In making cream cheese for the market, milk testing about 6 per cent
butterfat is most satisfactory. With 4 per cent milk available, if
one-third of the quantity is run through a cream separator and the
cream added to the remaining two-thirds, milk testing approximately
6 per cent is obtained. If the milk tests only 3 per cent it will be
necessary to separate one-half of the quantity and add the cream to
the remaining half. This method gives satisfactory results for home
manufacture, but for more extensive operations it is advisable to use a
Babcock tester in order to standardize the milk accurately.
The following diagram illustrates an easy method of determining the
proportions of milk and cream of different per cent of fat needed to
make up 6 per cent milk:
_Cream and milk on hand._ +-------------+ _Proportions to be used._
34 per cent cream. | 6 per cent | 2 parts cream.
|milk desired.|
+-------------+
4 per cent milk. 28 parts milk.
The desired per cent of fat in the milk, in this case 6, is placed
in the center of the square. At the upper left-hand corner the per
cent of fat in the available cream is placed, in this instance 34.
Immediately below, in the lower left-hand corner, the per cent of fat
in the available milk is placed, which in the instance cited is 4.
Next subtract diagonally across the square the smaller from the larger
numbers and place the differences in the upper and lower right-hand
corners respectively. In the upper right-hand corner 2 represents the
number of parts of 34 per cent cream, and in the lower right-hand
corner 28 represents the number of parts of 4 per cent milk necessary
to make 6 per cent milk. If it is desired to make up a definite
quantity of 6 per cent milk, for example, 60 pounds, the procedure is
as follows: 2 added to 28 makes a total of 30 parts of 6 per cent milk.
The quantity of 34 per cent cream necessary is 2/30 × 60, or 4 pounds,
while the quantity of 4 per cent milk is 28/30 × 60, or 56 pounds.