8 BULLETIN 970, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Braining the curd.— An adjoining Cheddar-cheese vat of capacity 
similar to that of the setting vat has been found an excellent substi- 
tute for a draining wagon. A skeleton framework is placed in the 
bottom of the vat and covered with strong cheesecloth. The setting 
and draining vats should be placed close enough together to permit 
two or three workers to do the dipping. Large tin scoops holding 1 
or 2 gallons each are suitable for this purpose. 
The transferring of the curd should be done rapidly and carefully, 
and two persons working rapidly should dip 3,000 pounds of milk in 
from 25 to 30 minutes. The whey should be withdrawn from the 
vat and run through a whey separator. In draining the curd it has 
been found helpful to raise the cloths from time to time in order to 
aid the exudation of whey and to bring the curd to the proper con- 
dition of dryness. In making the French cheese much emphasis is 
placed on keeping the curd warm and holding it at an even tempera- 
ture, and for this reason the curd is frequently turned by means of a 
short-handled ladle. No difficulty has been encountered at Grove 
City from having the curd become too cold. 
Fat losses. — Fat losses in experimental work have averaged from 
0.2 to 0.3 per cent. On a larger scale the fat losses almost always 
are below 0.3 per cent. 
Time of draining. — The time required for draining is ordinarily 
from 20 to 30 minutes, depending upon how often the cloths are 
manipulated during drainage. The curd should be placed in the 
forms in a fairly moist condition. When the curd is too dry, the sur- 
face of the cheese is not smooth and compact and may offer an 
avenue whereby undesirable organisms may gain access to the 
interior of the cheese. When the surface of the cheese is not smooth, 
greater losses are sure to occur later in the curing process. Results 
from many experiments indicate that there is no advantage or dis- 
advantage in using a longer or a shorter period for drainage. 
Hoops. — The hoops or forms for cows'-milk Roquefort are round, 
open, and are 7f inches in diameter and 6 inches high. Each hoop 
has six rows of holes running around the form and there are twenty- 
five J-inch holes in each row. The hoops are considerably higher 
than the cheese itself. The forms are made of galvanized metal 
with wired edges. 
Forms are placed conveniently close to one another upon a special 
reed matting. The size of the mats is 10 by 34 inches and they rest 
upon boards of nearly the same size. With mats of this size three 
cheeses are needed to fill one board. Cloths may be substituted for 
matting, although the matting is preferable. Before using, all mats 
as well as boards should be placed in a vat of boiling water. This 
procedure tends to reduce the number of foreign molds which may 
cause losses later in the curing process. 
