The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-08-29
(By J. L. Sammis, College of Agricul-
ture, University of Wisconsin,

(By j. l.. Samm1S, COileSe OIL ASrlCui-
ture, University of Wisconsin,
The wisconsin cheese industry, the
chief source of income on 100000 dairy
farms, has been seriously injured dur
ing recent years by the increasing
production of soft" American cheese,
containing too much moisture. Such
cheese is not suitable for export nor
for sale in the great southern mar
kets of the United States, since 1t Is
short lived and spoils quickly in a
warm climate or during shipment
abroad. The logical effect of continued
attempts to sell soft cheese in markets
where such cheese is not wanted Will
be the loss of the markets, as occurred
in earlier years before the skim cheese
and filled cheese frauds were abol-
ished.
The only possible outlet for high
moisture cheese at full price is
through immediate sale to consumers
in the northern states, but this outlet
Is small and could be supported by
relatively small number of factories.
Through competition with these few
factories, hundreds of other neighbor-
ing factories which should make
cheese of the quality required for ex-
port or for the South, have been led,
in increasing numbers, to make the
soft, moist type of cheese, which has
caused loss to dealers and dissatisfac
ton to consumers.
The 1917 Wisconsin cheese moisture
law will eliminate injurious competi-
ton between factories as to which can
make the softest cheese and sell it,
and will leave factories free to COM
pete with each other as to quality OF
cheese and economy Of operation. The
new law classes American cheese con-
tanning over 40 per cent moisture as
"adulterated," making it an offense
punishable by fine or Imprisonment to
sell such cheese or have it in posses
sion with intent to sell. The moisture
test thus becomes a valuable aid for
the maker and dealer. This article is
intended for cheesemakers and others
who wish to learn how to test cheese
for moisture.
Cheese cannot be heated directly in
a fame, to dry the sample in a few
minutes as is done in various rapid
butter moisture tests, but can be sat-
isfactorily dried in the Wisconsin high
pressure steam oven, or on the boiler
itself, using a 50-pound steam pres
sure for at least or 5 hours, or in
longer time at lower pressure. A
small hot-air oven over kerosene
lamp chimney, or some similar device,
can be used for making few tests at
a time.
Equipment for Cheese Moisture Test.
The usual equipment for cheese
testing includes high-pressure steam
oven, moisture test scales with
weights, and a sufficient number of
test dishes for holding the samples
while drying. Cheese sample bottles
for carrying the sample plugs to the
testing room are desirable.
The Drying Oven. An oven is prefer
able in which the steam jacket extends
around three sides as we'll as the top
and bottom. Several sizes of oven
costing from SIS to $25 are sold by
dealers. Any shelves placed in the
oven should be made of perforated
metal or coarse wire netting in order
to permit free circulation of hot air
and keep the temperature uniform in
all parts.
The large sized ovens, holding from
8 to Is or more dishes at time are
desirable for use in a warehouse or
large factory where number of watts
of cheese are tested at one time. For
small factories making only one vat of
cheese day, one of the smaller sized
ovens is sufficient since it will hold
two Pinch dishes and permit the
making of duplicate tests on one
cheese at a time.
Although the cleanliness and con-
venience of a moisture oven render it
indispensable where much testing is
done, yet it is possible, when neces-
sary, to dry moisture tests without a
steam oven, by providing a clean place
on the fiat top of the boiler or the
steam dome, and using proper precau-
tons to protect the weighed samples
from falling SCOT, steam, ashes, coal
dust, and the like while they are be-
ing dried. Small pieces of thin ashes
tos paper are put between the boiler