Improvements in Treating Milk.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 10th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 11th Sept., 1897
Improvements in Treating Milk.
I, ALEXANDER BERNSTEIN, of 25, India Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts, United
States of America, Engineer, do here'y declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in treating the casein of milk and
especially skimmed milk.
It is well known that by treating skimmed milk in the ordinary manner with
rennet, a curd is produced which is tough and indigestible. The difference in
the curd or full milk and skimmed milk rests in the absence of the microscopic
fat globules from the latter, which globules intercept the particles of casein and
prevent this from contracting into a hard substance.
The object of my invention is to make the curd of skimmed milk digestible
and I have found that for this purpose it is necessary that the particles of casein
should be separated by some other substance, so that they do not adhere to each
other and can be acted upon by the digestive juices. But it is not necessary that
this substance should be fat, and I have found that the same object may be reached
by the use of carbohydrates, as contained in various kinds of food.
If for instance flour, which contains mainly carbohydrates is added to the
skimmed milk and this is then treated with rennet, a curd can be produced, which
remains of soft consistency and in which the particles of casein are intercepted
in a perfectly uniform manner by the flour in such an extremely fine state of
division, as cannot be accomplished by mixing substances with the curd, after
this has once been precipitated out of the milk.
In order to carry this process out, I proceed as follows:---The skimmed milk
is poured into a suitable vessel and a small amount of flour, for instance wheat
flour, is added to it. Taking 10 grammes of wheat flour to 1 litre of skimmed
milk is a suitable proportion. The mixture is stirred to prevent the formation of
lumps and heated to about 40° Centigrade. Now rennet is added, and it is well
to use an ample amount of rennet. The stirring is kept up in order to prevent
the flour from settling down in the milk until the action of the rennet causes the
milk to thicken and stops all further motion.
After coagulation of the curd has taken place, I continue to heat the curd gently,
so as to cause it to contract slowly. When the volume of the curd is about half
the volume of the milk, I pour off the whey and let the curd drop into a filtering
cloth in order to remove the whey still contained in it. The curd so produced is
of very soft consistency, similar to cream cheese and does not harden in course of
time. By evaporating the water from it, a loose powder is obtained which can
be kept any length of time without deterioration.
It is well known that milk may be curdled by acid alone or the combined effect
of acid and heat. By adding flour to the milk a curd, consisting of casein and
flour, may be obtained in this manner, but it is not of such uniform quality as
when rennet is used.
The curd made in the manner, which I have described, may be used for cheese

page_text: making or for baking purposes. In the last case a bread can be produced which
contains the portein matter and carbohydrates in proper proportion to sustain life.
Instead of wheat flour, as mentioned above, any kind of meal or flour may be
taken.
Although I have described my invention as applied to the treatment of skimmed 5
milk it is to be understood that milk, not deprived of its fat, may be treated in
the same manner.
T
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G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Treating Milk.
I, ALEXANDER BERNSTEIN, of 25, India Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts, United
States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
My present invention relates to the art of preparing permanent food articles
from milk and more particularly to the art of cheesemaking and is especially
designed to secure a more desirable article of food from skimmed milk or milk
mainly deprived of its fat by centrifugal or other mechanical separator.
To those skilled in this art, it is well known that when skimmed or separated
milk is treated in the ordinary manner with rennet, a curd is produced which
is tough and almost indigestible, and when such curd is pressed in the ordinary
mode of cheese-making and curd in the usual way, a cheese is produced which is
of very compact texture. Such cheese is inferior as an article of commerce and
is objectionable as food for the reason that it is hard, dry and indigestible.
The difference between this and the cheese made from milk in its natural con-
dition is that the microscopic particles of fat are interposed throughout the curd
and cheese between the particles of casein and prevent the latter from the close
and intimate adhesion, which takes place when the fat globules have been withdrawn
from the milk.
The object of this invention is to produce from skimmed milk an article of
food, which can be kept for a long period and which will be free from the objections
noted against the skimmed milk product. This result I secure by keeping the
particles of casein separated by another substance which takes the place of the
withdrawn fatty particles so that the particles of casein will not so closely cohere
and compact but will remain separated and in such condition that they can be
easily acted on by the juices of the stomach.
I have found that this result may be secured by the use of finely divided carbo-
hydrates as found in various farinaceous materials.
In carrying out my process I proceed as follows: The skimmed milk is placed
in a suitable receptacle and a small amount of wheat flour is added thereto, in
about the proportion of ten grammes of flour to one litre of milk. The flour is
thoroughly mixed with and as evenly diffused through the milk as possible, while
the temperature is raised to about 40° Centigrade. In order to obtain an even
mixture it is advisable to first mix the flour with a small quantity of milk and
then add this to the whole mass of milk under constant stirring. A sufficient
amount of rennet is now added to this mixture. The mass is stirred to effect the
thorough incorporation of the rennet and thereafter a sufficient amount of agitation

page_text: is maintained to keep the flour well in suspension and prevent its settling until
the action of the rennet has caused the milk to thicken.
After coagulation has taken place I continue the heating so as to cause the
curd to shrink slowly.
When the volume of the curd has been reduced to about one-half of that of the
milk, the whey is drawn off or removed and the curd placed in a strainer of filter-
ing cloth and the moisture retained in the mass allowed to drain from it. The
curd so produced is very soft, similar to cream cheese and does not harden by lapse
of time. By drying it entirely a loose powder can be obtained which keeps
without deterioration.
A product of the same quality cannot be obtained if the curd is produced in the
ordinary manner and afterwards mechanically mixed with other substances.
Acid might be used in place of rennet, but the product is not of as good or as
uniform a quality as when rennet is employed.
Instead of wheat flour, meal, and flour of other cereals may be used in the
same manner.
The curd produced can be made into cheese or may be mixed with flour for
baking purposes.
Such food articles can be made to contain the protein matter combined with
carbohydrates in proper proportion to sustain life.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The process of forming a food product from skimmed milk which consists
in adding farinaceous material such as flour to the milk, then coagulating the milk
while holding the flour in suspension and then removing the whey, substantially
as described.
2. As an article of manufacture a food product made out of a curd, which con-
tain farinaceous materials such as flour included uniformly in the mass and
interposed between the particles of casein, substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of August 1807
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
t, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.