Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

| the injury of the cheese. In the ex-
on the day of making has been neces-
sary to secure satisfactory results.
Those experimenting with these for
e1gn cheeses believe that where depend
ence is placed upon accidental inocula-
ton undesirable molds often get on
the cheeses ahead of the Camembert
mold. the result being either a poor
cheese or spoiled one. On the other
hand. If cheese is inoculated with the
Camembert mold at the outset this will
grow and cover it rapidly, practically
protecting it from infection Of other
molds. A good proof of this statement.
say experimenters. fs that one can al
most always find some other species of
mo1ds found on inoculated cheeses are
usually pure cultures. unless the culture
with which they were inoculated was of
poor quality.
The system of incubation used in the
experimental station Is to take a small
jar with tin cover which has been
punched full of holes, like an ordinary
pepper box. fill 1t half full with water.
add a piece Of moldy cracker or piece
OF cheese with good growth of the
contents of the jar are sprinkled upon
the surface of each cheese. then the
cheeses are turned and inoculated in the
same manner on the other side.
Another interesting feature connected
with the cheesemaking is the ripening.
When the cheeses are finished they are
removed to the ripening room. Here
they are placed on smooth boards upon
shelves The cheeses remain on these
boards during the whole ripening Pc
Rod. Cane bottoms are preferable to
the boards, for when boards are used
the molds are apt to grow into the
wood. causing the latter to stick SO
tenaciously that on turning the cheese
over the rind is torn off. On the other
hand, when cane bottoms are used the
mold can grow more uniformly on
both sides of the cheeses and as they
do not stick to the bottoms it is
necessary to turn them but once or
twice in the first room.
~
During the first week any ripening
which occurs is not noticeable, and
the cheese remains in the form of hard
curd. The surface of the cheese often
becomes slightly Shiny. and some
change in the color can be noticed.
Toward the end Of this first week the
mold can be seen upon looking closely
During the second week the mold.
when once started, grows very rapidly,
and in the course of one or two days
it covers the cheese completely, giving
This white coat turns to a gray-green
within two to four days, and by this
time the cheese begins to show actual
rfpening.
If the cheeses remain upon the shelves
in the ripening room under proper
conditions. as they often do in France,
they will ripen completely. But under
conditions here, where the air is drier,
it has been found necessary to wrap
the cheeses during the second week in
rob Want foil
Of wrapping affects the kind of cheese
produced. and the intensity of the
flavor can be partly regulated in this
way. If a cheese with a strong flavor
is desired, the wrapping must be done
when the cheese is only slightly COW
cred with white mold.
In the making of Camembert cheese,
as in making any other kind, the ex-
perimenters have encountered numer-
Gus difficulties. One of the most COM
gassy curd. In this case the fault gen.
orally lies in the milk, being due to gas
producing bacteria. Another difficulty
is caused by yeast. The cheeses often
ing room. although sometimes the
yeast makes its appearance after the
cheeses have been taken to the ripen-
ing room. The surface of such cheese
becomes Shiny and sticky, causing 1t to
stick to the boards.
Contamination from other varieties Of
mold causes considerable trouble. If
the cheeses contain spots of green or
brown mold. or II a long. fuzzy mold,
sometimes with black tops, appears, the
and the result is often a bitter cheese
or one with other undesirable favors.
When such infection from foreign
molds occurs, it Is necessary to sterilize
the whole equipment, and the walls and
floors of the making as well as the
ripening rooms must be cleaned and
whitewashed. This Objectionable mold
is exterminated by the same method as
one ventilates house to overcome dis
ease germs.
The drying out of cheese is caused
by lack of moisture in the ripening
rooms, or by too rapid draining of the
curd. A defect just opposite of the last
is found in wet cheeses. It is caused
by too low temperature Of the making
room, as well as by too low degree of
acidity Of the milk. both of which re-
tard the draining of the cheese.
In the making of cheese the govern
ment experimenters found that very
item is that of protecting
the. cheese against flies and other In
sects Outer doorways. windows and
every other possible opening is care
fully guarded by screens with as fine
mesh as can be procured. as the small
est flies produce the most trouble. In
the ripening room protection against
these insects is secured to a consider
able extent by keeping the rooms dark.
for flies do not readily breed and multi |
ply in a dark place.
The government first started expert |
ments on the soft foreign cheeses at the
Storrs agricultural experiment station |
in Connecticut several years ago. Not |
long afterward experiments were made |
In the bureau of animal industry. Dur |
ing all this time Uncle Sam has been |
making determined efforts to manufac- |
ture as good cheeses. if not better. than
those made abroad. regardless of the |
fact that climatic and other condi,
make this almost impossible.
He has succeeded. after long years of
careful experimenting. in producing |
highly satisfactory brands Of Camem-
bert and Roquefort. and he plans. with
the assistance of the expert cheese
makers who will augment his staff after |
the September civil service examina-
lions, to initiate all the foreign cheeses
possible thus making Americans indie
pendent of the European cheesemak-
srs. who are Just now too busy fight
ng to make cheese for the hungry neu-