10 BULLETIN 576, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Fig. 8. — Packing the cheese in tubs. 
It is advisable, therefore, to hold the freshly made cheese in the re- 
frigerator overnight before making shipment. 
YIELD OF CHEESE. 
The yield of cheese, which varies from 12 to 22 pounds for 100 
pounds of milk, depends almost entirely upon the amount of mois- 
ture left in the curd, and is controlled by the method of manufac- 
ture. The factors that influence the percentage of moisture in the 
curd and determine the yield are — 
1. Temperature of heating curdled milk (or coagulmn). 
2. Length of time curd is heated. 
3. Extent of draining. 
4. Physical condition of the skim milk after curdling. 
As previously stated, a high temperature, together with prolonged 
heating of the coagulum, favors the rapid expulsion of moisture 
from the curd, which results in a low yield of dry, coarse-grained 
cheese. The percentage of moisture left in the curd can be controlled 
very well by the extent of drainage, provided too high a temperature 
has not been used in the process of manufacture and the curd has not 
been heated too long. The physical condition of the skim milk after 
curdling also often has a marked influence upon the resulting yield. 
A weak, unevenly coagulated curd, when cut, produces a large quan- 
tity of fine curd, much of which is generally lost during drainage. 
The yield obtained is controlled by the method of handling, which 
in turn depends upon the demands of the market. The ideal cheese^ 
which brings out the delicate, mild-acid flavor to the best advantage, 
is a rather firm, smooth-textured product, free from any harshness 
or coarseness. A yield of from 15 to 20 pounds of that kind of cheese 
can be obtained from 100 pounds of skim milk. 
