Do I need a cream separator for goat's milk? And how do these work?

[SkyWarrior]

I'm wondering if I should get a cream separator for my goat's milk. Also would a hand-crank antique one work? How DO they work to separate the cream? Inquiring minds...etc., etc.

 

[Melwynnd]

It depends on the goat. My nubian had enough cream rise that I would get about 3/4 inch at the top of a quart jar I could skim off with a ladle. But I know that still isn't nearly as much cream as I would have gotten with a separator.

A separator works on the principal that cream is lighter than fluid milk. It spins the milk fast and the cream rises to the top where the separator drains it away from the milk. In my experience they are a pain to clean so you'd want a decent amount of milk to make it worth the washing.

Sherry

 

[ksalvagno]

The amount of cream you get from a goat may not be worth the separator. I haven't owned one myself but I also inquired about it a long time ago and the responses that I got from several people was that it wasn't worth it. You could always put it in a shallow pan in the refrigerator and then skim off the cream and freeze it until you have enough cream to make what you want.

 

[bonbean01]

Your post brought back memories...as a kid we had a milk cow and twice a day...that stupid cream separator had to be cleaned with all of its gazillion parts...geesh....then put back together again...used...taken apart...cleaned again...so many parts to it and even after a hot water soapy wash and drain...got rinsed again just before using it with some powder solution in water to be sure it was super clean. My Mom sold the cream and it was tested each time and through all those years, it always tested totally clean...so, guess we kids did a good job...but a total pain in the butt with so many little parts...hmmmm...no wonder we are all good at doing puzzles...LOLOLOL...felt sometimes I could put that thing together with a blind fold on