A new instrument to measure cheese curd rigidity

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Abstract
A new instrument to enable cheesemakers to decide on the optimum time for cutting the curd by continuously monitoring the development of ridigity is described. A transmitter/receiver probe immersed in the milk after rennetting measures the ability of the curd gel to transmit a low frequency pressure wave (0.07 kPa at 0.02 Hz). The results are recorded as a series of voltage peaks on a chart, peak voltage representing curd rigidity. The repeatability of the instrument was assessed in the laboratory and showed that the amplitude of traces 40 min from rennetting had a coefficient of variation of 2.6% about the mean amplitude at that time. A brief summary of results obtained during preliminary trials in cheesemaking indicates that the instrument has considerable potential in the cheese factory and would be most useful for fundamental gel studies in the laboratory.