452 Brie, Pont l'Eveque and other Soft Cheese, [sept., 



1 lb. each. When ripe they present a brownish-red exterior, 

 are pliant and yielding to the touch, and the peculiar flavour 

 somewhat resembles that of a very fine soft Edam cheese, 

 though more sweet to the taste. 



In the manufacture of this cheese the lactic acid ferments 

 play a very unimportant part. Indeed, it is the practice to 

 rennet the milk and so handle the curd as to exclude as far 

 as possible the action of lactic acid producing ferments. A 

 milk at all acid or to which a lactic acid starter has been 

 added is altogether unsuitable for the manufacture of Pont 

 l'Eveque. If at all acid during the first stages of manu- 

 facture the cheeses dry and get hard quickly, and fail to 

 take the salt. In the later stages they get hard and dry, 

 and are of no value. 



The Pont l'Eveque cheese is somewhat difficult to manufac- 

 ture. The various mechanical processes are simple enough, 

 but the whole secret of success depends on the ability of the 

 maker to determine when the curd is ready to hoop. Perhaps 

 not more than i per cent, of English makers are really able 

 to determine the exact stage at which to hoop the curd. If 

 at this stage the curd is too hard and dry, the cheeses will 

 drain inordinately and become hard; whereas if the curd is 

 too moist or has been chilled, the cheeses will contain an 

 excess of moisture, and in the course of a few days will spread 

 out into an unshapely mass in the curing room and become 

 quite unpalatable. 



The cheeses are rendered more difficult of successful manu- 

 facture by the very fact that acidity of the curd during the 

 earlier stages is not admissible. 



The method of manufacturing Pont l'Eveque is as follows : 

 — About 50 lb. (for six cheeses) of perfectly fresh new milk 

 should be strained into a wooden tub of 6 gallons capacity. 

 If the milk has fallen to below 90 0 F., then it should be raised 

 to this temperature or a little higher before rennet is added. 



The usual setting temperature is from 90 0 to 94 0 F., and 

 rennet of a good standard brand is added at the rate of one 

 dram (mixed with six drams of water) to each 20 lb. or 



2 gallons of milk. Many makers add a quart of boiling 

 water to each 5 gallons of milk before putting in the rennet. 

 This is good practice, as it tends to the production of a soft 



