# still struggling with milk taste



## Suburbanfarmer (Jul 22, 2012)

I posted awhile back that we can't keep our goat milk fresh for more than 24 hours. We are still having the same problems. 

I now milk into a cold (I put it into the fridge to cool before milking) stainless steel bucket that has a ziplock baggie of ice, bring it directly inside, filter into a frozen jar, and put directly into the fridge (I have a brand new, high end fridge that I just had a guy come out to look at it to make sure it is really at the correct temp). 

The milk is super good for 24 hours then quickly turns goaty. 

The only thing I can think of is that we don't sanitize with bleach. I'm allergic to bleach and so we don't use it around here. Will I need to figure out how to use bleach? I'm currently sanitizing in my dishwasher or hot soapy (antibacterial soap) water.

We have to be able to keep our milk longer to make goats financially work for us. If I can't figure this out we will need to find homes for our goats.  

Help!

-K


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## autumnprairie (Jul 22, 2012)

Suburbanfarmer said:
			
		

> I posted awhile back that we can't keep our goat milk fresh for more than 24 hours. We are still having the same problems.
> 
> I now milk into a cold (I put it into the fridge to cool before milking) stainless steel bucket that has a ziplock baggie of ice, bring it directly inside, filter into a frozen jar, and put directly into the fridge (I have a brand new, high end fridge that I just had a guy come out to look at it to make sure it is really at the correct temp).
> 
> ...


you can sanitize with vinegar too


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## breezy B ranch (Jul 22, 2012)

We had the same problem and all we did was to put our milk in an ice/water bath for 30min (shake the jar at least once while in the ice water) before going in to fridge. Now it lasts forever.


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## ksalvagno (Jul 22, 2012)

Are you using plastic at all?


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## mabeane (Jul 22, 2012)

I bring my milk in, weigh it and filter it into quart bottles. I run very cold water over it (quart bottle) while it is in a stainless bucket. I leave it in water until my chores are done and then refrigerate. It tastes wonderful and keeps for a week.


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## Suburbanfarmer (Jul 22, 2012)

Thanks. I tried the ice water bath this evening after milking. 

I will know in about 36 hours.


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## BlondeSquirrel04 (Jul 23, 2012)

Maybe it's just the goat. Her milk could just not taste good no matter what you do to it.


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## ragdollcatlady (Jul 23, 2012)

I would really try white vinegar as a soak.....we wash rinse and let sit with a jar full of water with a splash of vinegar. Then rinse and you are good to go. If we skip the vinegar, the microscopic  fat globules will make the milk go rancid in just a few days.  By the way...the sanitizing setting in the dishwasher might just be cooking the micro fat particles....Most goat books suggest an acid wash once a week...that's where the vinegar comes in. I hope it isn't just that your goats have goatie flavored milk.....that would totally stink. Really...try the vinegar......


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## animalmom (Jul 23, 2012)

OK I may we way off base here, but considering the "off" taste to your milk, have you had anyone NOT in your immediate family try it?  When you offer milk to someone do you bias their response by a quizzical look on your face?

Is your milking doe browsing on anything odd?  Is she getting wild garlic or wild onion or anything else weird?

I don't have a dishwasher, just the right and left hand and I milk into plastic but it goes into glass jars within minutes.  We drink/make cheese/make yoghurt with week-old milk and it is ab-fab.

Are you sure your dishwasher is rinsing everything well?  Are you using a spot prevention treatment in your dishwasher?

Don't know about the flavor problem, but dollars to donuts I betcha it is going to be something easy to fix.

Keep us posted on your progress.  Don't give up on the milk!


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## Suburbanfarmer (Jul 24, 2012)

Thanks everyone!

I'm going to try the vinegar wash tomorrow when I milk. We have tried freezing it and also the ice water bath. Both have helped, but certainly not keeping it fresh for a week. 

I bet you are onto something ragdollcatlady. I wonder if our dishwasher isn't really washing the fat off/completely rinsing everything. 

I'm really hoping we are on the right track. I will keep you posted.
-K


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## Suburbanfarmer (Jul 27, 2012)

Ok, so nothing is helping. 

Here is our newest idea: I went to the feed store today and the lady there has had goats so we got talking. She thinks it's the Alfalfa (I'm feeding pellets). I did a little looking around and found this on another forum:



> One of my goats will have milk that tastes wonderful initially, but after a day or two in the fridge it will taste goaty.  It is not a temperature thing at all, other goats milk is staying sweet and wonderful for a least a week.  I read that this is because that goat has more lipase (an enzyme that breaks down fat) in her milk and this happens even with refridgeration.  In fact you can add lipase to cheese recipes for strong flavored cheese.  However, the book (Goat Medicine) says that the lipase can be increased with some types of food such as legumes, clover, alfalfa.  I think in this doe's case, she is really sensitive to alfalfa pellets.  When I increase the alfalfa pellets, we get the short life span milk.  The last few days, I have not given her the pellets and only give the alfalfa in haybale form.  So far so good.


Any thoughts? I'm going to pull my doe off of the alfalfa and see what happens. 

-K


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## ksalvagno (Jul 27, 2012)

Sounds like taking away the pellets is a good start.


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## Catahoula (Jul 27, 2012)

Very interesting. Please keep us posted.


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## Harbisgirl (Jul 27, 2012)

Catahoula said:
			
		

> Very interesting. Please keep us posted.


X2


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## autumnprairie (Jul 27, 2012)

Harbisgirl said:
			
		

> Catahoula said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


X3


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## sunny (Jul 28, 2012)

Milk that won't keep is also how you tell that your goat has sub-clinical staff. You can send a milk sample to LSU for testing.


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## imtc (Jul 30, 2012)

Taste can depend a lot on diet. Are yours grazing at all?  What kind of feed do you use? (mixed grains, straight goat pellet).  Other than chilling it immediately you could add a little wheat germ oil to her feed (should remove any off flavor in milk and will also make her coat shine). It comes in gallon size at the feed store. Another thing might be to add molasses to her feed (either fresh you pour in the grain or feed that already has it on it like a sweet horse feed). 
My goats don't have much grazing available so I pretty much control their entire diet. I mix my own grains and also feed alfalfa and their milk is wonderful even after a week or so. My mix is (a multi-species grain, alfalfa pellets and sunflower seeds). Sometimes I change it up a bit with adding sweet horse feed or steamed rolled oats.


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## mama24 (Jul 31, 2012)

Interesting. If, in fact, this is caused by lipase, I doubt there is much you can do other than get rid of that goat and get a new milker or start pasteurizinf her milk. I personally have had lots of experience with lipase issues, but in my own milk. I could not pump and freeze like most mothers easily do b/c freezing doesn't stop the lipase from working. My milk smelled and tasted soapy after a few days of being in the fridge or freezer unless I pasteurized it first. Pasteurization kills most of the beneficial enzymes and good bacteria. I hated doing it.


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## aggieterpkatie (Jul 31, 2012)

Yes, please send a sample off to be tested for mastitis.  It's cheap, easy, and is likely to be the culprit.


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## Suburbanfarmer (Jul 31, 2012)

Yes! I just tasted the milk that is almost 48hrs old and it is still good!! Whoo Hoo! This is the longest we have been able to keep milk. 

I took our doe off of alfalfa about 4 days ago, so the milk that I just tasted was from 2 days after the last alfalfa. What a difference! 

Yeah!

I'm guessing that the longer she is off alfalfa the longer her milk will keep. It's just such a relief to finally find the culprit. 

-K


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## Catahoula (Jul 31, 2012)

Suburbanfarmer said:
			
		

> Yes! I just tasted the milk that is almost 48hrs old and it is still good!! Whoo Hoo! This is the longest we have been able to keep milk.
> 
> I took our doe off of alfalfa about 4 days ago, so the milk that I just tasted was from 2 days after the last alfalfa. What a difference!
> 
> ...


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## SkyWarrior (Aug 1, 2012)

I read somewhere that alfalfa can cause a bunch of problems with milk and milk taste...More the reason to not use it.


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## Suburbanfarmer (Aug 1, 2012)

I tried her milk this morning that was 36 hrs old. And, bleh.  

Now the question becomes, do we try a different doe to see if it is just her milk or keep working with her? My husband has been super on board with all of this, but he is strongly suggesting that if we can't get this sorted by the end of August then we find new homes for the goats. I don't want to waste time with this doe if we are never going to like her milk.

I'm virtually certain that she doesn't have mastitis/staf. It maybe a worm issue, but she looks the best she has since coming here. Her coat (which was dull and lifeless when she got here) is shiny and healthy. Her body looks good and she is keeping weight on (even through milking). 

Any advice?

Thanks
-K


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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 1, 2012)

Suburbanfarmer said:
			
		

> I tried her milk this morning that was 36 hrs old. And, bleh.
> 
> Now the question becomes, do we try a different doe to see if it is just her milk or keep working with her? My husband has been super on board with all of this, but he is strongly suggesting that if we can't get this sorted by the end of August then we find new homes for the goats. I don't want to waste time with this doe if we are never going to like her milk.
> 
> ...


Please at least spend a few bucks and send in a milk sample to be tested!  Subclinical staph mastitis is often the culprit, and it a SIMPLE solution.  If it tests positive, you treat her for about a week, and she'll be good to go.  If you send in a sample and she's negative, at least you would know.  

PLEASE just consider sending in a milk sample.  I went through the same exact thing last year, and my doe tested positive for a "scant" amount in one half of her udder.  I treated her and her milk was once again delicious.   

You will not be able to tell she has subclinical staph by looking at the milk.  You won't see clumps or discoloration, or feel hardness or heat in the udder.  It will be worth the peace of mind to know you tried everything before giving up on her.


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## Roll farms (Aug 1, 2012)

If you run tests, and she tests neg. - I don't see why you can't just use her 'fresh' milk daily for drinking and cook / make cheese with / water your garden w/ her 'old' (yesterday's) milk.
Give the cats a treat.
Feed it to the chickens.
Give it to someone w/ a hog.
My roses look wonderful this year, they've been getting about 1 gallon of milk a week.

I've found 1000 uses for our extra milk, some days we get 5 gallons or more per day....no way we could drink it all before it went 'bad', so I found other ways to use it.

I'm not trying to be argumentative...I'm just not understanding the 'gotta get rid of the goat if we can't drink her old milk' thing....Drink the fresh stuff, then.   Seems like an obvious fix.

It's not like it's gonna keep forever, anyway.


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## Rebbetzin (Aug 2, 2012)

Our goats get only beautiful sweet alfalfa hay, thankfully it grows great here in AZ. And they get a grain mixture with lots of good stuff in it while they are being milked.  The milk is always sweet and wonderful. 

When I had "goatie" milk, I made soap with it.  I put the off milk in ziplock bags, enough in each bag for a batch of soap.  

I HATE when the milk tastes off. I'd say it goes off between three and seven days.  Even the cheese goes goatie to me after a couple of weeks.  

Some people actually like the goatie flavor!!   I am making more cheese now with extra milk. it keeps a bit longer that way.

So happy to hear I can put it on the plants!!  I do give the whey to my dog and chickens when I make cheese. And the whey works great in making breads!


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## Suburbanfarmer (Aug 2, 2012)

So here is our milk taste solution...







Yes, a new goat.

I really think that the problem is the legumes and the increase in the enzymes. The problem is that we are really urban/suburban farming and just don't have the room to keep a goat that is not exactly what we need, and we need goats that we can turn out into our yard (that has clover - another legume). We will sell our current milker and her baby. That will put us back to two goats, which was the original plan anyway. Plus, it's a good excuse for another cute goatie.


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## Catahoula (Aug 2, 2012)




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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Aug 2, 2012)

*Hopefully her milk tastes good! Please let us know... *


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## autumnprairie (Aug 2, 2012)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

> *Hopefully her milk tastes good! Please let us know... *


X2


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## Suburbanfarmer (Aug 2, 2012)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

> *Hopefully her milk tastes good! Please let us know... *


We milked her for the first time this morning and the milk taste is so much better than anything we got from our other doe. Even the super fresh milk. I have great hopes.


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## GLENMAR (Aug 2, 2012)

I have read that different doe's milk can taste different. One book that I read suggested tasting the milk from the doe or her mother if buying a baby before 
purchasing the goat for your own use.


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## treeclimber233 (Aug 3, 2012)

I like your "solution" to your goat milk problem.  Now if only I could find a "solution" like that for my goat problems.........


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## Island Creek Farm (Aug 6, 2012)

Can someone explain the Lipase issue?  We have a doe who was a FF this year, and her milk tasted AWFUL.  Same feed as everyone else (who has good milk), three times negative on milk cultures, super fast chilling, acid washed EVERYTHING every other day, the whole nine yards!  I ended up drying her off when we were done bottle feeding, but kept her since she gave us two exceedingly nice twin doelings.   Another breeder said "it might just be her" and to give her one more year to see if it straightens itself out, so because of her bloodlines, that's what we are going with.  However, I caught the one comment about the lipase issue...


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## Suburbanfarmer (Aug 6, 2012)

Island Creek Farm said:
			
		

> Can someone explain the Lipase issue?  We have a doe who was a FF this year, and her milk tasted AWFUL.  Same feed as everyone else (who has good milk), three times negative on milk cultures, super fast chilling, acid washed EVERYTHING every other day, the whole nine yards!  I ended up drying her off when we were done bottle feeding, but kept her since she gave us two exceedingly nice twin doelings.   Another breeder said "it might just be her" and to give her one more year to see if it straightens itself out, so because of her bloodlines, that's what we are going with.  However, I caught the one comment about the lipase issue...


You might want to start a new thread. I hope you get some answers. We decided that it wasn't worth it with a non-registerable goat. I know that there is some information in the book, Goat Medicine . But, dang, is it expensive.


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