Improvements in the Manufacture and Preservation of Butter.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture and Preservation of Butter.
I, GRAHAM H. HAMRICK, of Philippi in the County of Barbour, State of West
Virginia, United States of America, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for method or process for facilitating the raising of cream, for the manufacture
of butter or for other purposes and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
It is the object of my invention both to shorten and improve the process of making
butter by drawing the cream and causing it to rise more quickly and thoroughly, and
also to add greatly to the keeping properties of the product.
To this end my improvement consists in the employment of sulphurous acid gas at
that stage in the manufacture of butter at which the cream is separated from the milk,
the said gas being applied in contact with the milk directly, or through the medium of
water in which the gas has been absorbed preferably by the burning of sublimed
sulphur in a closed vessel containing the water.
In order to make my invention more clearly understood I will now describe a
practical manner of carrying the same into effect.
A quantity of clean water is first placed in a suitable vessel or enclosure which is
preferably air tight and which has above the surface of the water a chamber or space.
1 then charge this chamber with sulphurous acid gas either by conducting the gas to
the chamber from some source of supply by a pipe, or, as will be more convenient in
some cases, by burning a small quantity of sublimod sulphur in the chamber. For
each gallon of water a tablespoonful of sulphur may be so burned and will produce the
necessary amount of gas. I prefer to burn this, one tablespoonful at a time, the gas
to remain in contact with the water for a suitable length of time, say one hour,
during which the water may either remain quiescent or may be slightly stirred or
agitated.
I then add one-half pint of the water thus treated to each gallon of milk, and set
it aside for the cream to rise.
This latter action will take place much more rapidly and the cream, and butter made
from it, will keep much longer than usual,
The cream having been churned in the ordinary manner, the butter is salted in the
usual way and placed in a suitable receptacle such as a stone jar.
I then charge water as above described by using one teaspoonful of sulphur to the
gallon, and to each gallon I add one and one half pounds of clean salt, one half pound
of granulated sugar and one half ounce of crystalized saltpetre dissolved in water.
I boil and skim this solution and when it is cold cover the butter in the jar with it.
The advantage of applying the gas through the medium of water is that the
liability to imparting an objectionable taste or flavour to the cream or butter is thereby
obviated.
When the said gas is to be applied directly to the milk. I proceed as follows:-
The milk from which it is desired to extract the cream is first placed in a suitable
vessel which is air-tight and which has above the surface of the milk a chamber or
space. I then charge this chamber with sulphurous-acid gas, either by conducting the
gas to the chamber from some source of supply by a pipe, or, as will be more
convenient in some cases, by burning a small quantity of sublimed sulphur in the
chamber. For a single gallon of milk a teaspoonful of sulphur may be so employed
and will produce the necessary amount of gas. 1 then permit the gas to remain in
contact with the milk for a suitable length of time-say one hour-during which time
the milk may either remain quiescent or may be slightly stirred or agitated. The
cream will then have been thoroughly extracted, and having been skimmed off is
churned in the usual or any suitable or preferred manner. I then prepare a solution

page_text: or wash consisting of one gallon of water having sufficient salt dissolved therein to
cause the solution to bear an egg, one-half pound of granulated or other pure
sugar, and one-half of a spoonful of crystalized saltpetre dissolved in a small
quantity of warm water. This solution I boil and skim. It may be termed
Solution No. 2." I also prepare a solution, which may be termed "Solution
No. 1," consisting of salicylic acid and water in the proportions of about one tea-
spoonful of the acid to one pint of water. I then take a sufficient quantity of
Solution No. 1, dependent upon the amount of butter to be treated, and work and
wash the butter thoroughly therein until the buttermilk is all washed out. I then
salt the butter in the usual manner, place it, in the form of a pat or roll, in a
jar or other suitable receptacle, and cover it with a sufficient quantity of Solution
No. 2. It will then keep fresh for a long time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
The herein described method of facilitating the drawing or raising of cream from
milk which consists in subjecting the milk to the action of sulphurous acid gas
applied directly or through the medium of water, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 18th day of August 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.