156 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



the common faults I find with the average buttermaker, is, that 

 the butter is too dry when the salt is added. One of the causes 

 of the waviness in butter is that the salt is too solid, too hard. 

 If the salt was near the same temperature as the butter in the 

 churn, and enough water in the churn so that you affect the salt 

 and handle it uniformly, we are then on the road to improvement. 

 This thing would hold true after we had washed the butter and 

 drained off the water in the churn. We cannot always tell the 

 amount of water in the churn because the granules of butter are 

 not always the same size. Even under those conditions you could 

 not have the same amount of water at this season of the year 

 if about 56 or 58 and water the same. When the water is all 

 drained off you add a certain amount of w^ater to the churn and 

 then add the salt accordingly, using a little more salt. After we 

 had added that water, and had worked down all the butter uni- 

 formly in the bottom of the churn and added the salt, revolve the 

 churn a few times to mix the salt. Right at this point we strike 

 a difference. We find that buttermakers who have worked at 

 the profession for some time, do not mix the salt in the churn by 

 turning the churn when the worker is not in motion. It does 

 not give the results. We differ right there. A good many pre- 

 fer to start a worker immediately. Not turn the churn before 

 you start to work. Either will give the results we are after. I 

 think with the average buttermaker to turn the churn without 

 having the worker in motion is the custom. All this time have 

 the cover on perfectly tight. All the plugs closed and work until 

 the butter is half worked. Most buttermakers know when. 

 Nine revolutions will have worked the butter. At this point when 

 butter is half worked, if a sufficient amount of water in the churn, 

 the salt will be fairly well dissolved. If no water in the churn 

 the butter will have a gritty appearance. You will notice that. 

 It might be during the months of May and June, when we 

 are bothered more or less with the softness of the butter, we could 

 not handle it that way. 



Q : — I have my wash water and water on the butter as cool 

 as I can get it. 



A: — .Ml right if butter is so cool. 



