Chapter I: Preface

In the preparation of the revised edition of this work, the first complete treatise upon the subject of the meat packing house business published, the original scheme has been followed. First, presenting in a convenient and simple form, practical suggestions, tables and formula that are needed in the operation of the packing house business according to modern practice. Second, describing operations in the various ramifications of the business, from the unloading of the animals at the pens to the production of the finished product and the disposition of it, in the order in which the different operations are conducted.

The various operations described and subjects treated upon have been indexed so that any matter upon which it is desired to obtain instant information may be readily found. The author arranged the chapters in the order of the various operations in the packing house, together with descriptions of the machinery and appliances required. The established packer, as well as the beginner, if he carefully digest the contents of this work, will find he has valuable information, the knowledge of which will aid him in conducting his business.

The chapters on proper construction and arrangement contain information in which the author has given the reader the benefit of his experience in the construction and operation of packing plants.

A portion of the contents of this work is devoted to tests showing the value and yields of the various products of a modern packing house, based on prices and conditions existing at the time they were made, in which the percentages and comparisons are reliable and are available to the reader by using the weights and percentage shown, computed on present commercial prices.

The numerous formulas given for the manufacture and preservation of the various products of the packing house are those which have been proven to be the best after years of experience. In every instance they have been put in the simplest form possible, so that no mistake can be made in applying them.

In revising this work, it is recognized that the use of some of the ingredients are now prohibited by regulation in the United States, but in some instances, it has been seen fit to not change the original formulas. In some instances, however, the omission of the objectionable ingredient has been made, though otherwise the formula remains the same as in the first edition. Many formulas rendered obsolete are omitted on account of conflicting with pure food laws.

The information furnished in these pages is based upon the author’s experience, there being very little theorizing upon the possibilities of what may be accomplished by adopting certain prescribed methods. For this reason, the book will be found of practical value to those interested in the meat packing business.

The present necessity of a work on packing house operation is more evident than when the first edition was published. The original work has been entirely revised where considered necessary, amplified in places and much new information added.

The chapters relative to construction, refrigeration and mechanical operation have been revised to conform to advanced practice.

Acknowledgment is made of the use of engravings, photographs and original data, and ideas developed and used by the reviser in his engineering practice. That the volume will be well received and fill the needs as a hand book and reference work is the hope of the authors and publishers.

The assimilation of the contents as a foundation, together with power of observation and application will greatly assist beginners in packing house work, the methods of which are progressing--although the fundamentals remain the same.

The reviser hopes assistance will be given in this way, which he in turn received by oral advice from the two outstanding superintendents in their day (the days of the business growth), Messrs. F. W. Wilder and C. O. Young.

D. I. DAVIS.

Chicago, July 1, 1921.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

MODERN PACKING HOUSES 1

Introduction and Growth -- Concentration -- Early Methods --
Yankee Ingenuity -- Chicago Yards -- Movement Westward --
Economic Factors -- Saving By-Products -- Pioneer’s Troubles --
Using Box Cars -- Using Refrigerator Cars -- Chilling Rooms --
Mechanical Refrigeration -- Freezing Meats -- Overseas Shipments.

CHAPTER II.

LOCATION AND CONSTRUCTION 9

Location -- Water Supply -- Sewage -- Odors and Prevailing Winds
-- Cleanliness -- Designs and Errors -- Character of Business --
Requirements -- Principles of Design.

CHAPTER III.

PLANT DESIGN 14

Description of Plants -- Plant No. 1 -- Plant No. 2 -- Plant No.
3 -- Plant No. 4 -- Type of Plant -- Loading Facilities --
Producing Department -- Abbatoir Building -- Rendering Building
-- Live Stock -- Icing Department -- Cooler Building -- Pork
House -- Manufacturing Building -- Salt Spaces -- Power
Department -- Gravity System -- How to Build -- Fireproof Design
-- Advantages -- Slow Burning Construction -- Approval of Plans.

CHAPTER IV.

REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT 29

Ammonia Machines -- Ammonia -- Compressor -- Condenser --
Receiver -- Cooler -- Condensing Water -- Unit Basis -- Computing
from Unit Basis -- How Rated -- Freezer Requirements -- Freezers
in Small Plants -- Cylinder Arrangement -- Why Brine Circulation
-- Air Circulating -- Force Draft -- Coil Room Systems -- Brine
Chilling -- Brine Methods -- Types of Brine Coolers -- Balanced
Brine System -- Direct Expansion -- Two Stage Compressors.

CHAPTER V.

REFRIGERATION REQUIREMENTS 45

Refrigeration -- Necessities -- Ice Plants -- Natural Ice --
Chilling -- Quantity Refrigeration to Provide -- Space Per Ton
Machine -- Machinery Per Head -- For Cooled Meats -- Ice
Computation -- Compressor Capacity -- Chilling Lard -- Summary
Computations -- Low Temperature Brine System.

CHAPTER VI.

POWER PLANT REQUIREMENT 52

Steam Making Equipment -- Uses of Pumps -- Types of Pumps --
Pumps for Brine -- Water Supply -- Pumps for Wells -- Water
Distribution Systems -- Pumps for Boiler Feeding -- Heating
Boiler Feed Water -- Wells -- Cooling Towers -- Economizers --
Superheaters -- Steam Engines -- Exhaust Steam -- Advice as to
Exhaust Steam -- Boilers -- Conclusion.

CHAPTER VII.

COOLERS 60

Meat Chilling -- Dividing Beef Coolers -- Regular Temperatures --
Main Cooler -- Handling Beef -- Fore-Cooler -- Heavy Cattle --
Domestic Beef -- Trimming of Beef -- Skirt Trimming -- Ribbing
Beef -- Freezing Beef -- Loading Beef -- Weighing and Tagging --
Care of Coolers -- Mutton and Veal -- Chilling Hogs -- Cellars --
Freezing Meat.

CHAPTER VIII.

WAREHOUSES 70

Warehouse Design -- Floor Area -- Fire Proof Buildings -- Floor
Construction -- Coolers -- Fan and Ventilation -- Spray System --
Galvanized Sheet Iron Pipes -- Coil Rooms -- Quantity of Pipe --
Method of Erecting -- Life of Pipe -- Cellar Ceiling Suspension
-- Ratio of Piping -- Defrosting -- Gardner Curtain System --
Direct Expansion Piping -- Chill-Room Bunkers -- Low Temperature
Brine System -- Freezer and Storage Buildings.

CHAPTER IX.

SLAUGHTERING CATTLE 92

Receiving Live Stock -- Watering -- Driving Cattle -- Knocking
Cattle -- Sticking -- Heading -- Pritch Sticks -- Foot Skinning
-- Ripping and Leg Breaking -- Flooring Cattle -- Breast Sawing
-- Fell Cutting -- Rumping -- Beef Spreaders -- Fell Beating --
Gutting -- Backing -- Tail Sawing -- Splitting -- Splitting
Cleavers -- Clearing Out and Hide Dropping -- Neck Splitting --
Bruise Trimming -- Skirt Trimming -- Washing Cattle -- Fountain
Brushes -- Dressing Cattle -- Conveyors.

CHAPTER X.

DRESSING YIELDS AND CATTLE CUTTING 106

Yields of Cattle -- Yield from Twenty-two Native Cattle -- Yield
from Fifty-nine Texas Cattle -- Yield from Twenty Heavy Cattle --
Yield from Thirty-four Cattle -- Percentage of Various Cuts --
Beef Cuts -- Diagram of Cutting -- Grading -- Loins -- Ribs --
Rounds -- Chucks -- Plates, Shanks and Flanks -- Barreled Beef.

CHAPTER XI.

HIDES AND PELTS 126

Green Hides -- Condition -- Scores -- Prod Pole Damage -- Clean
Floors -- Leather Yields -- Pattern -- Proper Storage for Hides
-- Grading -- Grubs in Hides -- Salt to Be Used -- Building of
Packs of Hides -- Trimming of Green Hides -- Switches --
Shrinkage of Hides -- Sheep Pelts.

CHAPTER XII.

OLEO OIL AND STEARINE 136

Fats -- Origin of Butterine -- Oleo Oil -- Oleo Fats -- Selection
and Care -- Cleanliness and Collection -- Chilling Fat -- Cooling
Water -- Melting -- Settling the Oil -- Clarifiers -- Scrap Vat
-- Seeding or Graining Oil -- Press Room -- Collecting Oil -- Oil
Receivers -- Temperature of Oil Drawn to Tierce -- Stearine --
Oil House Yields -- Grading Fats -- Tests on Oil Fats -- Butcher
Fats -- Mutton Fat -- Oil Selection -- Oil House Operation.

CHAPTER XIII.

BONE DEPARTMENT 159

Bone Department -- Hard Bone -- Glue Bone -- Bone Products --
Horns -- Manufactured Articles -- Skulls -- Test Yield from
Skulls and Feet -- Buttocks and Thighs -- Blades and Ribs --
Drying -- Crushed Bone -- Grinding Bone -- Neats Foot Oil Storage
-- Neats Foot Oil Purifier -- Yield Tests.

CHAPTER XIV.

TANK HOUSE DEPARTMENT 170

Tank House Design -- Isolation and Ventilation -- Separation of
Press Room -- Digesters -- Rendering Tank -- Surface Box -- Press
and Pump -- Cooking Killing Stock -- Operating Tank Blow Off --
Pressing Tankage -- Treatment of Lard and Tallow -- Titer in
Tallow and Lard -- Steam for Cooking -- Cooking Tests --
Operating Odorless -- Tests -- Catch Basin.

CHAPTER XV.

TANK WATER 189

Soil Fertility -- Animal Feeding -- Tank Water -- Separation of
Solids -- Collecting Grease -- Testing Tank Water -- Evaporating
Tank Water -- Description of Apparatus -- Cleaning Evaporators --
Table of Boiling Points -- Testing Stick -- Copperas in Water to
Evaporate -- Solids in Water -- Drying Stick -- Value of Tankage
-- Quantity of Tank Water -- Cost of Evaporating.

CHAPTER XVI.

FERTILIZER 201

Fertilizer -- Blood -- Receiving Tank -- Cooking -- Pressing --
Purity -- Storing -- Quick Handling -- Tankage -- Quotations and
Value -- Grease -- Influence of Stick -- Digester Tankage --
Slime -- Dryers -- Drying -- Expense for Drying -- Commercial
Fertilizer -- State Regulations -- Mixing Materials -- Conversion
Factors.

CHAPTER XVII.

CASINGS 208

Description of Beef Casings -- Round Casings, How Made --
Selection of Round Casings -- Export Casings -- Domestic Rounds
-- Beef Middles -- Turning and Sliming -- Inspection and
Measuring -- Beef Bungs -- Bung Gut Skins -- Beef Bladders --
Beef Weasands -- Packages -- Salt -- Cleanliness -- Water
Temperature -- Machines for Casings -- Hog Casings -- Small
Casings.

CHAPTER XVIII.

BEEF MISCELLANY 217

Beef Miscellaneous -- Livers -- Sweetbreads -- Beef Hearts --
Tails -- Weasand Meat -- Beef Tongues -- Washing -- Hanging --
Trimming -- Curing -- Freezing -- Surplus Rounds -- Stripping
Beef Hams -- Formulas for Curing -- Smoking -- Tests -- Glass Jar
Beef -- Beef Trimmings -- Barrel Beef -- Tripe -- Cleaning Tripe
-- Pickling -- Cost of Production.

CHAPTER XIX.

SHEEP AND CALVES 229

Increased Production of Sheep -- Penning -- Dressing by Piece
Method -- String Gang -- Sheep Ring -- Sheep Dressing -- Legging
-- Pelting -- Methods of Finishing -- Washing and Its Effect --
Chilling -- Lamb Tongues -- Pickled Lamb Tongues -- Lamb Tongue
Tests -- Slaughtering Calves -- Heads and Feet.

CHAPTER XX.

HOG SLAUGHTERING 251

Historical -- Investment -- Hog Yarding -- Hog Dressing --
Hoisting -- Sticking -- Neck Washing -- Scalding -- Scraping
Machines -- Hand Scraping -- Cleaning Bodies -- Ham Facing and
Cutting -- Leaf Lard -- Splitting -- Washing -- Drying -- Care in
Chill Rooms -- Open Air Hanging -- Chilling Necessities --
Shrinkage in Chill Room -- Hog By-Products -- Heads -- Plucks --
Paunches -- Entrail Fat.

CHAPTER XXI.

PORK CUTTINGS 266

Hog Cutting -- Variety and Classes of Hogs -- Cutting Floor --
Pork Cuts -- Hams -- Side Meats -- Bellies -- Backs -- Loins --
Shoulders -- Butts and Plates -- Percentage of Yield -- Change
Cuts One Side -- Test on Five Sides -- Complete Cutting Test.

CHAPTER XXII.

CURING MEATS 311

Curing Cellars -- Hams and Their Treatment -- Wilder Hams --
Shoulder Meats -- Bellies -- Overhauling Meats -- Fancy Bacon --
Shipping Ages -- Second Pickle -- Dry Salt Meats -- Curing Dry
Salt Meats -- Smoking Dry Salt Meats -- Barreled Pork -- Curing
Barreled Pork -- English Meats -- Pigs Feet -- Pigs Tongues --
Pigs Snouts.

CHAPTER XXIII.

LARD, COMPOUND AND GREASES 340

Historical -- Quantity and Quality -- Neutral Lard -- Kettle
Rendered Lard -- Prime Steam Lard -- Refined Lard -- Bleaching
Lard -- Filter Press -- Lard Roll -- Lard Packing -- Compound
Lard -- Cottonseed Oil -- Refining Crude Oil -- Deodorizing
Cottonseed Oil -- Pressing Temperatures -- Lard Oil -- Treatment
for Lard Grease.

CHAPTER XXIV.

SMOKE HOUSE 364

Smoking Meats -- Nomenclature -- Soaking -- Smoking -- Gas
Smoking -- Temperatures -- Treatment After Smoking -- Trolley
System -- Canvassed Meats -- Shrinkage -- Wrapping -- White Wash
-- Dried Beef -- Packages -- Skipper Fly.

CHAPTER XXV.

DOMESTIC SAUSAGE 372

Meats and Handling -- Arrangement of Department -- Curing Meats
-- Cooler for Ground Meats -- Grinding and Stuffing Room -- Smoke
House -- Cook Room -- Dry Hanging Room -- Cooler -- Smoking
Temperature -- Cooking Time -- Shrinkages -- Pickle-Cured
Products -- Dry-Cured Meats -- Packing -- Casings and Spices --
Sausage Cereals -- Sausage Formulas -- Bologna Varnish -- Boiled
Ham.

CHAPTER XXVI.

DRIED SAUSAGE 399

Summer Sausage -- Preservatives -- Cooling Room -- Stuffing --
Hanging Room -- Smoke House -- Dry Room Treatment -- Dry Room
Caution -- Shipping Ages -- Storage -- Preparation of Casings --
Trimming Meats -- Formulas for Sausage.

CHAPTER XXVII.

BUTTERINE 420

Ingredients -- Colors -- Equipment -- Rooms -- Arrangement --
Testing Milk -- Acidity -- Milk in Butterine -- Reasons for
Culture -- Cream Ripeness -- Water vs. Brine -- Milk Not
Pasteurized -- Preparatory Culture -- Starters -- Cultivating the
Milk -- Low Grade Butterine -- Graining -- Working the Butterine
-- Butterine Packing -- High-Grade Butterine -- Cleanliness --
Use of Color -- Formulas -- Costs of Butterine.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

BOXES AND COOPERAGE 440

Specifications for Boxes -- Cooperage Specifications --
Government Specifications for Packages -- Refrigerator Boxes.

CHAPTER XXIX.

DEPARTMENTAL ACCOUNTING 453

Departmental Accounting -- Expense Accounts -- Departments --
Purchases -- Inventories -- Store Accounts -- Labor Charged to
Departments and Sub-Divisions -- General Principles.