HOME SEPARATION.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume VI, Issue 4, 15 April 1913, Page 372

HOME SEPARATION.

G. M. Valentine.

Methods of Conveyance.

In those districts where the home separator has been adopted there has naturally followed a radical change in the system of handling the cream. Taken up in the first instance by settlers remote from a creamery or factory, or who had bad roads to contend against, ,it gradually spread.. until in the North Auckland district it is practically the only system in vogue, and . the cream-can is as common as the mail-bag. The carriage of the cream is one of the most difficult problems with which the home-separator factory has to deal. Cans arrive by packhorse, wagon, rail, oil-launch, and, in fact, by any and every means of transport available. . The first system to be adopted was for every supplier to bring his own cream, and this is still the practice at a' good number of factories. From the buttermaker’s point of view this is the ideal system, as the weighing is done in the presence of the supplier, and an opportunity is thereby given for pointing, out any defects in the cream. In some cases a system developed of one settler bringing the cream from several neighbours on the same road, which in time developed into a regular contract arranged by the factory for the collection and delivery of the cream. Indeed, in some instances the cream is two : days, on the . road and is carried by two ■ different contractors. This;, is not only expensive—costing as high as Id. per pound of butterfat for cartage is altogether against the cream reaching its destination in a good condition. Contractors for the carriage of cream are paid in various ways : at per hundredweight of cream carried, at per trip, or at per gallon of cream. In some cases the whole cost of collecting is borne by the factory, while ■ in others the cost -is allocated amongst the suppliers according to the number of pounds of butter-fat delivered by each. Figures taken from two factory balancesheets for last year give the cost as 0-sd. and 0-895 d. per pound on the , whole of the butter-fat delivered to the factory, so that in comparing the net amount actually paid for butter-fat this must be taken into consideration. The first system has the advantage that the factory-manager has more direct control over the delivery of the cream, the decision resting with him as to how often the collecting shall be done. When freights are charged up individually the inchnation is for

suppliers to want to send less frequently, on account of the cost, as soon as supplies begin to fall off. This explains the fact that, while some home-separation factories can hold their own as to quality while the flush of the season is on, they find it impossible to do so in the spring and autumn. ■ This is . the weak spot in the home-separator system. Under ordinary conditions the best quality of butter is made under a daily delivery. ' .

A practice generally in use is for the individual supplier to provide his own cans, and under existing conditions the life of these is somewhat short. Wagons may be seen loaded with two tiers of cans, the larger ones with flat covers underneath and the smaller ones on top. The wear-and-tear is very considerable, . and cans will sometimes only last two seasons. The usual method is to weigh and sample the cream, wash the cans, and pass them on to the vehicle by which they arrived. The washing is necessarily a more or less speedy performance, and the lids are usually put on while the can is still hot. It is therefore absolutely necessary to again wash them on their return to the farm. The principal disadvantage of this system is that the factorymanager does not come into direct touch with the suppliers, and has not the opportunity of pointing out any defects in the cream. -

Another system of collecting, usually adopted where there is a large number of small suppliers, is to weigh and sample the cream at the farm and empty it into large cans. This saves a lot of cartage, but as success depends entirely on the drivers, it is imperative that they should be trained men employed by the factory. The great danger is that one bad ' lot of cream may be overlooked and spoil a whole canful. Given good men, this plan is very successful,’ for their personal-contact with, the suppliers can be of great assistance to the factory - manager. One difficulty associated with it is. getting a scale which will be sufficiently accurate and which will stand the rough usage and weather inseparable from the road. ' It. will usually be found that on the average the total .weights from the drivers’ books will be more than the weight of cream received at the factory, due to the difficulty of weighing a number of small lots of cream correctly, and also to the loss of cream left in the cans. The latter can be reduced to a very small amount, however, by using a squeegee scraper for cleaning out the cans. This can be made of hard red jin. rubber, 5 in. square. A metal stirrer must also be carried by the drivers with which to mix the cream before taking the sample, or the results in testing will be all against the factory. The sample-bottles must be kept tightly corked to prevent, evaporation,, and a . wet sack thrown over them in hot weather will help to keep them in good order. Wet canvas coverings over the cream-cans will also be found to reduce the temperature of the cream very ' considerably.

Weighing, Sampling, . and Testing

Of home-separator cream, though at first sight a simple matter, requires very careful attention if justice is to be done to both factory and supplier. Were all cream delivered to the factories in sweet, fresh condition this would be a simple matter, but, unfortunately, most of the cream received at home-separator factories is two days old. In some cases it is quite impossible to get a representative sample. The first consideration of managers under the new system was, naturally, how to keep up the quality of their butter under the very heavy handicaps which it imposed, and rightly so. As a consequence, certain ■points have in a measure been neglected, and in the majority of cases the suppliers have been paid for more butter-fat than they delivered, due to a too-liberal reading of the “ fat ” column. Neglect of these points has given rise to the very general impression among farmers that the supplier who delivers his cream makes the most out of his cows. If this be so, the supplier of rich cream must be losing more in his skim-milk but the very . general experience of home-separator factorymanagers, who have done a lot of skim-milk testing for suppliers, is that this is not so. Indeed, the chances are all in favour' of better skimming, as the speed is more likely to be maintained when aiming at a rich cream. Similarly, where the cream is thin it is usually the result of driving the separator too slow. Michels says, “ Most standard makes of separators will do good work when delivering cream containing 50 per cent, of butter-fat.’’ (“ Creamery Buttermaking,” Michels, page 61.) ■ If the sampling and testing are not properly done, however, the thin cream will no doubt pay the supplier best, especially if it is sour when delivered. Unless it is thoroughly stirred, the sour milk at the bottom will not be properly mixed with the cream and the sample taken will be too rich. Again, if a pipette is used ,to measure the sample into the cream-testing bottle, the result from thin cream will be about right, but the rich cream may be 2 per cent, too low. Allowing, however, that the samples are weighed into the cream-bottles, by reading the “ fat ” column to extreme points, as is very often done, it is possible to be 2 per cent, too high with both samples ; but 2 per cent, added to a 35 test and 2 per cent, added to a 42 test is not fair to the latter. The most satisfactory cream for both supplier and factory is one containing from 40 to 45 per cent, of butter-fat, and any good separator will do very satisfactory work between these points if reasonable care is taken in running it. A thin cream is a loss to every one concerned, and those factories that pay Jd. per pound of butterfat less for cream testing 35 per cent, and under are on the right track. The first question of freight alone is a big one. A five-horse wagon will bring in a load of about 4,000 lb. of cream, which at an average

test of 42 will produce 1,680 lb. butter-fat. To produce the same amount , of butter-fat at a 35 test it would have to carry 4,800 lb. of cream, a difference of 20 per cent. ; and this 20 per cent, extra will have to be handled right through the manufacturing process until the churning process is reached. The suppliers, on the other hand, will have 800 lb. less skim-milk on the farm. Most of the bad flavours noticed on the receiving-platform are found in thin cream, which develops acid quicker than a rich cream, has a rough, lumpy appearance, blocks up the strainer, burns on the pasteurizer, is almost impossible to sample fairly, causes a bigger loss in buttermilk, and, when manufactured into butter, usually makes an inferior article. : A 42-per-cent. cream, on the other hand, is smooth and free from lumps, can be more accurately sampled, and leaves more skim-milk on the farm. It will keep sweet longer, and when sour more frequently develops a clean acid flavour. It costs less per pound of butter to manufacture, gives a bigger overrun, and, with proper handling, will turn out a higher-grade article. • .

Quality of Cream determines Quality of Butter.

That on the amount of care exercised on the receiving-platform largely depends the quality of the butter turned out is as true under home separation as it always has been where whole milk is received ; the manager who sets a high standard and insists oh the cream being up to that standard is still making the best butter. Where, owing to competition and other causes, managers have to take in cream which should not be accepted, the quality of the butter is correspondingly low. Some suppliers argue that so long as a ■ factory output is all first grade all .is well, but the reputation of New Zealand butter was not built up on an 88 grade, and it is not likely to be maintained by the manufacture of an article of such quality.' To accept everything that comes along,, as some managers are unfortunately instructed to do, is altogether wrong in principle, and simply means that the supplier of good cream has to help to pay for the carelessness of a careless neighbour. Cream-grading has been successfully tried at a number of factories, and payments’ made according to the condition of the cream. There is an almost universal agitation in countries working under the homeseparator system for its adoption. The standard fixed in those New Zealand factories which have,, adopted grading is not very exacting, and may be reached by any supplier with reasonable care. ’ First grade is usually cream testing over 35 per cent, of butter-fat, smooth texture and clean in flavour, though not necessarily sweet ; second grade, cream 'testing under 35 per cent, of butter-fat, or coarse' in texture or unclean in flavour, and is paid for at |d. per pound less.'

Each can received has the owner’s name and address painted on the lid or stamped on a brass label (as well as that of the factory to which it is consigned when full, if sent by rail), in addition to the tare weight, on the can. In most factories the practice is to weigh the cream in the can and deduct the weight of the latter. A weigh-can is sometimes used. It is . satisfactory with thin or fresh cream, but is quite unsuitable with thick sour cream. Some managers take the weight of the empty cans to the nearest pound, while others mark them to a quarter of a pound. Similarly the cream may be credited to half a pound to the nearest pound, or all fractions may be taken by the factory. . The second is the most common practice, and it certainly has the advantage of saving a lot of figures. Weight-slips are returned to the supphers daily or weekly, and on testing-days have the test added. Of the various kinds of scales in use, those having the dial face have the advantage of being very quick, but it is a wise precaution to have some stamped weights at hand and try them daily, whatever the make. A scale only half a pound out can make a big difference in the day’s results where a large number of cans is being weighed, especially in the autumn, when weights are small. Generally speaking, the weighing is very conscientiously done at all the factories I have had the privilege of visiting, and if some supphers could see their cream for themselves on arrival at the factory they would understand why the weight is short. Because a can weighs 50 lb. when filled to a certain mark to-day, it does not follow that it will weigh the same if filled to the same mark the next time it is sent. I have seen an 8-gallon cream-can, filled to within 2 in. of 'the top, which weighed 47 lb. net, running over on the way to the factory, due to its fermenting. Such cream should be returned to the supplier. There is room for improvement in the rinsing of floats and cans at a great many factories. Some, managers will use a half-ounce dipper for sampling to save waste of cream, and leave an ounce sticking to the floats, on the plea of want of time. The rubber squeegee before referred to will remove all the cream from the floats, and do it as quickly as the open hand or scraping them on the top of the can. A quick and effectual way of rinsing the cans is by means of a steamer fixed over the receiving-vat, the cans being inverted over it. This can be easily arranged by fixing two lengths of pipe across the vat, with a goose-necked steam jet between them. The steam will immediately loosen the cream, which drops into the vat, and while one can is steaming another is being weighed, so that there is absolutely no waste. Objection may be made that the heating will have a bad effect on the cream in the vat, but the same may be' said of a can of hot rinsing-water. This objection does not hold good in practice, as

immediately the heated cream drops into the vat it sinks to the bottom and finds its way to the tap at the lowest point. If the cans have much sticking to them and a steamer cannot be. used, a steam hose is a good substitute. No factory-manager who has once used a strainer and has repeatedly seen what it collects would ever think of doing without one. Many object that it is too slow and the cream will not run through. If made with the wire gauze commonly used for milk-strainers this is true. Made of tinned steel, punched with holes Ain- in diameter in the. bottom and sides and big enough to hold several gallons, this drawback is removed. By catching the casein it will give an indication of how- the farm separator has been run, and it will ensure more even feed to the pasteurizer by breaking up the cream, which would otherwise block the taps.