Page:Hand-book on cheese making.djvu/28

 windows and outside doors to the make-room should be opened, to drive out the dampness that has accumulated during the forepart of the day.

In from fifteen to twenty minutes after hooping curd turn your attention to them again. If the old style hoops are used you will be obliged to bandage them by hand; if not, to pull up the bandage cloth. As the former way is nearly obsolete, we will simply discuss the modus operandi of the latter.

Set a pailful of clean warm water near you, and as you remove the cap cloths rinse them vigorously in this, to wash out all sour whey. Pull the margin of the bandage up and turn it neatly over the edge of the cheese; then, wringing the cap slightly, to remove only the surplus water, spread it over the surface, smoothing out all wrinkles. Apply, now, all the power that you have, that is, reasonable power. You do not want to press so hard that the butter will be crushed out of the cheese structure, but you want to press so as to expel all whey and permanently solidify the cheese. I examined 1888 made cheese this spring that were of fine quality but insufficiently pressed. The seams and cracks were mouldy and damp with whey, which damaged an otherwise fancy product 50 per cent.

Cleaning up is the last duty of the cheese maker for the day. I use hot water freely on any portion of the floor with which whey has come in contact, and especially should it be used about the spouts and drains, for it is here that filth lurks and easily conceals itself. Boiling water will search it out and eradicate it; dash it on copiously all around. Sal-soda and potash are helpful aids to keep the make-room sweet, and a liberal supply should be counted among the necessities of ofof [sic] every factory.