Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-02-01
THE SETTING oF MILK.

setting milk in this country, one in
cans about eighteen inches deep and
eight inches in diameter, and the
writes @. s. Plumb, of the Indiana
Experiment Station. In the less pro-
gressive dairy regions the latter is the
most common form, and to the writer
the most Objectionable. The large
shallow vessels expose great surface
of milk or cream to the air, Offering a
good field for catching dust or absorb
ing odors. Milk rapidly absorbs
odors, which fact sometimes accounts
for the disagreeable taste of milk that
has stood in the barn for few min
utes after milking, subject to the
smell, etc. In view OF this fact per-
sons who set their milk in musty
cellars, or in pantries having smell of
provisions, usually produce butter of
poor grade. The large-mouthed pan
offers the largest surface of milk to
catch these smells. Another objection
to this form OF pan is the influence of
change of air-temperature on the milk.
After being drawn from the COW, if it
be set, milk should be rapidly reduced
in temperature to rs near forty de-
grees as possible, and the temperature
kept as constant as possible thereafter.
If set on shelves, however, in cellar or
pantry, or even in milk room, the
temperature of the milk will be sub
ject to wide changes. On extremely
cold days in winter it will be very
likely to freeze, and frozen cream
never ought to be used for making
butter that is to be sold, as it is IN
ferior in quality. In very hot weather
it is almost impossible to prevent milk
SO set from souring before the cream
is fully risen, SO that thereby loss
ensues. Should the milk sour to lop-
paring, then it is impossible to skim
the cream from the surface without
gathering in some curds, more or less
of which are frequently left in the
churn among the butter, from which
they cannot be entirely separated, thus
injuring the quality.
The deep can offers better oppor-
tunity for keeping the milk under con-
ditions favorable to maintaining its
good quality until SKINNED. The can
may be set in cold spring water, where
available, and the temperature OF the
milk kept quite constant. Or the can
may be placed in creamer in cold
we'll water or in ice water, aud SO set
in q cold bath, rs it were at low tenn
perature, with the milk exposed to no
undesirable atmospheric odors. The
surface of milk exposed in such can,
is comparatively small, as compared
with the larger pans, and there is II
thicker layer OF cream in consequence.
Usually the cream is SKINNED from
the pans by means OF II common hand
skinner or large fat scoop, while
the commonest form OF deep eau is
creamed with a conical skinner or
dipper. Many deep cans, however,
the bottom, or in the bottom, through
which the skim milk is drawn off leav-
ing the cream in the eau. This is u
better way OF skimming than by re-
moving from the top with skinner,
as the cream is left undistui bed in the
can, and not mixed more or less with
the milk below, during the process of
skimming. There is always some loss
of cream in skimming by any hand
process, but more by the old fashioned
surface methods than by the more
modern Withdrawing of the skim milk
from below without disturbing the
operation. At the Indiana Expert
ment Station very careful experiments
were conducted comparing the SIX I'M.
ming from the surface of cans, and
drawing off the milk from below. Dur
ing fifteen days in February, the aver
age loss from surface skimming was
034 per cent, while that skinned
from below showed loss of but OH
per cent. This makes II very impor-
tant difference, where one is setting
large quantities of milk.
As has already been indicated, milk
should be set in some place where
smells are reduced to minimum, and
where the temperature is constant and
low. For this reason creamer or
cabinet for setting milk III is very de.
sirable, where good spring house is
lacking. in fact, if constant cur
rent of cold spring water could be con,
veyed through II creamer, the milk
would be set under better conditions
than where simply placed in open
spring water. As rule it would be
better protected from external sgen-
cies that might otherwise iniure it,
Although much butter OF fine
quality is made of milk set in pans and
cans, the writer feels that ii one is
making specially of fine dairy but
ter, it will be better aud more profit
able, where six or more COWS are kept,
to use hand separator.