FARM DAIRYING 435 



the other varieties of soft cheese, lies in having the temperature 

 and the acidity under control. This cheese has never been 

 successfully made in a vat because the temperature of the curd 

 throughout cannot be controlled. The curd nearest the sides 

 and the bottom of the vat will be colder or warmer, as the case 

 may be, than that in the center of the vat. This will result in 

 uneven coagulation and uneven acid development. 



The milk for the manufacture of this cheese must be of a 

 clean flavor. Too much attention cannot be given to the milk, 

 because the flavor is one of the most important characteristics 

 of Neufchatel cheese. The flavor of the cheese can be no better 

 than the flavor of the milk from which it is made. Gassy milk 

 gives the cheese not only a poor flavor, but also a poor body. 



Method of manufacture. — The manufacture of Neufchatel 

 cheese is similar to that of baker's cheese. The milk to be 

 used should be placed in tall cans holding about 30 lb. The 

 temperature of the milk should be brought to 72° F., and the 

 cans should then be placed in a vat or a tank of water of the 

 same temperature. The vat or tank should be filled with cans, 

 so that the cans will not float. If there is a room in which the 

 temperature can be controlled, the cans may be placed in this 

 room and it will not be necessary to set them in water. If the 

 milk is received in the morning and there is danger of a higher 

 development of acidity than 0.2 per cent before setting in the 

 afternoon, the milk should be held cold until it is ready to be 

 set, when it should be warmed. 



The milk should be set in the afternoon, and at this time the 

 acidity should be not higher than 0.2 per cent. If the acidity 

 is higher than this, cheese of acid flavor and grainy texture will 

 probably result. 



With the milk at a temperature of 72° F., sufficient starter 

 should be added so that on the following morning the whey — 

 from which the curd will have separated — will show 0.35 per 

 cent acidity. To accomplish this will require about 1 c.c. of 



