A CREAMERY MATTER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1710, 29 March 1913, Page 8

A CREAMERY MATTER.

MOISTURE .CONTItOL OF BUTTER. Tlio subjc'ct' of control is one that "is /receiving an ever-increasing amoynt of attention from creamery men. Tiio Indiana Experiment Station has recently conducted extensive investigations into the factors that inflnenco moisture coiiteut nf butted and the results are summarised lis under:— 1. The" richness and acidity of the /crcam, sizo of the butter granules, temperature. of iuul-churning'in wash water, 'method- of salting nnd amount of Fait used do not maferiallv iniluenco Mm moisture content of the finished butler. 'SrLargo'clxtiriiings yield butter with a higher . per cent.' of nioisturo than small cliurniiigs. -Butter from raw cream coutniiis more moisture than butter from pasteurised/cream. High churning temperatures,'make butter retain more moisture -than''low .churning temperatures. Working the butter in water regardless of teiiVperaturo : increases the moisture content oil butter. ; r 3. The secret of moisture control lies in regulating'tlie churning temperature and in . adjusting tho amount of wafer present" during .'the working process, according to the firmness of the butter as determined by the chemical, physical, and; mechanical properties of the butterfat and in tho systematic use'of. a reliable moisture test.

■ 4.'Conditions- that cause the formation 1 of-round,'-smooth butter granules, such as vciy thin' cream licld at a low tem-perature"for-.a'long time and which iequiresVexiids'SiVd' churning and tends towards salviness of the butter, mate moisture.- control,.inore difficult and the results more uncertain than when the butter granules are irregular, flaky, and not toi'iirm. • , . . 5. The moisture is not evenly distributed throughout the churn, For this reason it is -not safo to run too dose to the legal limit, and it is advisable to give, a further'.margin of 1 per cent, as the dinger: line. ■ G. Tn order .to; secure a representative samplo of- itire.','butter in churn, it is necessary .to :.take small portions of butter from all parts of ,tho churn. "VVheu samp"crtre should be taken to avoid water pockets. ;, , t ' 7.,Soiue..moisture -is lost during the transfer!.' of ":the-butler from the churn to tho tub or box and when printing the, butter... .This Moss tends to be greater during tlie vnnter months when the butter is.yirm than, during the • summer months when flic butter is soft. A conservative estimate puts the average loss of moisture...in. packing at About .5 per cent.. • ;■ - ... & Considerable moisture is lost during the. storage of .butter. This loss is controlled- liy the salt content of tbe butter 'and, by;.'the;,thoronghness of moisture in-■corporation..-"Unsalted butter loses very little, if any, moisture in storage. The more salt the butter contains the greater is-the loss', of-'moisture in storage. Butteiv.m,';',which ...thel moisture is properly lincOTporated ■ loses less moisture tl'»an biittcr'ivith, a .'loose and leaky Ixxly. 9. The, accuracy of the rosults of moisture determinations by the butter-maker depends on the; preparation of the sample, tho sensitiveness, condition, and manipulation of-the. balance 'and the carefulness and judgment: of the operator in making tlie i list. :"-':'Most of the moisture tests noir'ayaifabl?; for the use of the buttermaker are'satisfactory, and yield reasonably .'.accurate results if manipulated according, to, directions.