BUTTER-FAT AND CHEESE MAKING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16503, 2 August 1919, Page 6

BUTTER-FAT AND CHEESE MAKING.

10 THE EDITOR. Sir,—After the annual meeting of shareholders of the Okalo-Puuilio Cooperative Dairy Factory Company on tiro Udtli ult., Mr. ,1. S. Conuett addressed those present on the question of the fat content of cheese. Inter alia. Mr. Connctt contended that with milk supplied for manufacture into cheese, and which tested over 3.7 or 3.8 of fat, there was a greater loss in whey as compared with milk of a lower fat content, and. to still further support his argument, lie instanced the Bell Block Dairy Company, which showed an average tut content for the yeai of 4.35 percent. Mr. Connote also stated that when the time lor the annual meeting of the Bell Block .Dairy Company came round, the shareholders would be asking for an explanation as to why the pay-out was lower than other factories. The high test, ho said, was the reason. Less than tvvonty years a n o cheese-makers almost universally believed that all fat in milk above 3.5 or 4 per cent, must go into whey and not into cheese. Breeders of cows giving milk low in tat content openly declared, and without contradiction, that onlv cows of this type could he suitable ’ for profitable cheese-making, because it was impossible to transfer the extra milk-fat into cheese when milk contained over. .‘1.5 or 4 per cent. The tabulated results, as taken from Van iSlyko and Publow given below, show the relative amounts of fat lost in normal milks containing percentages ol tat. These results proi r e that the loss of. fat in cheese-making is quite independent of the amount of fat in milk. The variations that occur in loss of fat are duo either to the defective condition of the milk with reference to bacterial content, or to some special fault in the details of methods employed in manufacture, or to ‘both causes.' Even when cream is added to normal milk to an extent sufficient to raise the fat content to 7 or S per cent., the, increased loss of fat, though considerable, is not necessarily greater in proportion to the increase of fat in milk.

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If when Mr. Connett has carefully perused the foregoing data ho is still sceptical, a few reasons why avoidable fat losses take place in thc_ process of cheese-making may be of interest to him, and these will be shown later. Again, if dairy companies were allowed to extract a portion of fat from the milk for cheese-making, bringing the content down to, say, 3.70, the ratio of fat to casein would -be abnormally low. As an illustration, take 801 l Block’s average test for lastg season, viz., 4.35 per cent. If .05 of fat were _ extracted, there would remain in the milk 3.7, and the ratio would be 1 fat to 0.756 casein, and winch could not be classed as normal milk. The fact really is that more fat is lost in the whey from milk of the type of cow which produces a low fat content than from those producing a high per cent., for the reason that there is more whev in the one than the other owing to the increased supply of milk. Does Mr. Connett believe that just as rich a quality cheese could ho manufactured from partly skimmed milk; and, is ho not aware that, having robbed the milk of a portion of its fat, the same smooth, silky and- meatty body so essential to the best cheese, and so much sought after, could not be obtained? Furthermore, has ho counted upon the reduced price which would inevitably follow on an open market when the adulterated product was branded “part-skim,” and has he figured the cost of separating a portion of the milk-fat, with coal at a premium, additional machinery, and probably extra labour? I think none of the foregoing points have been duly considered. However, to revert to fat losses in whey, which, apparently, is Mi-. Connett’s primary object in bringing the subject under discussion. Let me quote a few of the many reasons why there are excessive losses of fat in the course of cheese-making at some of our factories. Any condition which interferes with complete coagulation of casein by rennet-extract, such as dilution with* water, presence of preservatives, as salt, formalin, etc.; failure to keep the fat well distributed through the milk before and after adding rennet; jarring or .stirring milk after rennet coagulation has commenced and before it is completed; when curd is cut ih too soft a condition; tho use of dull knives or by violent, careless and rapid motions of knife in cutting curd; beating the curd too rapidly _or to too high a temperature; excessive piling of curd previous to ciioddaring; sailing curd at too high a temperature; putting curd to press when too wbrm; too rapid application of pressure in early stages; milling at too high a temperature, and allowing curd to become matted after milling. These, and other reasons, could be given for excess losses. Docs tho management of the Bell Block Company carefully study these most essential points in the interest of quantity? If so, a record of fat left in whey can surely bo shown for each day throughout of the season, if not for each vat. Does the company know what amount of fat was actually lost in whey from day to day during last season? _ I wonder. Tn conclusion, 1 would just remind Mr. Connett Hint that groat cheese producing coufitry, the Dominion of Canada, prohibits the removal of fat from milk intended for cheese-making. Thanking yon in anticipation of insertion of ibis letter. —1 am, etc., FULL CREAM.

'l.owcst. Highest. Average. cheese. 22 3.0 -3.5 0.21 0.39 0.32 9.55 90.45 112 3.5-4.0 0.21 0.50 0.33 8.33 91.67 78 4.0-4 .a 0.20 0.46 0.32 7.70 92.30 16 4.5 - 5.0 0.17 0.49 0.28 5.90 94.10 7, 5.0-5.2 0.27 0.35 0.31 6.00 94.00