# Milk that taste different every now and then



## Reptigirl (May 9, 2011)

So I'm fairly new to goats. I have 2 Nigerian Dwarf does in milk.  This is there FF.  They are about 5-6 weeks fresh.  So far milking has been relatively easy and things have been going great.  But something odd I have not been able to figure out.

Most of the time there milk taste wonderful and sweet.  Other times is has a weird "tang" to it.  

I am pasteurizing it to 160 degrees for 15 seconds and then chilling the pan in a really cold ice bath.  I do this RIGHT after milking them.  The milk in only in the pail for 10-12 minutes while I am milking them and then it gets strained and pasteurized immediately.  

They are eating Purina Goat Chow with a little bit of BOSS mixed in & alfalfa hay.  They also have free choice of loose goat minerals.  

I am so confused.  I can get 3 or 4 quarts of GREAT tasting milk and then get a batch of "tangy" or as I would describe it "goaty".  Sometimes this taste is very obvious other times it is mild.   Then it goes back to being super sweet again.  

Is this normal?  Am I doing something wrong?


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## PattySh (May 9, 2011)

Being it happens occasionally it sounds like it's something they are eating. Either in their hay or pasture. Also, drink it fresh. I find anything over 3 days old is better for cheese.


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## elevan (May 9, 2011)

PattySh said:
			
		

> Being it happens occasionally it sounds like it's something they are eating. Either in their hay or pasture. Also, drink it fresh. I find anything over 3 days old is better for cheese.


x2


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## Reptigirl (May 9, 2011)

Hum.. the milk has the "funk" usually right away.... I can tell when I'm heating it up you can smell the "goaty" smell coming off of it... Must be something they are eating :/  Guess I'm just gonna have to accept it and make cheese out of it.


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## freemotion (May 9, 2011)

Drinking it raw avoids that goatiness in most cases.  Do you need to pasteurize for some reason?  Why not drink it raw?  Much better for you, unless you have a particular reason to pasteurize.  

Understand that your body will not utilize the calcium from pasteurized milk, either, so don't consider that as your main source of dietary calcium.  I was pretty shocked when I learned this......thanks to a good doctor.


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## PattySh (May 9, 2011)

Didn't realize you were pasturizing. I too believe pasturized goat milk tastes "goatee".


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## julieq (May 9, 2011)

freemotion said:
			
		

> Drinking it raw avoids that goatiness in most cases.  Do you need to pasteurize for some reason?  Why not drink it raw?  Much better for you, unless you have a particular reason to pasteurize.
> 
> Understand that your body will not utilize the calcium from pasteurized milk, either, so don't consider that as your main source of dietary calcium.  I was pretty shocked when I learned this......thanks to a good doctor.


Yep!  The only wierd tasting goat milk we ever tried was pasteurized!


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## Roll farms (May 9, 2011)

*pouty face*
I pasteurize mine and it isn't goaty.


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## Reptigirl (May 9, 2011)

Maybe I'll need to give raw a try... Didn't realize the pasteurization would change the taste that much... Hum...


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## Ariel301 (May 9, 2011)

I find that heating goat milk quickly (as in pasteurizing) gives it a goaty taste. Store bought, pasteurized goat milk always tastes like licking a buck. I figured this out when I tried to microwave some of my milk for hot cocoa and I overheated it, it smelled and tasted like goat. We always use it raw, because it is better for you, and actually safer than pasteurized milk--the US has over a thousand deaths a year from contaminated pasteurized milk, and none from raw milk consumption. (Despite those lovely labels we are required to put on raw milk to sell it, informing our customers that they might die if they drink raw milk!)

It could also be something they are eating, or something hormonal from the goat's body, possibly.


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## savingdogs (May 10, 2011)

I like the taste better raw even though my pasturized does not taste "goaty", but I just like the texture and how it behaves better raw.


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## PattySh (May 10, 2011)

Rolls, do you have a pasturizer? Wondering because our last herd no one here would drink the milk so we sold the goats. It did taste like goat's smell!  We were pasturizing by heating on the stove. Wondering now if that was the problem. Not at all interested in pasturizing we are now drinking for the raw milk benefits but curious? This time with raw milk the entire family is drinking it now  and eating the milk products and that is way more than I expected! I noticed with my grandson who is 5, when we "ran out" of milk last fall drying them off and buying store milk his behavior was a bit off (more than a bit) and he lost the pink in his cheeks.  A couple of weeks into raw milk again and he was fine. It was VERY noticeable. I suspect he is sensitive to "mechanically altered" milk as well.


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## savingdogs (May 10, 2011)

What I have noticed is that pasturized milk behaves different. I may need to learn more about pasturization techniques, but we were heating our goat milk for the simple process of making chocolate milk.

We found that raw goat milk and heated goat milk make very different tasting chocolate milk, and it glumps up and grows skins if you pasturize it but stays creamy and smooth and nice if you don't. And the taste is sweeter raw.  I did not feel that it tasted "goaty" when heated but rather just got funny textures when sitting and such, whereas we can keep chocolate milk in a shaker container with raw goat milk in the fridge, give it a shake and it is always smooth and creamy. Yum. I think I'll go get a glass, I made myself thirst for some!


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## freemotion (May 10, 2011)

PattySh said:
			
		

> Rolls, do you have a pasturizer? Wondering because our last herd no one here would drink the milk so we sold the goats. It did taste like goat's smell!  We were pasturizing by heating on the stove. Wondering now if that was the problem. Not at all interested in pasturizing we are now drinking for the raw milk benefits but curious? This time with raw milk the entire family is drinking it now  and eating the milk products and that is way more than I expected! I noticed with my grandson who is 5, when we "ran out" of milk last fall drying them off and buying store milk his behavior was a bit off (more than a bit) and he lost the pink in his cheeks.  A couple of weeks into raw milk again and he was fine. It was VERY noticeable. I suspect he is sensitive to "mechanically altered" milk as well.


Not only are the calcium molecules damaged (not just for strong bones, but calcium is needed for nerve impulse conduction) but commercial milk and dairy products have powdered milk added to it (except whole milk.)  The proteins are damaged in the processing (as they are in pasteurizing, especially ultra-pasteurized stuff) and become neuro-toxic.  Yep, poison to your brain.  Perfectly legal.  The cholesterol is also oxidized, becoming damaging to your body.  Cholesterol from raw milk is a necessary nutrient, a building block of some hormones and of all your cell walls, and a powerful antioxidant.

Just a few of the benefits of raw milk and risks of commercial milk.


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## Reptigirl (May 11, 2011)

So If I'm going to give raw milk a try today .... how long do I have to get it cooled?

I usually milk both girls back to back and then bring the milk inside....

If it takes me 10-15 minutes to get them both milked and get the milk inside.  Then strain it and chill it immediately... is that good enough? 

Or do I need to chill IMMEDIATELY after each girl is milked, keeping there milk separate?

Just wondering what would be safe?


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## RabbleRoost Farm (May 11, 2011)

Pfft, some people drink it straight from the animal after they milked her... No cooling, all warm and hairy...
I don't think I'm that adventurous.


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## PattySh (May 11, 2011)

Bring it in and cool it right after milking.  Qt jars cool the fastest. I use half gallon  or gallon ones. If you are in a hurry to cool it you can use ice water in a pan and put the jars in it.  I usually just fridge mine without a problem. If milking is slow  going  and you are worried about dirty milk I suggest to bring your jar and strainer to the barn (I use a canning funnel with a 6 1/2 inch dairy disk formed into a cone in it). I have a big milk strainer but it's a pain in the butt as it's too big to fit in much other than a huge pan. Last year when things went a bit slower I kept my jar with strainer in it  right near me and kept pouring the milk in before the doe could put her foot in it! Kept the milk cleaner and if one of the girls put their foot in the bucket didn't loose all the milk and could wash the bucket and continue.


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## Reptigirl (May 24, 2011)

Well I just have to say that the raw milk has worked out just fine for me... so far.  Although no one else in my family will touch goats milk  what so ever. LOL

So I REALLY need to find ways to cook with it.... I use milk a lot in my cooking.

Should I pasteurize milk before cooking with it?

My biggest concern is using it to make Mac & Cheese or Mashed potatoes?
 It gets warmed up for a minute or two on the hot food... then if there is leftovers it would get cooled..then reheated?

I have used it in things like fudge... but that gets heated to  over 200 degrees in the cooking so I wouldn't think that would be a problem?

What safety issues would I have cooking with raw milk?  Would it be safest to pasteurize milk I'm going to cook with?


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## freemotion (May 24, 2011)

Go to www.westonapricefoundation.org and do a search for articles on the benefits of raw milk.

I keep it raw as much as possible.  No, don't pasteurize it.  Just use it as you would normally use milk.  We used to use about 2-3 quarts of Lactaid milk a week, once we started milking our first goat, we very quickly found ways to use 3-4 quarts A DAY!  Now I am milking three goats and can't wait for the fourth to contribute and for all the babies to be weaned/sold so that I can have ALL the milk for....the two of us!


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## Reptigirl (May 24, 2011)

Awesome!  My main concern was leftovers being reheated and such! 

I actually like it raw or pasteurized.  It tastes similar... except for the few batches of "funk" milk that I got.   I really think it was because it either got just a little too hot or it took a little too long to cool down.  But its SO much easier to drink it raw!  Saves so much time too!


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## julieq (May 24, 2011)

freemotion said:
			
		

> Drinking it raw avoids that goatiness in most cases.  Do you need to pasteurize for some reason?  Why not drink it raw?  Much better for you, unless you have a particular reason to pasteurize.
> 
> Understand that your body will not utilize the calcium from pasteurized milk, either, so don't consider that as your main source of dietary calcium.  I was pretty shocked when I learned this......thanks to a good doctor.


Yep.  Only goaty tasting milk I ever experienced was pasteurized.  That was before we did the research as a family and found out how much better raw milk was for us!  We use all raw milk in our cooking.


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## whetzelmomma (May 24, 2011)

I read somewhere (and I can't remember where... sorry) that the amount (or really lack of amount) of water they drink can affect the flavor too. Made sense at the time I read it... I wonder, since your off days are irregular, if it isn't related to days when your does are drinking less water?


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## Goatmasta (May 24, 2011)

My Dad always said that you need to feed your dairy animals some good hay about 30 mins before you milk them.  He says that the milk always taste like their breathe smells...  i.e. if they have been munching on onions the milk will taste like onion.  Or a bitter weed of some sort will change the taste of the milk.  Since the old man milked cows for yrs  I usually listen to him.


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## mabeane (May 25, 2011)

Because I have very cold water  (from the bottom of the well) I run it a bit and out the filtered milk in a bucket of the water and then run the water at a drizzle over the quart.
We have never had a problem with it getting cold quickly and tasting superb.


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## savingdogs (May 25, 2011)

My fridge is just a few steps from my stanchion and my milk has always tasted wonderful from my does.


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