Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-12-31

for great care in handling the milk
and curd through the whole process
Of working the milk into cheese can
not be too forcibly presented:
Seth Bonfoy, of West Winfield, is
a chccse-maker of long experience.
He has had factories in several coun.
ties, and has studied the art Of man.
utacture thoroughly. OF late he has
been doing unusual things in the
way of making cheese, which captures
the judges at our large cheese exhi
billions and sends him home with the
leading premiums. For two years,
at least, he has taken the first pre-
miums at the State and the New
York FAIRS. These achievements
make his method of manufacture of
special interest, and we have secured
from him for our readers some facts
which may be of wide usefulness.
We print the following as the result
Of an interview:
Question.-At what temperature
do you set your milk, and why?
Answer set at 80 degrees, be-
cause | believe the whey separates
more freely, the curd handles with
more life, and in the end makes more
cheese than when set at higher tenn
peraturc.
Questionable you vary the heat
of setting at different seasons OF the
year, and why?
Answer set slightly higher in
the spring and trife lower in the
fall. The separation is more tardy
as the season advances.
Question.-What rcnnets do you
use, and how do you prepare them?
Answer.-Patron's rennets. l pre-
pare them for use by soaking twelve
homs in warm water, at 90 degrees.
Then take them out and salt the
liquor to keep. The skins are re-
soaked in the same manner.
Question.-How do you judge
when to break the cur.l?
Answer break the curd little
before it will cleave before the finger.
Question.-How do y III break the
curd and have it fine?
Answcr.-I cut with Young's per-
pendicular curd knife, lengthwise and
croSswise carefully. and then handle
with hands carefully while warming
until the curl is sufficiently fine
Carefully cutting and handling adds
to the weight and character of the
cheese.
Question.-How much time do you
occupy in breaking the curd?
Answer am governed altogeth-
er by the condition of the milk in its
keeping qualities. If tits old l warm
carefully and constantly until it
reaches 95 or 96, and not venture too
far.
Quest:on.-Do you have any rule as
to the time when you begin to apply
the scald, and the time occupied in
raising the heat?
Answcr.-I have none but judg-
ment. The curd should be properly
matured at medium low tempera-
ture. The time occupied depends
upon the slowness Or rapidity with
winch 1t natures. The heating must
always be slow and careful, and the
curd should be carefully and con
stantly handled while raising the
heat.
Gu stion.-How high do you scald
and how long do you cook the
curd?
Answer.--I scald to 9S degrees,
and the time taken varies frol fifteen
to sixty minutes. In the spring l
heat slightly quicker, and slower as
the season advances, especially in the
fall.
Questlon.-How do yOn tell when
the curd is scalded enough?
Answer..-By my Judgment of the
appearance of the curd.
Queslion.-What are the cOnclud-
ing steps of the handling of the
curd:
Answer.-I draw off TIE whey with
a siphon, forming n channel in the
centre of the cnr1, elevatmg the Vat
slightly at one end. When the cnrd
is thoroughly drained / grind it with
one Of Jones Il Fanlkner'S curd mills,
and sal. Immediately. / use three
pounds OF Syracuse dairy salt to the
1000 pounds of milk, stirring in the
salt thoroughly. then put TO press
Immediately in a luke-warm condition
believing it closes more perfectly
| press twenty-five hours with FmZer's
gang press.
Queslion.-How do you secure q
perfect rind?
Answer.--By perfect manufacture.
l rub the faces OF the cheese with n
strong alkali, colored slightly with
annatto. This is done when the
cheese are taken from the press, and
they are allowed to stand until dly
before dressing. use whey butter
for greasing. 1t is made by thorough
ly trying out the whey cream until
completely separated. 1t is applied
quite warm.
The above facts of Mr. BOnfoy's
method, of course. contain many
items which are we'll known to many
cheese makers, but some OF the ideas
advanced are deserving OF a careful
consideration. The whole practice
will prove valuable and suggestive
to our readers IN the new regions
where cheese-making processes are
just now OF greatest value.