Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-07-07
MOISTURE IN r
~Leaky" Butter--The Overrun-Thc
Maximum Commercial

Much American butter has in the
past been criticised by commercial
judges on account of containing too
much moisture Qeaky butter, as butter
judges term it,. when in reality it
showed by chemical analysis only a
low percentage of water. This is I'M
doubtedly due to improper incorpora-
ton Of moisture. as much butter appar-
emily dry contains a high moisture con-
tent.
1t is also a well known fact that the
amount OF butter which is being made
from a given amount Of fat varies a
great deal at the different creameries.
Some makers are able to produce only
40 pounds Of butter from 100 pounds
Of fat. while some other makers are
able to produce 100 pounds Of butter
OF equal commercial quality from the
same amount Of fat-that Is. some are
able to get an overrun Of only about
10 per cent. while some others obtain
an overrun of about 20 per cent.
The amount of overrun Is the differ
ence between the amsunt Of pure but
ter fat and the amount of butter man
ufactured from that given amount Of
fat. This difference divided by the
amount OF fat and multiplied by 100
win give the percentage Of overrun.
From the Consumers Point of View.
When viewed from the consumers
standpoint 1t may seem at the first i'm
pulse that the less moisture which can
be Incorporated In butter the better it
Is for the consumer, for the simple rea-
son that Ii Will contain more fat and
consequently more nourishment. This,
however. is true only to a certain ex-
tent. Butter is not eaten so much for
the nutriment 1t contains as 1t Is for
the relish 1t offers. and butter. contain
ing between IA and 16 per cen of
moisture is Just as relishing and pala-
table as the butter containing only
about 8 or 10 per cent, provided the
moisture has been properly i%ncorporat-
ed and the qualities are the same.
Water is an integral part of the essen
LII wv SohoIAtuCutS VI DutlCl, IuC
same as 1t is Of all other foods, and
the percentage of moisture in butter is
very low.
Foreign Commercial Standards.
1t has been proved from different
sources that butter can contain about
16 per cent moisture without injury to
its commercial quality and with JUS
tice to consumers. Germany has con
sidered 16 per cent of fat as the maxi
mum standard of moisture. England
as the greatest butter consuming coun-
try has also recommended 16 per CEN
of water In butter as the maximum
standard, and the United States as a
great butter producing country ought
not to lower this worlds butter market
standard for moisture. II butter con-
tanning a low percentage Of moisture
e to 8 per cent? were demanded by the
consumers to q greater extent than
butter containing from IA to 10 per
cent moisture, then there would be
some object In keeping the amount Of
moisture in butter down to a low
standard. as II is in American butter
today.
The Danish Butter.
The Danish butter, which Is recog-
nized as being the best butter in the
worlds market, contains on an aver
age nearly Is per cent moisture. New
Zealand and American butter Is COM
paratively dry, and all other brands
except the Irish picked butter contain
less moisture than do the Danish. In
the face of this the English people pre-
fer the Danish butter at a higher price.
The Danish butter Is not sold at the
top market price on account Of con-
tanning al excess Of moisture. There
are other qualities that make Danish
butter desirable, but. 1t proves that a
high moisture content about Is per
cent? In itself does not necessarily in
Jure the quality Of butter.
Prom the Ppoducer's Poins Of View.
When studied from the producers
standpoint II is easy to see that II
through skillful means the average
moisture content of American butter
could be raised from II per cent to IS
per cent without injury to the com
mercial quality Of butter a great addi-
tional profit would be added to the DAT
~ industry. 1t would meal about
three pounds of butter more per hun
dred pounds of fat.
1t should be distinctly understood
that the writer's do not favor an excess
I've amount Of moisture In butter, but
since the worlds best commercial and
scientific butter judges have fixed the
maximum standard of moisture In
good butter to be 10 per ent 1t Is a
matter of business for the producers to
come as near to this standard as posi-
bic.
Agricultural Notes.
During the first few months of its
life alfalfa may be regarded as a ten
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