Studies on the manufacture of sweet cream starter butter: III. Effect of age of starter cultures at time of inoculation

Abstract

SummaryThe use of starter cultures prepared 3 days, 2 days and 1 day before inoculation at the 1% level into cold cream in the making of sweet cream starter butter was investigated. With Streptococcus diacetilactis starter there was little effect of age of starter on diacetyl production in the cream and on the quality of the fresh butter, but when 3-day-old culture was used in the cream there was a slight reduction in the butter quality after 4 and 8 months' storage. With the mixed commercial cultures Camb and F.D. increase in age of the culture led to reductions in diacetyl production in the cream. The difference was attributed to the effect of holding for the longer time under acid conditions on the equilibrium between streptococci and leuconostocs in the mixed culture. The age of the Camb culture had no effect on the grade of the butter, but holding the F.D. culture for 3 and 2 days instead of for 1 day caused a fall in grade of the butter after storage for 4 and 8 months at 14 °F.