Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1908-05-08


This butter contained 1875 per cent mois-
ture when completed.l
( yet not too much, requires skill and ex.
! perience on the part of the buttermak-
I err Butter with too much moisture is
undoubtedly, as general thing, made
4 without intent rather than with, and
/ the average butter maker or dealer has
little idea what per cent of moisture
the butter contains.
1t is statement Of interes' there
fore, that the department of agricul-
ture has worked out during the past
year a rapid and simple method IRE
quiring apparatus costing few dol
lars) for the free use of manufacturer
and dealer to determine the water In
butter. Full details of the apparatus
and its use can be found in circular
No. 10 Of the bureau of animal indus
try.
Moisture In Butter.
One Of the most thorough investiga-
tions into the moisture content Of but
ter and methods of controlling 1t was
made some years ago at the Iowa ex- |
pertinent station. AS to causes of too |
much moisture it was found by Messrs. |
Mckay and Larsen that when cream Is |
thick and churned at a high tempera-
ture too much moisture is Incorporated |
even though it is churned only a nor
NAL amount
By churning at high temperature
and washing with cold water much
moisture will be Incorporated In the
butter, provided 1t Is not cooled to
such an extent that the butter will be-
come hard. The sudden chilling of the
1utter globules on the outside by wash
ng with cold water seems to imprIson
md prevent the moisture from escap-
ng during working.
By churning cold and washing with
warm wash water the butter Is also ,
'rought into a condition where 1t will
bsorb and hold moisture. Churning
t high temperature and washing cold
nd churnlng at low temperature and
washing warm are two conditions
which must be guarded against.
Effect of overehurnina.
In regard to overchurning 1t is stated
hat by excessive churning in water
he butter will absorb and hold as
much as 40 per cent water. II the
emperature is low, the incorporation
moisture by churning is retarded a
reat deal, while If the temperature is
lgher a comparatively small amount I
churning will cause the butter to !
bsorb moisture rapidly and to retain r
better. In experiments In which the |
utter was churned for more than
alf an hour in the wash water the
utter became very soft and began to {
lick on the inside Of the churn. The
lore 1t Is agitated in the presence Of
Iolsture the duller and lighter butter
III be.
A Remedy Advised.
An excessive amount of churning I
as strongly condemned by these Iowa ST
liry authorities. In short. they say: ls
ualIty must receive first considera. u
On. When butter has been overchurn-
trifie, so it contains about IS per
mt moisture. II is difficult to remove II
e buttermilk from the quite large
anules, and the danger Of spelling
e butter on standing is introduced.
order TO avoid this the churn can V
stopped when the granules Of but. W
are still small and then control the Il
DISTURB content in the butter by m
urning a triie in the wash water at CO
e proper temperature. >
By ehurning a tribe more than or !"
narily In wash water the butter.
Tx is efficiently removed and the wa
content can be controlled.