The Red Cloud chief., 1879-09-11

ulhuuCi uCstAioSh.
HoT WEATHER MILK AND PUFFY
CURps.-I can assure our cheese max
ing friends in Missouri and elsewhere,
who nave milk hat in hot weather.
faulty by reason Of irregular milking or
other cause-makes floating or puffy
curds, or makes curds so hard that they
will not bear acid without becoming
crumbly and insipid when pressed, that
they need not despair Of making 4 sound,
MARI etable, wholesome and desirable
cheese, by a little variation from the
common methods of making, il they
will provide a place for curing il which
will maintain a temperature between 9"
and So a temperature Of 1U' being the
most desirable. When night and morn
ing's milk are mixed the following
course is advised: Air the milk As
much as possible, and keep 1t cool
enough To remain sweet. Use rennet
moderately; only enough TO cause curd-
ing in 20 minutes if applied at 81, or
in 10 minutes il applied at go. No
whey, either sweet or sour, should be
used either in the milk or in the prepare
ton of rennet. The common practice
Of soaking renne In whey, and of put
ting it into milk, TO hurry a response to
the hot iron test is always objection
able, but more especially 40
when hot weather milk is to
be treated. Whey once separated from
the curd should have no further cOnnec-
ton with cheese-making. Rennets
should always be soaked in weak brine
a pound of salt to N gallon of water
and often enough 10 keep the strip
pings sweet and pure. IL preferred,
rennet extract at the rate Of l ounce 10
800 pounds of milk may be used in The
place of rennet. Cut the curd early and
very fine, so as 10 make the separation
Of the whey as rapid and complete as
possible. Heat not higher than 9S', and
not faster than a degree in ? minutes.
Stir enough to secure even heating and
10 keep the curd fine till it is dipped, or
the whey is drawn. Dip when the curd
has become so firm thst upon pressing
in the hand it will open a part as the
hand is opened. DO not wait for the
whey To sour or for any hot-iron test,
but dip always before souring becomes
apparent. Stir enough To keep the curd
draining freely, and TO keep it fine
enough for sailing evenly till it begins
to feel soft and silky and to have a little
cheesy odor. This usually requires
from 1 to 9 hours, according To- the ripe
ness of the milk before setting, the
quality of the rennet used and
the temperature at which the curd is
kept. The hot iron may be used a. an
aid in determining when TO salt. When
a piece of curd is pressed upon the hot
iron, if it gives a smell of burned milk.
it is too immature for sailing, ard
should remain longer in the sink and
kept fine and warm. When upon ap-
plication to the iron it begins to give a
little odor of toasted cheese, il will be
ready for sailing. If sweet smelling it
may then be salted with two and a half
TO three or more pounds Of salt 10 1000
pounds of milk, according TO the moist
ure retained and the degree of firmness
and time Of keeping desired. The ore
ratOr must find by trial the proper
amount of salt and use his judgment,
remembering that salt mot acid) is the
best agent for making cheese firm and
durable. II the curd is inclined to be
puffy, or has any unusual odor, stirring
in the sink may continue longer than
usual, or till il becomes firmer and the
odor is gone or begins to die away, and
then using a little more salt that would
Otherwise be required. The influence
of the rennet retained in the curd, If
allowed time and opportunity to act, will
remove the cause OF the odor and puff
ness. The conditions necessary
are tina. the curd be KEEP. fairly
warm and free from contact with
fermenting whey. The presence of
such whey counterscts this peculiar
power of rennet and hence the necessity
of dipping such curds sweet and Of CIV
ing them good drainage and extra time
in the sink before setting and pressing,
and of sailing them higher. But curds
should not lie too long in the sink, or
they will not close up well on pressing.
When curds become full of gas and
spongy, the whey which is separating
inside of the Jumps fills into the holes
made by the gas and is retained in the
curd, instead Of draining away as If
should. When by pressing this is forced
out Of the curd it becomes "whi;e
whey" and washes away more or less
Of the salt, and often 80 much a TO leave
the cheese too fresh, and consequently
too soft and porous and short-lived. II
curds remain puffy when ripe enough to
salt, they should be pressed for . short
time to expel the whey, and then brok-
en- up and sailed and put
to press again, or 50 much salt
used that enough viii be left after all
the whey may be carried of to give the
desired irmness and durability. Two
pounds Of salt to 100 pounds Of dry
pressed curd viii be 3 fair average II
salt to be permanently retained IN the
cheese. This quantity VIII De safe 70
begin with. Afserward it may be in
creased or diminished as locality or cir.
cumssances may require. Uneven and
defective sailing is the greatest cause Of