720 The Use of Starters in Dairying. [dec, 



temperature the quicker will the ripening be, and the 

 lower the temperature the slower will the ripening process 

 take place. The addition of fresh cream hinders ripening, 

 and when this is done care should be taken to stir the cream 

 after each lot is added, or the ripening is not uniform • there 

 is also loss of fat in the butter-milk after churning, while the 

 butter is liable to be inferior in quality. Fresh cream should 

 not be added to ripening cream for at least 12 to 24 hours 

 before churning. If milk has a taint and the cream from 

 it is naturally ripened the taint remains and the butter becomes 

 affected. Natural ripening, therefore, is not very satisfactory, 

 as the time of churning is difficult to predict, and the quality 

 of ripened cream is liable to great variation. 



The secret of securing uniformity in the quality of butter 

 lies in the judicious use of starter. First of all, the cream, if 

 at all tainted, must be scalded and cooled down to about 

 6o° Fahr., so as to drive off the taint; then add J pint of good 

 starter, through a strainer, to each gallon of cream. The 

 cream, if kept at approximately 6o° Fahr., will be ripe in 

 about 24 hours. If the cream ripens too slowly, more starter 

 should be added and vice versa. Churning should be delayed 

 as little as possible after the cream is ripe ; otherwise difficulties 

 might arise, as over-ripened cream causes the curd to harden, 

 is more difficult to churn, renders the butter soft and 

 greasy, spoils the flavour and causes loss in butter-fat. The 

 butter may also contain white lumps of curd, which cause 

 it to become cheesy in a few days. If it is not convenient 

 to churn when the cream is ripe, the best way is to cool it 

 down as low as possible. A little fresh cream stirred in* 

 or the addition of a little salt, would have a similar effect. 

 A good butter-maker can control the ripening process as 

 desired. 



Cheese-making. — In the making of Cheddar cheese, it is 

 common to use mixed morning and evening milk, with the 

 result that the evening milk has to be kept over-night in some 

 suitable receptacle before the morning milk can be added, 

 and during this time develops a certain amount of acidity, 

 depending largely on the temperature at which it is kept 

 over-night. The required amount of acidity may be de- 

 veloped largely in the evening or in the mixed milk after 



