Historical information

This Babcock tester was used in the laboratory at the Kraft cheese factory, Allansford. When it was superseded it was passed to one of the users of the machine, Les O'Callaghan, president of the Warrnambool & District Historical Society who placed it in the historical society collection. In 2009 when the historical society premises were upgraded there was insufficient room to store the tester so it was donated to Cheese World Museum.
The machine was used to test the butterfat content of milk.
Prior to dairy factories coming into existence farmers made butter individually on farms. There was no need for milk testing until farmers supplied factories for payment. Payment was based on a gallon of milk weighing 10lbs (pounds) and this led to richer milk, containing a high degree of butterfat for use in buttermaking, being paid at the same rate as lesser quality milk.
In 1890 Stephen Moulton Babcock, an American professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, developed a method of determining the amount of butterfat in milk, thus providing a standardised and fairer system for payment.
Babcock Test Process
1. 18 grams of milk (17.6ml) was put into a test tube
2. The same amount of sulphuric acid was added
3. A centrifuge at 50ºC was rotated at more than 900 revs per minute
4. The fat floating on top of the liquid in the test tube was measured
The Babcock Test provided fairer compensation to farmers and also helped produce a consistent product for consumers. It also allowed for selective breeding when dairy herd testing evolved.
‘The Babcock Test is so simple that it can be used by any careful person, and it is inexpensive to operate. From the very beginning it was so complete in every detail that no change has had to be made in it.’
(Babcock Test http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wki/Babcock_test 31 March 2009)

Physical description

Round green metal container with opening lid. Inside houses a spinning rotor with 20 test tube holders around the outside in two circular rows.

Inscriptions & markings

7173 BABCOCKTESTER 190