lower. Do not shake the 

 starter before putting it in storage. 



10. On examination the curd should be smooth and compact, 

 without gas pockets. Gas shows the presence of undesirable 

 bacteria. A hard, lumpy curd, whey, and high acid show over- 

 ripeness, which is very undesirable. After the state of the 

 curd is noted, shake well to break it into a smooth, lumpless 

 condition. Shake with a rotary motion, being careful not to 

 touch the cap for fear of contamination. Now smell and taste 

 it, but never from the starter container ; always pour some of 

 the curd into a spoon or cup and then replace the cover imme- 

 diately. After smelling, it is best to put at least a teaspoonful 

 into the mouth. Seek for a desirable, clean, mild, acid flavor. 

 The first propagation is likely to be somewhat disagreeable 

 because of the presence of some of the original medium. 



On a farm the cream might be handled in the following 

 manner: Suppose the dairyman separates, each half day, 10 

 lb. of cream testing about 35 per cent butter-fat. On Monday 

 a new starter of about two-thirds of a quart is inoculated from 

 a starter that has been held from Friday or Saturday. The 

 remainder of the held-over starter is put in the 10 lb. of cream. 

 The cream is then set at about 65° F. ; it may have to be set 

 in a cooler place before evening. In the evening 10 lb. more 

 cream are added, and all the cream, which is now in the one 

 vessel, is set at about 60° F. On Tuesday morning add the 

 morning's cream and set at 60° to 65° F., as during the day it is 

 more convenient to watch the ripening process than at night. 

 In the evening add the evening's cream and set at 58° to 60° F., 



