62 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



ripening the cream, or so much as is required to develop the 

 proper degree of acidity. On other days the starter not 

 needed for propagation is thrown away. 



Care must be taken in propagating the starter. A poor 

 starter is worse than none at all. A starter that has devel- 

 oped gas bubbles in it should not be used. 



Before using a starter always reject about an inch from 

 the top of the starter. It is not so good. After rejecting an 

 inch from the top of the starter it is thoroughly stirred be- 

 fore it is added to the cream. 



The length of time that a starter can be propagated 

 depends on how carefully you handle it, and how clean 

 your milk and milk utensils are. I have also used a com- 

 mercial starter but could see no difference in the result. 



By carefully using a good starter a more uniform but- 

 ter can be made and a better flavor can be developed. 



The starter and acid test ar^ indispensable for good 

 butter making. 



The Churning. 



After the cream is properly ripened and cooled to the 

 proper temperature it is taken to the creamery where it is 

 churned. The temperature of the cream when placed in 

 the churn is from 60 degrees F. to 62 degrees F. in winter 

 and about 5i0 degrees F. in summer. The temperature of 

 the butter milk after churning is about 58 degrees F. in 

 winter and 55 degrees F. in summer. The time required 

 for churning is from one-half to three-quarters of an hour. 



The churning temperature depends on the season of 

 the year, the kind of feed, the richness of the cream, the 

 amount of acid in the cream and the stage of the lactation 

 period. 



Before the cream is churned, the churn is scalded with 

 boiling water and then cooled with cold water, after which 

 the cream is placed in the churn and churned until the but- 

 ter granules are about the size of a kernel of wheat. The 

 butter milk is then drawn off and the butter washed in two 

 wash waters, using enough water at each washing to float 

 the butter nicely. In washing the butter the churn is re- 

 volved several times before the water is drawn off. 



