89. Acidity in relation to body and texture of cheese.—If a cheese is to have a close, smooth, mellow, silky body and texture, a certain amount of acid development is necessary. If too much acid is developed, the body and texture will be dry, harsh, sandy, mealy, corky. If the acid is not sufficient the cheese may be soft or weak bodied, and is usually characterized by "Swiss curd holes," which are spaces of various sizes usually more or less round and very shiny on the inside.
90. Acidity in relation to cheese color.—An over-development of acidity affects the color of a cheese. If this development of acidity is uniform throughout the cheese, it causes the color to become pale or bleached. If this development is uneven, due to the uneven distribution of moisture, the color will be bleached in spots, causing a mottled effect.
91. Control of moisture.[28]—The cheese-maker must use skill and judgment in regulating the amount of moisture in relation to the firmness of the curd and the acid. Since there are no quick accurate tests to determine the amount of moisture, this is left entirely to the judgment of the operator. Certain methods of handling the curd reduce the moisture-content, while others increase it. The cheese-maker must decide how to handle the curd. If the curd becomes too dry, methods should be employed to increase the moisture, and vice versa.
Causes of excessive moisture:
Cutting the curd coarse.
Cutting the curd after it has become too hard.
Setting the milk at a high temperature.
Use of excessive amount of rennet extract.
Low acid in the curd at the time of removing the whey.
Not stirring the curd with the hands as the last of the whey is removed.