The churn was the container used to produce butter by stirring the cream. There are two main types of churns: vertical and rotary.
The vertical (or fixed) churn is a container, made of staves or hollow wood, of a cylindrical shape inside which a piston slides vertically. This is the most common and oldest type of 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 crank. In order to increase the stirring of the cream inside the drum barrel, wooden blades are present.
The stirring 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 (buttery) part is separated from the liquid part (buttermilk). The fat (buttery) part must then be kneaded before it can be placed in the butter molds.