MILK. - Milk is delivered at the dairy in cans, of which there are several varieties in use. They are made with only one seam, and the bottoms are of wrought-iron, and tinned. Their capacity is from 15 to 50 gallons.
Ventilated milk-cans are used in order to allow the " animal
odor " of the milk to escape, so that the milk will not become
tainted. Undoubtedly, if milk from cows in abnormal conditions
is to be transported, ventilation will be of great advantage;
but if it is positively known that the milk is from cows in perfect
health, ventilation is entirely unnecessary as has been practically
demonstrated by Hardin's method of making butter, where every
favorable condition is presented to injure the milk if the animal
odor" possessed any such injurious properties. Still, for
fear that the milk from one cow in an abnormal condition might
be mixed with the rest of the milk, ventilated cans are of great
value, and their mom general use Is desirable.
The simplest ventilator is one invented by L. B. Arnold, and represented
in Fig. 955. It is made by cutting a circular orifice in the cover
of a can, and soldering over the aperture a piece of coarsely
perforated tin, or of wire cloth, giving the latter a moderate
depression in the middle. Around the outside of the wire cloth
is soldered a flange of tin, 2 inches high, to prevent loss of
in
Milk is sometimes aerated before it is put into the cans for transportation.
sue I the atmosphere must be pure and sweet, and free from any
injurious offensive odor. The deodorizing strainer and
cooler, invented by Bussey, Is simply a strainer-pail, raised
about 2 feet above the can,and arranged so that the milk falls
in a spray into the can.
Another method of aeration was invented by Jones & Faulkner,
and consists in forcing air into the milk. Fig. 956 shows the
manner in which this is accomplished.
Vessels for Setting Milk - The old method of setting milk in small tin pans is rapidly being limited to the farm-house. The pans hold from 8 to 10 quarts, are light, and an easily handled. They cool the milk readily without the use of water, and are easily cleansed; but they are not suitable for large dairies. Another method of setting milk is in large pails, which are usually made of sheets of tin 24 x 20 inches, and are from 19 to 22 inches high, and nearly 8 inches in diameter. These pails are filled with milk within 4 or 5 inches of the top, and are then placed in "pools" to allow the cream to rise. Care must be taken that the surface of the milk in the pails is not above that of the water in the pools.
An attempt has been made by Mr. Hardin to do away with the "pools"
for setting milk, by the introduction of a sort of refrigerator.
His method is shown in Fig. 957. As it is the nature of heated
air to ascend, the ice-shelf is placed in the top of the box,
to secure uniform temperature. A space of 1 inch is left open
on each side of the shelf, to allow the air to pass around the
ice. The drippings from the ice are utilized to the extent of
4 inches in the bottom of the box. The cans are made with a perforated
rim on the bottom, to allow the water to pass under them. The
covers. of the cans fit outside, so as to shed the water, and
prevent any of the drippings from the ice getting into the milk.
A milk-can designed to take the place of the water-pools and deep
pails mentioned above is represented in Fig. 958. A complete set
consists of four pans, with wooden vats containing them, and the
framework on which they stand, together with the supply water-pipe,
skimmer, etc.; also all spouts necessary to operate them. The
water is first passed through the centre of the milk and near
the surface, after which it surrounds the pan completely, always
standing higher than the milk to prevent drying of the cream.
The size of the milk-pans varies; some hold 8 gallons, others
90 gallons of milk at a time.
Another method of setting milk for cream is by memo of shallow pans, of which there are a great many varieties in use.
tube that can be raised or lowered at pleasure. The situation
of the top of this regulator determines the depth of the water
in the vat. The water rises in the vat around the milk-pans to
the top of the regulator, then passes down through it Into the
pipe F, and is conducted off. With this device the temperature
is perfectly
controlled. The bottom of the water-vat is supported by movable
board-bottom in the rack, and between this board-bottom and the
metal water-vat is put a waterproof lining, which is a non-conductor
of heat, and which prevents the atmosphere of the room from coming
in contact with the bottom of the vat, thereby leaving all the
cooling properties of the a water to be used upon an to control
the temperature of the milk. At each end of the pan in the vat
there is a space for ice to be stored, and, as it melts, the water
passes off down through the regulator pipe.
The Orange County milk-pan is made in double racks also, as shown
in Fig. 961. When so arranged, the upper pan is reached by means
of a movable platform which is kept under the rack, and, when
wanted, is drawn out. By use of the double rack a set for 30 cows
can be used in a room 8 x 10 feet.
The iron-clad pan is represented in Fig. 962. The illustration
shows the pan fitted with steam apparatus, so that the temperature
of the milk may be held at pleasure. If the "scalding process"
for raising cream be adopted, the attachments to this pan render
it very applicable for such object; or if the ordinary process
be employed, the cold-water pipes connected with the pan adapt
it to that system. In Fig. 962, pipes A are for the water-supply,
F the waste-water pipe, G the sour-milk pipe, and
opposite C on the other side is placed a thermometer for
regulating the hot and cold water.
(For conversion of milk into butter, see CHURNS .)
Your Comments Welcomed! Copyright © 1995 Roger Corrie