Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-03-29
Agtitnl
Making Cheese,


The making of good cheese depends up
on a skillful manipulation of the milk and
curds, and it is greatly facilitated by hav
ing a good dairy or cheese-making appar-
atus. The small-sized vat and heater OF
W. Ralph, of Utica with its recent i'm
provement for equalzing and distributing
the heat through the milk and curds, is one
If the best that has vet been invented. TO
make a nice quality of cheese, good rich
milk is required, and during the pro
cess Of manufacture, slow. even heat
chould be studied in conducting operations
Prcsuming, then, that our correspondent
has got a good vat and heater, and that the
nights and mornings meal of good milk
are added together in that vat, we COM
mence operations. The milk is raised grad
ually TO a temperature of SO degrees, and
sufficient quantity Of rennet put III and
mingled with the milk IL cOagulate 1t IN
about 40 minutes. The rennet should
have been previously prepared by soaking
and rubbing three sweet healthy rennets in
three gallons of water containing sufficient
salt 10 keep it from tainting. The skins,
after having been rubbed ont and soaked
for several days, may be taken out and the
should then be tested, and if good old skins
have been used, halt teacupfull or less
will be enough to curdle the milk The
coagulation of the milk having been per-
t"ctcd (Which is determined by lifting a
portion Of the curd with the finger, when
It should readily split apart. showing
clean tracture), then cut the curd length
wise and again crosswise Of the vat, leav-
ing il in perpendicular columns, say half
IN inch thick In the best dairy districts
Il curd-knifc, composed Of a gang of long
thin blades, double edged and One-quarter
inch apart is used.
The curd is then left at rest some twenty
minutes, or until it settles and the whey
begins to look clear. Then gentle heat
is begun to be applied, and the curd very
carefully lifted and the columns broken
with the hands. This part of the operation
should be done very gently and very care
fully, otherwise the oily particles will be
worked off, The application of heat should
be very slow, and very little manipulation
Is required in breaking, beyond keeping
the curd from packing at the bottom Of the
vat When the mass packing indicates
temperature of % deg, shut off the heat
and let the mass stand thirty minutes or
more, occasionally gently lifting or stirring
the curds to keep from packing. At the
expiration of that time start the heat and
raise to % degs the curd being stirred
gently, as before, to keep from packing. 1t
may now stand another thirty minutes,
with only occasional stirring, when heat is
again applied, and the mass raised to 100
deg. No more heat, or at least this is the
highest point to which it should be raised
After standing an hour or more, if the curd
does not harden up, nor the whey begin 20
have a little acid smell and the tempera-
ture has fallen, little more heat may be
applied, but not to raise it above 100 deg,
We should remark that in coolsh weather
cloth should bc thrown over the vat when
the curd Is remaining at rest, to prevent
heat from passing off.
To make "A nice favored cheese the whey
near the close Of what is termed Cooking
the curd" should have a little acid odor
il then should be- drawn off, and the curd if
right will have an elastic feel and on taking
handtul and compressirg twill on open
ing the hand, readily fall again in pieces
Some dairymen try it between their teeth
and if the curd squcaks it is in condition
To- whey off. When vat is used the whey
being drawn ami the water removed from
under the vat the curd is drawn to one end
and worked over, 50 as 10 facilitate drain
a-c, the vat also being cantcd up. Sixteen
wine gallons OF milk, well handled, will
max" about sixteen pounds Of curd and
aiIcr It is worked over and properly drain
~, and cooled, say 10 50 deg nice fine salt
.e W"rkea in at the rate OF 2Ipounds to l00
# curd. Some use pounds Of salt for l0C
"I curd. After the salt is properly incorpo
rated through the curd, 1t is at once dipped
INTO the hoop and put to press. For a lf
pound cheese a hoop about 10 inches in di
imcter may be used. If it is desired t.
have large cheese, d lj-inch hoop may be
taken, and the curd of two days put to
grthcr The manner of doing this is as fol
lows Press til" first days Curd, sud let il
leuiain in press till the following day wher
the hoop is slipped off and thin rind from
the upper side Of the cheese trimmed of
with sharp knife, the edges of the cheese
also being pared off. The top is then scar.
,d with fork, and the cheese returned
: 10 the hoop in a clean cloth On this the
new cnrd is placed, and the whole put tc
press In a couple Of hours it is taken from
the press, bandaged and turned, and agar
lNt To- press III llt iNl!DWlllS morning
when il is taken to the dry room and the
top and bottom oiled with whey butter
Where there is no convenient dairy appara
tus for use, the milk may be- strained in {
tab. For heating. place a five-pail kettle
upon an arch or stove and have large iii
vessel made in the shape of Il tin pail t
set III the K, tile, SO as to be surrounded
with water \ portion of the milk is dip
ped into the tiH vessel which should al
ways be surrounded with water while be
ing heated and the milk raised to the de-
sired temperature 10y being returned back
ward and forward in the tub. And 50 il
heating up the whey and curd "a strainel
being thrown over the tub the whey is
dipped into the tin vessel and then back
again Ia the tub, and the various degrees
Of temperature as described effected in this
manner. When Il tub Is used, a rack and
sink is needed to properly drain the whey
from the curd Coloring matter is now
generally used in the dairy 1t adds moth
ing to the flavor OF quality of the cheese
bat makes 1t look richer nice article Of
carhon'Zed liquid annatto can now gencr-
ally be had at the shops for coloring the
mlk-or the crude annatto may be cut
with lye and strained through a cloth. 4
4s