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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 82

Centrifugal Cream-Raising

page 17

Centrifugal Cream-Raising.

The value of this process, in saving more of the butter from milk than the ordinary methods of setting milk, has been shown in an excellent summary of European experiments by Dr. T. R. Englehardt, where he offers the results of European determinations between the centrifugal-raised cream and that obtained by the ice and Holstein method. Two hundred pounds of milk were used for each experiment, and the correctness of the obtained results was verified by chemical analysis of the butter, butter-milk, and skim-milk obtained in the operation. The vessels for the ice method held 50 lb. of milk each, and were filled to the depth of 16 inches; time employed, 34 hours. The centrifugal used was the Lefeldt machine : 36½ minutes were occupied in the gaining of the cream.

Pounds of Milk per One Pound of Butter.
Date. Centrifugal. Ice, 38 hours. Holstein Method.
1879—May 27.6 30.0 30.4
1879—June 26.4 28.3 28.8
1879—July 26.8 28.0 30.5
1879—August 1 and September 2 28.5 7.7 31.7
1879—September 3 to 26.6 27.6 30.9
1879—October 24.3 28.7 27.9
1879—November 24.6 31.5 28.4
1879—December 24.2 28.5 27.4page 18
1880—January 25.8 27.8 28.0
1880—February 26.4 27.4 27.8
1880—March 27.8 28.8 29.5
1880—April 29.3 28.4 30.1
1880—Average 26.5 28.5 29.2
The gain of the centrifugal process over these other methods is shown by the annexed table :—
Date. Proportional Results between—
Centrifugal. Ice, 38 hours. Holstein Method.
1879—May 100 92.3 90.6
1879—June 100 93.2 91.2
1879—July 100 85.7 87.9
1879—August 1 and September 2 100 103.2 90.1
1879—September 3 to 100 96.4 86.2
1879—October 100 84.7 87.0
1879—November 100 78.1 86.5
1879—December 100 84.9 88.4
1880—January 100 72.9 96.9
1880—February 100 96.3 94.9
1880—March 100 96.4 94.3
1880—April 100 96.1 94.0
1880—Average 100 91.7 90.2
Neither these percentages nor the butter-yield indicate a milk of such good quality as is used in America; for the best result here indicated is, for the year, 26.5 lb. of milk to 1 lb. of butter, page 19 while under the system of setting in vogue in factories in America it is 23.18 lb. of milk for 1 lb. of butter, thus :—
Years. Number of Factories reporting. Average Pounds of Milk to 1 lb. of Butter. Extremes.
1871 6 23.05 22.54 and 25.16
1872 4 22.88 22.3 and 24.26
1873 6 23.5 22.36 and 24.4
The difference between the centrifugal and other methods is in favour of the centrifugal 8.7 per cent. and 10.9 per cent. respectively, or—
Pounds or Milk to 1 lb. of Butter.
For the centrifugal 16 to 20
For the deep-can setting 17 to 21

That is, on the mean of these figures, each 100 lb. of milk in the centrifugal process yielded 5.55 lb. of butter; in the deep-can process, 5.26 lb. of butter—a difference of 0.29 lb. in favour of the centrifugal, or 8.1 per cent.

The claims for the centrifugal process are :—
1.It will do away with the trouble and expense of setting milk in pans for cream-raising:
2.It will necessitate the use of less capital in the erection of dairy-houses and fittings for small dairies :
3.The cream can be separated from the milk as soon as with-drawn from the cow, and the cream churned immediately :
4.It opens up a new business in supplying fresh cream to consumers, who will not be slow in discovering its merits :
5.It will admit of the manufacture of sweet skim-milk cheese:
6.It offers economy in disposing of all the products of milk, fresh cream, fresh skim-milk, sweet butter-milk :
7.A more complete separation of the cream from milk than can be obtained by the ordinary process :
8.It purifies the milk completely, by throwing out all extraneous matter.
page 20
The claims which, from present experience, may be reasonably allowed, are :—
1.Purity of product:
2.A larger yield of butter than by the ordinary system:
3.A fresh skim-milk, and hence in a better condition for market:
4.Diminished waste in the handling:
5.A quality of cream which is unsurpassed.

If we look back on the progress in cream-raising, which may be said to have been commenced by Swartz, in Sweden, about 1850, great impulse has been given to inventors in all matters relating to the dairy.

In 1870 to 1877 the ice system was in vogue, when Messrs. Lefeldt and Leutch invented their centrifugal creaming machine, and a dairy was started in Kiel on that system. The milk was poured in, and the machine had to be stopped every forty minutes to allow the cream to be taken off; but even that machine might be said to be a practical solution of the problem, as far as large factories are concerned. In 1882 there were more than 1,000 centrifugal machines working in Europe alone.

Shortly after the dairy in Kiel started, Messrs. Lefeldt and several others improved on the system, so that new milk is continually running into the machine whilst cream and skim milk are runniug out. "Lefeldt's," "Nielsen Petersen's," "Laval's," "Petersen's," and "Hansen Braun's" machines may be mentioned. The latter patent was further improved by Messrs. Tuxen and Hammeich.

Upon the use of the centrifugal machine in the dairy, Dr. Sturtevant, in the American Dairyman, says,—

"It seems that the use of the centrifugal machine will ultimately revolutionize the milk interest. In time manufacturers will realize what the dairyman requires in a machine. A machine at low cost, one that can be revolved at a sufficiently high speed by such a power as a farm can support, will tend to make easier the care of milk and enlarge the profits. A dairy of twenty cows would save enough yearly in extra butter produced to pay for a machine,"

Professor Sheldon remarks in his "Dairy Farming: "We think that it will bring about something akin to a revolution in page 21 butter-making in most, if not all, large dairies and creameries. . . . . Motive-power, however, is needed to drive the separator, and for this reason it is not well adapted for small dairies, where the cost of such power would be out of proportion to the work it had to do."

Is this system suitable for small dairies? The authorities quoted above said, "No," owing to the "motive-power;" but now Messrs. Tuxen and Hammerich and Mr. Laval have succeeded in improving their separators so much, that one horse can drive them, as well as a churn at the same time.

The main considerations in selecting a separator are—(1) Capabilities of work, (2) lightness in draught, (3) strength, (4) cost price. Any farmer or farmers who can muster twenty cows and upwards will do well to consider,—

A.

1.The cost of a common and well-built dairy, with pans, churns, &c., for twenty cows.
2.The daily labour involved in skimming and cleaning the pans, and in churning by hand.
3.The loss of cream (butter) in hot days when the milk turns sour before all the cream is risen.
4.The loss by the skim milk turning sour.

B.

1.The cost of a separator, with one horse-power and a churn for the same, as well as a small room as dairy.
2.The trouble of harnessing the horse and cleaning the machine once or, in hot weather, twice a day.
3.The gain in cream (butter) in hot weather when the separator will give more cream than will rise in the pans even if left for thirty-six hours under the most favourable circumstances.
4.The gain of a perfectly sweet milk, whether it is to be sold or made into cheese, or given to the calves.

The cost of a dairy for twenty cows, with everything complete, cannot be put at less than £50.

The cost of a Tuxen-Hammerich separator with horse-power, a Danish churn, a butter-worker, &c., complete, with a suitable room, will not exceed £80 anywhere in New Zealand.