The butter churn was the container used to produce butter by the agitation of the cream. There are two main types of butter churns: vertical and rotary.
The vertical (or fixed) churn is a cylindrical container, made of staves or hollow wood, inside which a piston slides vertically. This is the most common and oldest type of butter churn.
The rotary (or mobile) churn is a wooden drum barrel equipped with two pins that allow it to rotate. It is generally fixed on a wooden stand and usually operated by a hand crank. In order to increase the agitation of the cream inside the drum, wooden blades are present.
The agitation of the cream (or beating), regardless of the type of churn used, must occur at a constant speed for the entire butter-making process (about 15 minutes). Initially, a real liquid is stirred, then a mass of the consistency of yogurt and finally the fat part (butter) is separated from the liquid part (buttermilk). The fat part (butter) must then be kneaded before it can be placed in the butter molds.