i9o;.] 



Farm Butter-Making. 



583 



example taken in November is as follows :— The dairy was 

 54 deg. Fahr., the cream 60 deg. Fahr., and the final washing and 

 brining 52 deg. Fahr. The cream was fairly thin and took 

 twenty-five minutes to churn, and the butter grain sobtained 

 were just of the right degree of hardness for making up. Two 

 washings are usually sufficient to get rid of the most of casein, 

 but if a third is given the keeping qualities are greatly increased. 

 Brine is made by dissolving salt at the rate of i to 2 lb. in each 

 gallon of water. The butter grains should be allowed to soak 

 in the brine for about twenty minutes and then removed by 

 means of a scoop and sieve from the brine to the worker. Dry 

 salting is the more usual method of salting to adopt. The salt 

 used should be fine, dry and clean, and it is added to the butter 

 grains on their removal from the churn to the butter worker 

 before the roller is brought into use. From J to ^ oz. of salt to 

 the pound of butter is a suitable quantity to add to give mild 

 and medium salt butter. 



Working. — The butter grains having been removed from the 

 churn to the worker by means of the perforated wooden scoop, 

 working may be commenced. In hot weather a damp cloth 

 should be placed over the butter, and it should then be left to 

 harden in the coolest place available. In some cases it is best 

 left in brine in order to harden it. The object of working is to 

 get rid of the moisture with as little injury to the grain as 

 possible. Great care is needed in the operation, for well-churned 

 butter is frequently spoiled from the rough and clumsy use of 

 the roller at this stage. The Sale of Butter Regulations provide 

 for a maximum of 16 per cent, of water in butter, but this 

 quantity would be considered excessive in most farm-made 

 samples, and the value accordingly reduced. The amount of 

 water usually present in butter of the best quality is about 12^ 

 per cent. 



Washing Up. — Wash all utensils with warm water to 

 remove grease from them. Scald the churn with boiling water 

 and ventilate on first and subsequent revolutions. Remove the 

 rubber band from the lid and keep all metal parts of the churn 

 oiled. The ventilator should be taken to pieces occasionally and 

 the parts carefully cleaned. The butter worker often becomes 

 sticky, and the rolling of the butter is then made difficult and 



