The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-10-05
CHEESEMAKfNG.
The views of Instructor George A. Smith
ON the Subject.

The views of Instructor George A. Smith
ON the Subject.
The object of ripening the milk before
adding the rennet is to have sufficient
amount of acidity developed so that the
curd will work along in good time, and
make good, solid cutting, well favored
cheese.
The general principle underlying the
manufacture of cheese depends prima-
rily upon the action of the rennet in CO.
agulating the casein of the milk and in
that way holding larger portion of the
fat. The sugar and albumen of the
milk are principally carried off in this
way. The rennet is principally obtained
from the mucous surface Of the fourth
stomach of a sucking calf. 1t is pre-
served for use by carefully cleansing
without washing it and it is then rubbed
with salt and dried. When wanted for
use it is soaked in weak brine, and the
LIQUID thus obtained is used to coagulate
the milk.
When the latter is found to be in
proper condition sufficient of the rennet
solution is added to cause the milk TO
begin to thicken in from fifteen to eight
cen minutes. 1t is then allowed to
stand until the curd is firm enough so
that by laying the back of the fingers
and hand on it next to the side of the
vat and gently bearing it away it will
cleave off. For cutting the curd knives
containing several blades about half an
inch apart are used. When cut the curd
is left in small cubes, each not more
than half an inch in diameter.
It is necessary to use every care that
the pieces of curd may be even in size,
SO that the heat and rennet will act to-
gether and on all alike, producing an
even curd, without which it is impos-
sible to make fine cheese. The main
loss of fat takes place in the process of
cutting and handling Immediately fol-
lowing. The globules of fat ON the ex-
posed surfaces are easily detached, hence
the necessity of carefully handling not
to mangle and bruise the curd, and thus
increase the amount of fat lost.
AS soon as the curd is completely cut
it is stirred very gently for ten or fifteen
minutes, until the outside of the pieces
shows the appearance of slight film,
and the whey commences to separate
freely from the curd. The letter is then
gradually heated to a temperature of
about So dogs. Fahrenheit During the
process it is kept in constant but
gentle agitation. The heating stimu-
lates the action of the rennet, which
shrinks the casein and expels the mois-
ture from the kernels of curd. 1t is very
important at this time that just the
right amount of moisture should be sep
arated from the curd. If too much is
driven out there will be a loss in yield
and coarse, hard textured cheese.
On the other hand, too much moisture
makes cheese that cures too fast and
which will get off flavor quickly, for the
reason that the retention Of so much
moisture causes the conditions that az
the most favorable to- the development
of the bacteria of putrefaction. When
the curd has become sufficiently firm
and dry it is allowed to settle on the bot
tom of the vat and stand until there is a
sufficient development of acid. To tell
exactly when it is the proper time to
draw the whey from the curd requires
the best Judgment of the maker, as it is
one of the critical points in the manu-
featuring process.
The most common test used to de-
termine the proper time to draw off the
whey is known as the hot iron test. A
portion of the curd is squeezed in the
hand until partially dry, then placed
against hot iron and carefully drawn
away. If the curd sticks to the iron and
is drawn out in fine threads about one
fourth of an inch long the whey is gen.
orally ready to be drawn; if the threads
are shorter it is allowed to stand until a
satisfactory test is obtained. This test
is supposed to indicate the amount Of
Tactic acid present. a5
After the whey is drawn from the
curd the process of manufacture may be
varied, one method of treatment making
what is known as stirred curd cheese,
the other method Cheddar cheese. In
the stirred curd process the acid develop
ment is carried farther in the whey be-
fore it is drawn off, and afterward the
curd is kept stirred and the kernels kept
apart until sailed and put to press. In
the Cheddar process after the whey has
been drained from the curd the latter is
packed on the sides of the vat, leaving a
space in the center for the whey to drain
off more readily. After little time the
curd is cut up in pieces convenient to
handle and turned over from time to
time to allow the whey to drain off more
perfectly. 3.2
When the curd becomes pretty well
freed from whey the pieces are doubled,
and the process of doubling is continued
at short intervals until the whole forms
compact pile. 1t is held there until
the curd begins to feel mellow and has
a stringy, fbrous texture, when it is put
through the curd mill to tear it in pieces,
so that it can he sailed, after which it is
put to press. With good milk fine cheese
can be made by either plan, but taking
into account all the changing conditions
the cheesemaker must meet I have no
doubt the Cheddar plan is the safer.
The average amount of milk required
to make pound of cheese is little
over ten pounds. The best apparatus