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A Device for Measuring the Body of Cream Cheese
A DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE BODY OF CREAM CHEESE Z. D. ROUNDY* AND W. V. P R I C E
University of Wisconsin, Madison
During a study of the physical properties of cream cheese it became necessary to measure the consistency or body of the different samples. Several methods which had been used for measuring the consistency of butter were tried without success. Among these methods were penetration tests based on a falling ball or needle (1) and a crushing test (2). The apparatus of Valentine and Sargent (3) was also investigated. The most satisfactory method found was a modification of the method and apparatus described by Sommer and Matsen (4) for the measuring of curd strength in milk. Their apparatus was modified by substituting a specially designed plunger for the curd knife of their apparatus.
I"1
A IZTmm.~
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Detail of ( A } CONE- TIPPED PL UN6KR
•
II
~IG. 1. Device for measuring " b o d y " of cream eheese.--The cream cheese (C) packed tightly in a 100 ml. beaker (E) is supported on scales (S) which record the pressure exerted by the cone-tipped plunger (A). The pressure is supplied by a weight (W) to which the plunger is attached b?~ means of a side arm connection (B). The speed of the downward movement of the weight and plunger is regulated by a needle-valve (V) which:adjusts the rate of air flow forced by piston ( P ) through by-pass ( H ) back into the cylinder (D) above the piston. Received for publication September 13, 1940. * Armour and Co, Research Laboratory~ Chicago. 135
136
Z. D. ROUNDY AND W. V. PRICE
The plunger devised consists of a cone to the center of the base of which is attached the end of a drill rod one-eighth inch in diameter and five inches long. Plungers are made with cones with diameters of 4, 8, and 10 mm. Each cone is made so that the altitude is equal to one and one-half times the diameter of the base. The resistance offered by the cheese when these cones are forced into it is measured in grams in the usual m a n n e r described by Sommer and Matsen (4). The interesting difficulties encountered in developing the dimensions of the plungers prompt us to submit these details for publication. Cream cheese is a plastic substance with varying degrees of stickiness. The dimensions of the cones were adopted after m a n y trials because they seemed to penetrate smoothly with a minimum of compression accumulating ahead of the cone. F l a t t e r cones tend to introduce such pressure errors as evidenced by erratic readings. The diameter of the drill rod supporting the cone was adopted because it offered the necessary strength and practically eliminated the drag occurring when rods of larger diameters touched the cheese. Resistance of cheese to the passage of the plunger is affected not only by the size of the plunger but also by such factors as temperature of cheese, time and temperature of holding after manufacture, and care exercised to exclude air holes in packing the cheese into the container for testing. Samples to be tested are taken immediately after pressing, packed in 100 ml. beakers. TABLE 1
E f f e c t o f cone d i a m e t e r on resistance to penetratiol~ Cone d i a m e t e r L o t No. 4 Era.
8 li~lm.
g~b8.
g 'lnS.
~
Cone d i a m e t e r 0 mm.
L o t :No. 4ram.
8mmo
I
10ram.
gins. 100 106 108
gins. 22 21 21 18 16
gms.
I
g'l~S.
53
r
122 130 132 125
18 18 19 19 20
54 57 54 57 55
24 24 23 22 21
66 66 72 74 70
108 110 102 108 108
28 28 29 29 27
73 74 72 71 80
170 180 175 185 180
33 32 31 32 32
105 106 102 98 100
250 • 256 260
42 42 42 43 40
105 107 102 119 118
392 4O8 4O8 390
52 46 50 49
96 98 95
141 161 148 144 160
88 93 87 9O
244 244 256 260
~
53 52 58
137
DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE BODY OF CREAM CHEESE
covered w i t h a l u m i n u m foil to p r e v e n t d r y i n g a n d are t h e n placed i n a n i n c u b a t o r at 72 ° F . for a p e r i o d of 12 hours. The r e l a t i o n b e t w e e n the m e a s u r e m e n t s o b t a i n e d w h e n cones of different sizes are used on the same samples of cheese a n d the degree of u n i f o r m i t y of r e p e a t e d m e a s u r e m e n t s on i d e n t i c a l cheese are shown f o r eight s a m p l e s of c r e a m cheese i n table 1. The d a t a p r e s e n t e d i n table 2 show the differences i n b o d y m e a s u r e m e n t s of a series of eight different lots of cheese. These lots are classified b y the o p i n i o n of j u d g e s as b e i n g h a r d , m e d i u m h a r d a n d soft. TABLE 2 Quadruplicate ~ncas~remeuts of body in hard, medium and soft cream cheese. ( A n 8 ram. cone was used in all tests)
Hard bodied samples
Medium bodied samples
Soft bodied samples
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
gins.
gins.
gins.
gins.
gms.
g~ns.
gins.
gins.
100 108 108 103
110 110 107 110
77 79 78 76
56 57 58 57
80 80 76 84
36 34 40 40
34 38 32 36
32 33 33 36
This m e a n s of m e a s u r i n g the b o d y or consistency of c r e a m cheese affords a n e w m e t h o d of o b s e r v a t i o n f o r control or e x p e r i m e n t a l purposes. T h e test is simple, sensitive, easily a n d q u i c k l y p e r f o r m e d , r e q u i r e s l i t t l e e q u i p m e n t , o n l y a small a m o u n t of cheese a n d the cheese is n o t i n j u r e d f o r sale. REFERENCES
(1) PERKINS,A. E. All apparatus and method for determining hardness of butterfat. Ind. and Eng. Chem., 6: 136. 1914. (2) TEMPLETON,~-~. L.~ AND SOM~IERt I~. :H. Some observations on process cheese. J. D A m : Sc., 13: 203. 1930. (3) V.~,L~NT:~E,G. M., AND SAR~.NT~ J . D . The spreadability of butter. N . Z . J . Sc. and Teeh., 16: 206. 1935. (4) SO:~I~.[ER,H. l=[., AND ~[ATSEN~~Z[ELENE. Relation of mastitis to rennet coagulability and curd strength of milk. J. DA:R¥ Sc, 18: 741. 1935.
University of Wisconsin, Madison
During a study of the physical properties of cream cheese it became necessary to measure the consistency or body of the different samples. Several methods which had been used for measuring the consistency of butter were tried without success. Among these methods were penetration tests based on a falling ball or needle (1) and a crushing test (2). The apparatus of Valentine and Sargent (3) was also investigated. The most satisfactory method found was a modification of the method and apparatus described by Sommer and Matsen (4) for the measuring of curd strength in milk. Their apparatus was modified by substituting a specially designed plunger for the curd knife of their apparatus.
I"1
A IZTmm.~
t
Detail of ( A } CONE- TIPPED PL UN6KR
•
II
~IG. 1. Device for measuring " b o d y " of cream eheese.--The cream cheese (C) packed tightly in a 100 ml. beaker (E) is supported on scales (S) which record the pressure exerted by the cone-tipped plunger (A). The pressure is supplied by a weight (W) to which the plunger is attached b?~ means of a side arm connection (B). The speed of the downward movement of the weight and plunger is regulated by a needle-valve (V) which:adjusts the rate of air flow forced by piston ( P ) through by-pass ( H ) back into the cylinder (D) above the piston. Received for publication September 13, 1940. * Armour and Co, Research Laboratory~ Chicago. 135
136
Z. D. ROUNDY AND W. V. PRICE
The plunger devised consists of a cone to the center of the base of which is attached the end of a drill rod one-eighth inch in diameter and five inches long. Plungers are made with cones with diameters of 4, 8, and 10 mm. Each cone is made so that the altitude is equal to one and one-half times the diameter of the base. The resistance offered by the cheese when these cones are forced into it is measured in grams in the usual m a n n e r described by Sommer and Matsen (4). The interesting difficulties encountered in developing the dimensions of the plungers prompt us to submit these details for publication. Cream cheese is a plastic substance with varying degrees of stickiness. The dimensions of the cones were adopted after m a n y trials because they seemed to penetrate smoothly with a minimum of compression accumulating ahead of the cone. F l a t t e r cones tend to introduce such pressure errors as evidenced by erratic readings. The diameter of the drill rod supporting the cone was adopted because it offered the necessary strength and practically eliminated the drag occurring when rods of larger diameters touched the cheese. Resistance of cheese to the passage of the plunger is affected not only by the size of the plunger but also by such factors as temperature of cheese, time and temperature of holding after manufacture, and care exercised to exclude air holes in packing the cheese into the container for testing. Samples to be tested are taken immediately after pressing, packed in 100 ml. beakers. TABLE 1
E f f e c t o f cone d i a m e t e r on resistance to penetratiol~ Cone d i a m e t e r L o t No. 4 Era.
8 li~lm.
g~b8.
g 'lnS.
~
Cone d i a m e t e r 0 mm.
L o t :No. 4ram.
8mmo
I
10ram.
gins. 100 106 108
gins. 22 21 21 18 16
gms.
I
g'l~S.
53
r
122 130 132 125
18 18 19 19 20
54 57 54 57 55
24 24 23 22 21
66 66 72 74 70
108 110 102 108 108
28 28 29 29 27
73 74 72 71 80
170 180 175 185 180
33 32 31 32 32
105 106 102 98 100
250 • 256 260
42 42 42 43 40
105 107 102 119 118
392 4O8 4O8 390
52 46 50 49
96 98 95
141 161 148 144 160
88 93 87 9O
244 244 256 260
~
53 52 58
137
DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE BODY OF CREAM CHEESE
covered w i t h a l u m i n u m foil to p r e v e n t d r y i n g a n d are t h e n placed i n a n i n c u b a t o r at 72 ° F . for a p e r i o d of 12 hours. The r e l a t i o n b e t w e e n the m e a s u r e m e n t s o b t a i n e d w h e n cones of different sizes are used on the same samples of cheese a n d the degree of u n i f o r m i t y of r e p e a t e d m e a s u r e m e n t s on i d e n t i c a l cheese are shown f o r eight s a m p l e s of c r e a m cheese i n table 1. The d a t a p r e s e n t e d i n table 2 show the differences i n b o d y m e a s u r e m e n t s of a series of eight different lots of cheese. These lots are classified b y the o p i n i o n of j u d g e s as b e i n g h a r d , m e d i u m h a r d a n d soft. TABLE 2 Quadruplicate ~ncas~remeuts of body in hard, medium and soft cream cheese. ( A n 8 ram. cone was used in all tests)
Hard bodied samples
Medium bodied samples
Soft bodied samples
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
gins.
gins.
gins.
gins.
gms.
g~ns.
gins.
gins.
100 108 108 103
110 110 107 110
77 79 78 76
56 57 58 57
80 80 76 84
36 34 40 40
34 38 32 36
32 33 33 36
This m e a n s of m e a s u r i n g the b o d y or consistency of c r e a m cheese affords a n e w m e t h o d of o b s e r v a t i o n f o r control or e x p e r i m e n t a l purposes. T h e test is simple, sensitive, easily a n d q u i c k l y p e r f o r m e d , r e q u i r e s l i t t l e e q u i p m e n t , o n l y a small a m o u n t of cheese a n d the cheese is n o t i n j u r e d f o r sale. REFERENCES
(1) PERKINS,A. E. All apparatus and method for determining hardness of butterfat. Ind. and Eng. Chem., 6: 136. 1914. (2) TEMPLETON,~-~. L.~ AND SOM~IERt I~. :H. Some observations on process cheese. J. D A m : Sc., 13: 203. 1930. (3) V.~,L~NT:~E,G. M., AND SAR~.NT~ J . D . The spreadability of butter. N . Z . J . Sc. and Teeh., 16: 206. 1935. (4) SO:~I~.[ER,H. l=[., AND ~[ATSEN~~Z[ELENE. Relation of mastitis to rennet coagulability and curd strength of milk. J. DA:R¥ Sc, 18: 741. 1935.