the milk for cheese-making. The rectangular form shown
in fig. 3 is a Cheshire cheese-vat, for steam. The inner vat is
of tinned steel, and the outer is of iron and is fitted with pipes
for steam supply. Round cheese-tubs (fig. 4) are made of strong
sheets of steel, double tinned to render them lasting. They
are fitted with a strong bottom hoop and bands round the sides,
and can be double-jacketed for steam-heating if required. Curd-knives
(fig. 5) are used for cutting the coagulated mass into
cubes in order to liberate
the whey. They are
made of fine steel, with
sharp edges; there are
also wire curd-breakers.
The object of the curd-mill
(fig. 6) is to grind
consolidated curd into
small pieces, preparatory
to salting and vatting;
two spiked rollers
work up to spiked
breasts. Hoops, into
which the curd is
placed in order to acquire the shape of the cheese, are of
wood or steel, the former being made of well-seasoned oak
with iron bands (fig. 7), the latter of tinned steel. The cheese
is more easily removed from the steel hoops and they are readily
cleaned. The cheese-press (fig. 8) is used only for hard or
“pressed” cheese, such as Cheddar. The arrangement is such
that the pressure is continuous; in the case of soft cheese the
curd is merely placed in moulds (figs. 9 and 10) of the required
shape, and then taken cut to ripen, no pressure being applied.
The cheese-room is fitted
with easily-turned shelves,
on which newly-made
“pressed” cheeses are laid
to ripen.
 |
 |
| Fig. 6.—Curd-Mill. |
Fig. 7.—Hoop for Flat Cheese. |
 |
| Fig. 8.—Cheese-Press. | |
 |
| Fig. 9.—Cheese-Mould (Gervais). |
 |
Fig. 10.—Cheese-Mould
(Pont l’Évêque). |
|
 |
| Fig. 11.—Milk-Pan. |
 |
| Fig. 12.—Skimmer. |
In the butter dairy, when
the centrifugal separator is
not used, milk is “set” for
cream-raising in the milk-pan
(fig. 11), a shallow
vessel of white porcelain,
tinned steel or enamelled iron. The skimming-dish or skimmer
(fig 12), made of tin, is for collecting the cream from the surface of
the milk, whence it is transferred to the cream-crock (fig. 13), in
which vessel the cream remains from one to three days, till it
is required for churning.
Many different kinds of
churns are in use, and
vary much in size, shape
and fittings; the one
illustrated in fig. 14
is a very good type of
diaphragm churn. The
butter-scoop (fig. 15) is
of wood and is sometimes
perforated; it is
used for taking the butter
out of the churn. The
butter-worker (fig. 16)
is employed for consolidating
newly-churned
butter, pressing out
superfluous water and
mixing in salt. More extended use, however, is now being made
of the “Délaiteuse” butter dryer, a centrifugal machine that
rapidly extracts the moisture from the butter, and renders the
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