CONDITIONS AFFECTING WEIGHT. LOST BY 
CHEESE IN CURING.* 
e 
Le L. VAN SLYKE. 
SUMMARY. 
I. The loss of weight by cheese in curing has not received 
systematic study in America under carefully controlled 
conditions. 
IT, Equipment for investigation.—Six curing-rooms have been so 
built and equipped as to keep temperature and moisture under 
control. Each room is kept at a fixed temperature, and the 
different degrees represented in the work are the following: 
55°, 60°, 65°, 70°, 75°, 80° F. The temperature varies only one 
or two degrees from the desired point, and then only for brief 
periods. The moisture is kept mostly between 70 and 80 per ct. 
of saturation. The method is given for determining proportion 
of moisture in air, with necessary tables. 
ITI, Conditions affecting loss of weight im cheese-curing.—The 
weight lost by cheese in curing is due almost entirely to evapora- 
tion of moisture from cheese, except at temperatures above 
T0° I’., when there may be some added loss due to leakage of fat. 
The rapidity and extent of loss per 100 pounds of cheese vary 
with the following conditions: (1) The percentage of moisture 
originally present in the cheese. The more moist the cheese, 
the greater and more rapid is the loss of weight. (2) The 
texture of cheese. The more open the texture, the greater the 
loss of moisture. (8) Temperature. Loss of weight increases 
with increase of temperature. (4) Size and shape of cheese, 

*A reprint of Bulletin No. 207, 
194 
