34 



Production of Butter. 



exposed to the free action of the atmosphere. No. 1 was always 

 found to remain longer without any rancid taste than the other 

 kinds ; No. 3 and No. 4 were nearly on an equality — if any dif- 

 ference, it was in favour of No. 3 ; No. 5 became rancid more 

 quickly than No. 3 and No. 4. When salted for keeping, ran- 

 cidity appeared in about the same order, commencing in No. 5, 

 or the butter from scalded cream ; next in No. 4, from some 

 milk and cream ; then in No. 3, or sour cream ; and lastly, in 

 No. 1, obtained from sweet cream. ' The rancidity was supposed 

 to arise from varying proportions of casein ; and on instituting 

 experiments to ascertain this fact, it was found that casein 

 existed in lesser proportion according to the power of the butter 

 in preserving its freshness. 



In order to ascertain the effects of overchurning, the cream of 

 six pints of milk was separated by a syphon, and churned in a 

 glass vessel. The butter was formed in about half an hour ; but 

 the churning was continued for half an hour longer, when the 

 butter had lost its fine, yellowish, waxy appearance, and had 

 become pale and soft, while very little liquid remained in the 

 churn. This butter could not be washed and worked until it had 

 remained some hours in cold water, being so exceedingly soft 

 when taken out of the churn. After washing, it was pale, rather 

 soft, and weighed 2566 grains, which was evidently beyond the 

 due quantity, when compared with the other experiments on the 

 same quantity of milk, which gave the following results: — 



No. 1. The sweet cream overchurned yiekied 2566 grains. 



3. The acid cream duly churned 2187*5 



5, 4. The acid milk and its cream duly churned . 2397 '5 



5. Scalded cream duly churned 2671 



The butter of No. 1 tasted insipid, never became firm, and 

 soon turned rancid. It was found to yield a very unusual quan- 

 tity both of casein and watery fluid, which could only be sepa- 

 rated by melting the butter. 



It is a common opinion in some districts, that by adding hot 

 water to the churn, more butter is obtained than by using cold 

 water. Experiments made for the express purpose did not show 

 that the weight increased very much, and it was attended with 

 a perceptible deterioration in quantity, giving it generally the 

 appearance of overchurning. 



The results of the experiments above detailed are, — 



1st, That the addition of some cold water, during churning, 



facilitates the process, or the separation of the butter, especially 



when the cream is thick and the weather hot. 



2nd, That cream alone is more easily churned than a mixture 



of cream and milk. 



