328 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



Adding ivater to the cream in the churn. — If the cream has 

 been properly prepared and is at the right temperature, the churn- 

 ing may be finished without adding any water. li for any rea- 

 son the butter is coming a Httle too fast, it is advisable to add, 

 just when the cream is breaking, some water with a little salt 

 in it about two degrees colder than the cream. This will assist 

 in separating the butter from the buttermilk. Two common 

 causes for cream churning too slow, are (1) too much cream 

 in the churn and (2) the temperature of the cream is too low. 



When to stop the churn. — This is an important point and 

 it has a great deal to do with the quality of the butter. The 

 churn should be stopped when the granules are about the size 

 of wheat or split pease. When the butter is churned to too small 

 granules, many of them will go through the strainer into the 

 buttermilk and cause a considerable loss. 



Over-churning should be avoided as much as under-churn- 

 ing. Over-churned butter will retain a large amount of butter- 

 milk, which will be difficult to remove in washing. 



The buttermilk should be drawn off as soon as churning is 

 completed. 



The cream strainer. — A dipper with a wire gauze can be 

 used for straining the buttermilk. 



Washing the butter. — The butter should be washed as soon 

 as churning is finished and only pure clean water should be used. 

 If the butter is for immediate use, rinse the butter by sprinkling 

 two or three dipperfuls of cold water over the butter, allowing 

 it to run off at once. Then run in a little less water than there 

 was cream and revolve the churn as in churning until the gran- 

 ules are about the size of large pease and draw the water off im- 

 mediately. In very warm weather have the water about 2 de- 

 grees colder than the buttermilk and in cold weather from 2 to 

 3 degrees warmer. 



If the butter is intended for packing, run in slightly more 

 water than there was cream, about 2 degrees colder than the but- 

 termilk, and revolve the churn quickly about half a dozen times 

 and draw it off; then wash a second time using a little less water 

 than there was cream, at the same temperature as the buttermilk. 



