Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 82

The Cooley System of Setting Milk

page 22

The Cooley System of Setting Milk.

During 1876 Mr. William Cooley, of Washington County, Vermont, discovered a system of butter-making which has worked a complete revolution in dairying. The honour of the discovery that cream could be raised within twelve hours, or between milkings, belongs to Mr. Cooley alone. The value of the discovery can hardly be computed. The saving in cost of apparatus, the increased quantity of butter obtained during the hot weather, and the value of the milk after parting with its butter, will add considerably to the profits of the dairymen.

Advantages of the Cooley Process.

It requires no milk-room, because being complete in itself it works equally as well in a barn, or other out-building as in any other place. It requires capacity for one milking only, because by this system the cream is extracted from the milk between milkings. It is not affected by change of weather; dog-days, December and June, being alike favourable, because the water in which the milk is submerged gives the required uniformity of temperature—in fact makes the weather. Impure air, dust, and flies cannot reach milk set in it, because it is under water. It makes more butter, because this system raises all the cream, and the quality is never lessened by unfavourable weather. It makes better butter, because no contaminating influence can possibly get to it; besides, the system improves the flavour. It makes butter of more uniform colour, because of the evenness of the temperature in which the cream is raised. It makes butter of excellent keeping qualities. It requires less labour, because no skimming is done, and when the milk is run out and the cream emptied it is all perfectly sweet. It is cheaper, because the first outlay required is less than the cost of other apparatus, and needing no milk-room, pipes, or other fixtures, makes it much the cheapest and more durable. It requires no large amount of milk to use it, because a small quantity in a single can is as favourably situated for the best results in a large as in a small creamer. Small dairies share equally with large ones in its benefits. It needs no fire, producing a uniform result summer and winter. It gives sweet skim-milk at all seasons of the year.

page 23

If the temperature of the water in the Coolers is kept at 45° to 55° Fahr. in spring and summer, and at 40° or 50° Fahr. in winter, the cream will rise in twelve hours, in which case only cans enough to hold a single milking are required, or one-fourth of the capacity needed with any of the patent open-can systems of setting. By the submerged system of setting milk, we have Sweet Cream from Sweet Milk, raised in the shortest possible space of time, a uniform quality and quantity of butter through hot weather, which retains all the rich flavour of new milk, possesses superior keeping qualities, is firm in texture and uniform in colour, and is free from caseine or sour-milk specks.

The Animal Odours and Gases in Milk

are effectually disposed of by this process, for the reason that the covers do not fit down closely on the cans, but are prevented from doing so by cleets securely fastened inside the covers, raising them up half an inch from the top of the cans, thus securing a free circulation from the milk into the water through the air confined under the cover. At the same time the water most effectually seals the milk from any contact with the atmosphere, and, as the milk when placed in the cans is at a temperature of from 80° to 90° Fahr. and the water at from 45° to 55° Fahr., the natural effect is for the odours and gases of the milk to escape into the water and be immediately absorbed by it. The cooling process is also more effectual and immediate, and the cream and milk left in a pure, sweet, and good condition.

The Cooley process is a perfect deodorizer of milk, and at the same time guards against a danger tenfold greater, that of the milk absorbing outside taints and odours, as is now admitted it will if set in open or ventilated pans or coolers.

There are two rules that must be attended to in order to reap the full advantages of the Cooley system.

The milk must be set warm from the cow, or in the case of town dairies, which get their milk from the country, it should be heated up to 85° Fahr. before being submerged. This can easily be done by standing the milk in hot water for a few minutes. It must not, however, be warmed up in "Cooley" cans, as this would heat the tin as well. If not heated to 85° Fahr., but set cold, the cream will take longer to rise.

page 24

Proper attention to the temperature of the water is absolutely necessary for the satisfactory working of the system. A temperature of from 45° to 50° Fahr. is all that is required, but it is necessary to keep the water at this temperature. To do this, you must bear in mind that, when the warm milk is submerged, until it has cooled down to the temperature of the water it will cause the temperature of the water to rise. But, as the heated water naturally rises to the top, this difficulty is easily overcome, as follows: After having set the milk for, say, fifteen minutes, remove the cork in the wooden overflow pipe, thus allowing the heated water which is at the top to flow off; then immediately refill the creamer with cold water. This should be repeated three or four times during the first hour after submerging the milk; it will then be chilled down to the temperature of the water, and must be then left undisturbed until the cream has risen.

If water at about 40° Fahr. is at hand, or if ice can be procured, the above operation is unnecessary.

If there is a sufficient supply of water it is desirable to allow a constant stream to flow through the creamer.

It is also a good plan when the milk comes direct from the cow to lower the temperature by putting, say, two, three, or four quarts of cold spring-water into the milk, just before submersion : this will cause the cream to rise far more readily, and will not hurt it in the smallest degree; the blue milk will only be so much poorer.

The creamer should be filled with water before the cans of milk are placed in it.

When the surrounding air is colder than the water, the lid of the creamer-box should be left open; but in hot weather care should be taken to keep it shut.

Always keep the cans covered by at least two inches of water.

The Cream and Butter.

The cream raised by the submerged system is much thinner, but greater in volume than that raised by open pans, which is in its favour. That raised by exposure to the air is not of one consistency: is leathery on the top, and of a different colour at the bottom, a very serious objection to cream for any purpose it may be used for, but more especially when churned into butter.

page 25

The cream being thinner, it of course requires a greater volume to make a pound of butter than when raised by open pans. But, as much more cream is raised, the quantity of butter will be found in favour of the submerged system, and it is so far superior in quality as to be beyond comparison.

Cream should be churned when it is sweet to make fine butter, and not be allowed to pass into what is called the second acid and whey, as is frequently the case.

Cream skimmed from different or several milkings should never be mixed and churned at once, but should be allowed to stand mixed from eight to ten hours before being churned: then the cream will be all of the same chemical condition, and the butter will all come at the same time clean from the butter-milk. Cream should not be put to churning at so high a temperature that the butter will be white and soft, nor at so low a temperature that one will have to churn half a day. Churn at a temperature of from 60° to 62° Fahr. Butter should not be overworked so as to destroy the grain, neither should there be any buttermilk left in it.

Never churn the cream so as to gather the butter compact in the butter-milk (much of the butter made is overworked in this way, and the grain and keeping qualities ruined). Stop churning when the butter is in a granulated state. Wash the butter by pouring water upon it, filling the churn half full or more with water; stir the churn from side to side gently, then draw off the water, which will take most of the butter-milk out and leave the butter in fine condition to receive the salt.

The salt should be worked in immediately with the butter-worker at the rate of not more than one half-ounce of the finest dry salt to every pound of butter for present use, and double that quantity of salt if the butter is to be kept for any length of time. Butter, if not intended for immediate use, must be kept from the action of light and air by being covered with pure brine.

To determine the size of a creamer required for a dairy of a given number of cows, the following calculation will be found approximately correct; some will wish to provide for anticipated increase of their dairy, also for cans to preserve cream. For a dairy of :— page 26
  • 1 to 3 cows, No. 1 creamer with 1 can, 16 quarts.
  • 4 to 6 cows, No. 2 creamer with 2 can, 32 quarts.
  • 6 to 9 cows, No. 3 creamer with 3 can, 48 quarts.
  • 9 to 12 cows, No. 4 creamer with 4 can, 64 quarts.
  • 12 to 18 cows, No. 6 creamer with 6 can, 96 quarts.
  • 18 to 24 cows, No. 8 creamer with 8 can, 128 quarts.
  • 24 to 30 cows, No. 10 creamer with 10 can, 160 quarts.
  • 30 to 36 cows, No. 12 creamer with 12 can, 192 quarts.

Sizes.

  • No. 1 (18×23 in.) containing 1 can and 1 half-can.
  • No. 2 (19×30 in.) containing 2 can and 1 half-can.
  • No. 3 (25×32 in.) containing 3 can and 1 half-can.
  • No. 4 (28×38 in.) containing 4 can and 1 half-can.
  • No. 6 (28×49 in.) containing 6 can and 1 half-can.
  • No. 8 (28×61 in.) containing 8 can and 1 half-can.
  • No. 10 (28×72 in,) containing 10 can and 1 half-can.
  • No. 12 (28×84 in.) containing 12 can and 1 half-can.

The half-can is more convenient to use than the large one when there is not sufficient milk to more than half fill the latter.

A combination strainer and a floating dairy thermometer are required. These arc supplied with Cooley's Portable Creamery.