# goat milk



## ksalvagno (Mar 5, 2010)

How do you chill your goat milk to drink? I know you want to chill it as quickly as possible. Also, do you filter it before or after you chill it?


----------



## ohiofarmgirl (Mar 5, 2010)

i got one of those filters (get the big one) from hoegger's... i was tempted by the little one but the big one lets me pour it all in at once. 

we pour the milk thru the filter into wide mouth quart jars (wide mouth are easier to clean) then put them in the freezer to chill. the smaller portions (quarts) chill really quickly


----------



## helmstead (Mar 5, 2010)

I filter mine through a cheap coffee filters set in a strainer into 2 qt or gallon pitchers, and just pop it in the fridge.  When the pitcher is full, I filter into gallon freezer bags, lay flat on a cookie sheet and freeze it for bottles.


----------



## dkluzier (Mar 5, 2010)

I filter first...using TSC bought milk filters set into the mouth of a quart jar ( with a canning funnel)  then place in fridge to cool.  We usually don't get a chance to freeze since we use most for cheese within a day or two.  We do not add new milk to the old unless it is within a day and both milkings have already cooled.

When we do freeze we filter, jar, cool then put into gallon plastic jugs and pop in freezer.  I believe that you can freeze in the jars though.  I like the idea of the plastic freezer bags, will have to try that...  would be more compact than jars or jugs.


----------



## Roll farms (Mar 5, 2010)

When I need to chill it uber-fast, I put it in a sink of ice water.

It's MUCH easier to filter when it's 'warm' (fresh from the doe) than once it cools.


----------



## michickenwrangler (Mar 5, 2010)

As above. Milk condenses as it cools and "flows better" when warm.

I filter into quart jars. As it's filtering, I fill a stock pot with ice and cold water and then put the qt. jars of milk in that. I leave them there for about 1/2 hour, adding ice if needed. Occasionally I'll pick up a jar, swirl it around and put it back but not always.

Do NOT mix warm and already cooled milk. It will make it go sour after a few days. Wait until it cools fully.


----------



## helmstead (Mar 5, 2010)

michickenwrangler said:
			
		

> Do NOT mix warm and already cooled milk. It will make it go sour after a few days. Wait until it cools fully.


This is not my experience...we strain warm milk right into chilled milk all the time, it never goes bad any faster.


----------



## freemotion (Mar 5, 2010)

Me, too.  I use gallon jars at the height of the season, and add warm milk to cold all the time.  It keeps quite well, especially if you don't disturb it too much until ready to use.  The layer of heavy cream at the top forms a protective seal of sorts.

I filter and chill as soon as I get in the house, but I no longer obsess about it.  I have forgotten milk for an hour or more at room temp and have noticed no difference in quality.

Remember that most of the print material on any farming activity is based on commercial operations.  Even books written for home production are just miniature models of big agriculture.  So you will find that some of the information is a bit.....anal retentive.


----------



## RockyToggRanch (Mar 5, 2010)

I filter through the hoegers strainer with filter pads, directly into ziplock bags and into the freezer. Or into qt jars to the fridge for  drinking.


----------



## ksalvagno (Mar 5, 2010)

Thanks! I do have the Hoegger's filter and filter papers. 

Does anyone use any other type of filter paper for the Hoegger filter? With using 2 a day, that adds up even if it isn't a huge amount.


----------



## RockyToggRanch (Mar 5, 2010)

I've heard both coffee filters and coffee filter basket mentioned on this site.


----------



## ohiofarmgirl (Mar 5, 2010)

i just got the ones at TSC... technically i think they are for cows but one box lasted me the entire season last year. oddly enough, i ended with ONE filter left


----------



## Roll farms (Mar 5, 2010)

I get the ones at TSC, too....


----------



## RockyToggRanch (Mar 6, 2010)

I've never seen them at TSC. I'll have to ask.


----------



## Roll farms (Mar 6, 2010)

They're not a 'stocked item' at all stores, mine probably wouldn't keep them anymore but since I buy 2 boxes or so a year, it triggers the system to reorder.  
I can get you the sku number if you don't find them, then they can 'raincheck' some in for you.


----------



## dkluzier (Mar 6, 2010)

Our TSC keeps them near the big jugs of "teat wash" section for cows.


----------



## RockyToggRanch (Mar 6, 2010)

I'll have to check it out... I don't even remember seeing teat wash. I travel for work and rarely pass a tsc without stopping.


----------



## Roll farms (Mar 6, 2010)

Some TSC's are considered 'more ag' than others (I know it doesn't make much sense since they're ALL farm stores...but that's how we're set up.)
For instance, our store isn't considered a "Tillage" store...we have very few parts for plows, hay rakes, etc.....but the one 2 towns over stocks ALL the plow parts.
We don't carry udder wash or a lot of the milking accessories, but there's one 2 towns over the other way, that does stock udder wash, etc.
They call those types of items "managers discretion"....


----------



## aggieterpkatie (Mar 7, 2010)

I'm not happy with our TSC.    They hardly stock ANY real supplies.  No teat dip cup.  In fact, NOT ONE ag supply store in our area (4 Southern States stores and 1 TSC) had one.  One lady at TSC looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language when I asked if they had one.  It's not that uncommon of an item, especially since they're also used to dip umbilicals.  

It's pretty pathetic when you have to order one through a catalog or online because no one in the area carries anything you really need.


----------

