how do you pasturise goats milk

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i'm new to milking goats and need to know how to pasturise goats milk and how long is it good for in the frig? thanks randy

-- randy risner (risner@bellsouth.net), August 19, 2001

Answers

Randy, you can purchase a pasturizer or you can just do it in a nice pot on the stove. Heat it to 165 degrees, use a candy thermometer from Wall mart to check the temp, give it a good stir to make sure all of the milk is 165, and then cool it quickly. Thats it! Our milk lasts about a week, but honestly I put night milking in the fridge, and toss the old milk in the morning, so we are usually drinking milk that is only 12 hours old. I have stored milk in the fridge for a week, to make cheese, and it was fine. All fluid milk whatever it is from is only going to be as good as you milking habits. Clean udder, clean non porus containers, strain, cooling quickly and storing in only clean glass containers, with lids that don't absorb oders. If you can't drink the milk straight from the goat warm, and not have aftertaste, than something is wrong with the doe, illness of the udder or nutritionally. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), August 19, 2001.

If there is not a specific reason to pasteurize the milk, like Vicki mentioned above, why do it? It is much better for your health to drink it raw from the goat, pasteurizing kills all the benficial organisms and good bacteria in the milk that is also good for you and your digestion. Kept cold enough and handled properly, it will most likely keep long enough to use it up, you can also freeze it, allow enough head space in the container for expansion.

Pasteurization changes the fatty acids in the goats milk to a form of fat that is more likely to harden your arteries and raise your cholesterol levels, leading to increased risk of heart disease. Ask a good country vet, he/she will tell you it is not necessary to pasteurize goats milk.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), August 19, 2001.


I usually just "heat-treat" my goat's milk. Heat to 140 degrees and chill quickly. Whenever I have pasteurized, I can detect a "cooked" flavor (not a goaty flavor). My chilling fridge is only for milk and I keep the temp at about 36 degrees. I never have off-flavored milk and it keeps for a week or longer. Like Vicki says, using the proper equipment and keeping it clean is #1! Oh...I also have a slightly odiferous buck in the barn with the Ladies and the milk is fine :-)!!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), August 19, 2001.

Hi randy, I guess my question is where are you and where did you get your goats?? Here in Michigan some TB has been found in the northern deer herds and some cattle. I pasturize to prevent CAE, CL, and some other diseases that are passed to off spring in the milk. I quess I figure if I pasturize for my little doelings, I should pasturize for the house. IMHO why take chances since so much can be, and is frequently passed in the milk.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), August 19, 2001.

yes heat the milk to 165^ once it has reached 165^ is done. But... use a double boiler method to help assure it does not burn. Ice bath to cool quickly.

Though many pasturize to assure their goat kids do not get CAE passed on to them through goat milk (no one really knows for sure), CAE is not passed on to humans. There is always an element of nutrition lost in the cooking of foods. I think you will find that most of us milk, refrigerate and drink.

Speaking of milking...it is 4:30 am and time to go milk! my family will have fresh milk with breakfast.

-- westbrook (westbrook_farms@yahoo.com), August 21, 2001.



I only pasturize milk I use for cheese, and then only because I barter my chees and wish to be very cautious with other people's health! I heat the milk to 162 degrees (it seems to work) and cook it in cold water in the sink. I learned to use a little metal rack under the pot in the sink after I melted the rubber seal with my hot pot. We drink fresh raw milk. I'm lucky to have a closed CAE free herd so I don't pasturize the kid's milk.

-- Ellen (gardenfarm@earthlink.net), October 31, 2001.

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