Little equipment is needed for making these cheeses for home
consumption, and many satisfactory substitutes may be found for that
mentioned. When the cheese is marketed on a large scale a greater
outlay is desirable in order to handle it efficiently.
_Floating dairy thermometer._--The use of a reliable and accurate
thermometer is imperative if uniform results are to be obtained. A
thermometer of this kind is not expensive, and when not in use should
always be kept in the case.
_Starter bottles._--Pint milk bottles, which may be covered with glass
tumblers, are needed for holding the starter, although the size of the
containers depends, of course, upon the quantity of cheese made. Pint
fruit jars also can be used; and may be covered with bowls.
_Shotgun cans._--These cans are usually 9 inches in diameter, 20 inches
high, and hold about 4 gallons of milk. For work on a small scale a
10-quart, heavily tinned or enameled pail may be used satisfactorily.
_Rennet and pepsin._--Commercial liquid rennet and powdered pepsin have
been found to be satisfactory curdling agents. Fresh junket tablets
also produce good results.
_Milk agitator._--A stirrer is desirable to cause a uniform
distribution of rennet or starter and to aid in preventing a too rapid
rising of the cream. A long-handled spoon may be used if only a small
quantity of cheese is made.
_Draining rack._--The rack shown in figure 1 is rectangular, 13 inches
wide, 36 inches long, and 10 inches deep. The corner posts extend 1½
inches beyond the strips at top and bottom, with the top rounded,
so that a ring may fit over them. The bottom slats fit loosely into
notches and are removable for washing purposes. The materials required
are 4 corner posts 1½ by 1½ by 10 inches, 9 strips 1 by ⅜ by 36 inches,
and 6 strips 1 by ⅜ by 12¼ inches, notched to receive bottom slats, all
made of pine. A cloth is fastened upon each frame and the contents of
one can poured upon each cloth. For small-scale operations an orange
crate or a boiler or pail may serve the same purpose.
_Drain cloth._--Unbleached cotton sheeting is recommended for this
purpose. A fine-meshed cloth gives strength and aids in preventing
losses of fat and casein. The size of the cloth depends upon the
nature of the draining rack. Each cloth should be 45 inches long and
a yard wide, with the ends hemmed. After use each should be quickly
and carefully washed and dried in order to increase the period of its
usefulness.
_Press._--If a screw press is available, its use is to be recommended.
A 50 or 60 pound weight, such as a can of water or bucket of stones,
left upon the curd overnight usually proves to be satisfactory. (See
figs. 2 and 3.)
_Curd worker._--For small-scale operations a bread mixer or a potato
masher may be used to give the curd proper consistence and to
incorporate the salt. When working on a larger scale a butterworker
or food chopper will serve the same purpose. _Food chopper._--A food
chopper with special attachments and a hopper are essential for molding
the cheese into the desired forms. Depending upon the quantity of
cheese handled, satisfactory food choppers may be obtained in three
sizes, costing about $2, $5, and $8.50. (See fig. 8.) The smaller
machines may be used in handling Neufchâtel and pimiento-cream cheese,
but cream cheese requires the large size for making the customary flat
packages. The large machine is to be recommended if the weekly output
of cheese amounts to a few hundred pounds, although the medium-sized
machine would probably do the work as effectively, only more slowly and
with more labor.
[Illustration: FIG. 8.--Grinding and molding equipment.]
_Cheese hopper._--The hopper consists of an open box 3 inches deep,
made of maple, with sides sloping outward about half an inch. The box
has a hole in the bottom 3⅛ by 3⅝ inches. To the bottom of the box
a board five-eighths of an inch thick is screwed, which has a hole
corresponding to that of the box. The hopper is fastened to the food
chopper by means of a beveled strip of wood and button, as indicated
in figure 9. The base of the box will probably have to be grooved
in order to allow the wheel to turn without friction. The materials
required are (1) two quadrangular-shaped pieces of wood 3 inches high,
five-eighths of an inch in thickness, and whose tops measure 9⅜ inches
and the bottoms 8 inches; (2) two pieces of similar shape, except that
the tops measure 11½ inches and the bases 10¼ inches; (3) one piece
10⅞ inches long, 10⅛ inches wide, and three-quarters of an inch thick;
(4) one piece 9⅜ inches long, 7 inches wide, and three-quarters of
an inch thick: and (5) one piece 7 inches long, 4⅜ inches wide, and
five-eighths of an inch thick.
[Illustration: FIG. 9.--Under view of cheese hopper, showing method of
attachment.]
_Neufchâtel attachment._--The attachment for molding Neufchâtel and
pimiento-cream cheeses consists of a tin form having a conical shape
with a tube attached. The cone has a 2¼-inch base which gradually
tapers down to a tube whose diameter is 1½ inches. (See fig. 10.) The
distance from the base of the cone to the tube attached is 3¼ inches:
the tube is about 5 inches long. A vertical lip about one-quarter of an
inch across makes it possible to connect the tube to the food chopper;
the attachment fits into the ring of the chopper.
[Illustration: FIG. 10.--Molding attachments for Neufchâtel and cream
cheese.]
_Cream-cheese attachment._--The cream-cheese attachment consists of a
ring to which a rectangular-shaped molding tube is soldered. (See fig.
10.) The base of the tube is 2⅛ inches wide and fifteen-sixteenths of
an inch thick. The delivery end of the tube, which is 2⅛ inches wide
and three-quarters of an inch thick, is cut back one-third of an inch
at each corner and V-shaped pieces of tin removed. The lips of the
tube are then drawn together until there is about one-sixteenth of an
inch of free space at each corner.
[Illustration: FIG. 11.--Belt conveyer.]
_Belt conveyer._--The belt conveyer used in removing the cheese as it
leaves the attachment is shown in fig. 11. It is a rectangular-shaped
box, 20 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 4¾ inches deep, with the ends
and top removed. Five bearings fit into the notches on one side and
holes on the other side in two strips of iron fastened to the upper
edges of the two open ends of the box. A 3½-inch canvas belt runs
snugly though not tightly upon the rollers. The materials required are
two pieces of maple 4¾ inches wide, one-half inch thick and 20 inches
long; four oak rollers 4⅜ inches long and 1¾ inches in diameter; one
oak roller 4⅜ inches long and 1½ inches in diameter. The rollers have a
one-sixteenth-inch clearance and are beveled one-eighth of an inch from
bearing to outer face. In addition, two 20-inch strips of galvanized
iron 1 inch wide and one-eighth of an inch thick are needed. In both
ends of one of these strips of iron there are four outward-slanting
notches which are one-half inch deep and one-eighth inch wide, and
evenly spaced between the ends there are three additional vertical
notches of the same size. There are 11 one-eighth-inch holes in the
second iron strip, corresponding to, parallel with, and of the same
height as the bottom of the notches of the first strip. The boards and
strips of iron are joined together by means of screws.
[Illustration: FIG. 12.--Cheese cutter.]
_Cheese cutter._--A cheese cutter consists of a rectangular framework
of poplar over which 7 fine wires are drawn. (See fig. 12.) The wires
are fastened by means of iron pegs or screws to the outer edge of
two half-inch strips 15 inches long. The strips are 5 inches apart,
parallel, and are supported by 3 vertical pieces of wood 5 inches long,
3 inches wide, and one-half inch thick. Each of these supports is
hollowed out in order to give plenty of space for cutting the cheese.
The vertical supports are held in place by means of a single flat strip
13¾ inches long, seven-eighths inch wide, and one-quarter inch thick.
The wires are placed 2½ inches apart and the supports 6¾ inches apart.
All connections are made with 1-inch screws.
_Tin-foil paper._--Tin foil covered with parchment paper is generally
used to wrap the cheese (cream or Neufchâtel), although of late
aluminum foil has been used quite extensively. The dimensions of the
foil are 4½ by 6 inches, and it is purchased by the pound.