The " Kingston " Cheese. 



[JUNE, 



It is well known that taints are due almost entirely to the 

 growth of certain micro-organisms, and further that such 

 taint producers flourish at a fairly high temperature, or at 

 one fairly low. The type of organism required by the 

 cheese-maker is that which produces lactic acid and no taints, 

 and it is therefore necessary to have the milk during the 

 night at such a temperature as will be favourable to these 

 bacteria, rather than to those already mentioned. 



The jacket of the vat having been filled with cold water, 

 the milk is gently stirred at intervals in order to equalise the 

 temperature and also to assist in getting rid of that odour, 

 too often present, known as a "cowy" odour. 



If the first supply of water is not sufficient, this should be 

 run out and the jacket refilled ; care being taken, however, 

 that when the vat is left for the night the water in the jacket 

 is about the same temperature as the milk itself, or the cream 

 will rapidlv rise. 



A wooden rack is placed over the vat, and covered with 

 clean cheese-cloth or muslin until morning; to use a lid for 

 this purpose is a mistake, as it prevents free access of air. 



The following morning the cream is skimmed off, warmed 

 in a pan over a copper, and poured back into the vat with 

 the morning's milk : the slight heating assists in the mixing 

 of the night's cream with the milk. 



In the making of any quick ripening hard-pressed cheese, 

 an appreciable amount of acidity must be developed in the 

 milk before the rennet is added. From the practice of adding 

 some agent to "start " the acidity in milk for cheese-making 

 we derive the term "starter," which may be defined as 

 follows : — "A starter is a growth or culture of those bacteria 

 which best bring about the required amount of the right 

 kind of acidity, and also the desired flavour; such culture 

 when once obtained being kept pure." 



Except in special circumstances, it is more satisfactory 

 to use a pure or commercial starter. Its propagation and 

 use are matters of great moment, and full particulars and 

 instructions relative to these points are given in a leaflet 

 prepared for the use of farmers and dairymen by one of us 

 (Alec Todd) and issued from the College. 



The starter should be strained into the vat through a fine 



