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Butter and Cheese Making Equipment

Butter is the name given by western countries. In India, this product is referred as ‘Makhan’, the country made “desi” butter. The process line at domestic level varies and also the compositional parameters. The Makhan is usually freshly made and consumed. The leftover, if any, is stored for manufacture of ghee. As the cream availability increases, the butter quantity manufacture exceeds the domestic level handling. Cream is, thus, handled through larger containers called ageing vats.

i. Cream Ageing Vat

It performs the batch type pasteurization as discussed in unit-2. This tank has provision to store cream at 4 o C; hence, cream collected is stored overnight,pasteurized and then put into the churn.

ii. Churn

The churns are of cylindrical, conical, dice and top shaped containers .They are made of stainless steel food grade AISI-304. Provision is made for slow revolution with changed direction of rotation. The churns are 1/3 rd to 1⁄2 filled with cream. During rotation the fat particles colloid with each other and form clumps.Care is taken that the temperature of cream/fat is maintained, i.e., the chilled water is sprayed over the churn during summer. The concussion is better achieved if the temperature of cream/ fat remains between 45 to 55 o F. The cylindrical churn will have internal baffle to break the motion of cream along with the cylinder body,while in other shaped churns, such provision may not be required. The churn will have a complete geared drive system to obtain different speeds, water spray mechanism to maintain temperature and guard rail to protect workers. Churn under rotation creates vibrations due to uneven shape and load; hence, proper foundation is essential. To facilitate operation, the churn is provided with an outlet in the form of manhole, buttermilk drain, sight glass, etc.

iii. Butter Trolley
Butter prepared in the churn requires unloading. Hence, a hygienically designed stainless steel open type trolley is required. The size of trolley should be such that it should accommodate all butter from the churn. If the quantity of butter made is less, one may collect butter in other containers, provided they are clean and designed to handle food products.

iv. Continuous Butter Manufacturing Equipment
If the quantity of cream availability further increases, a continuous butter-making machine could be used. Most common and convenient machine is “CONTIMAB”Although there are two other types of continuous equipments available in the market. In this machine all steps required in butter making such as churning,working, salting, etc. are done in a continuous manner. The cream of 30 to 40% richness keeps flowing into a cylindrical churn. The churn delivers clumped fat mass into the working zone, while the buttermilk is drained. During working, the texture modification, moisture regulation, colour addition, salt mixing etc. are obtained.The end product in the form of rectangular slabs comes out of the plant. It is, then,hooked with at appropriate packaging machine.

v. The Cheese Making Equipment
These are cheese vat, knife, curd mill, hoops and press, etc. The cheese vat is used for coagulation and cooking and is made of stainless steel in rectangular shape. This vat is jacketed allowing space for circulation ofhot water between the inner and outer containers. It may or may not have an agitator as shown in the diagrams. During coagulation and cooking, agitator is used for uniform dispersion of coagulant. The whey is drained and the curdled mass is placed in cheese hoops for further matting and drainage of secondary whey. The pressure is applied through a cheese press on these hoops for expulsion of whey,thus, the block of curdled mass is obtained .It is then waxed and stored for ripening.After ripening, cheese of different flavours is prepared for further processing as
per the manufacturing requirements.

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