# Possible to make Powdered Milk at home?



## Heather S

I have read that there is less risk associated with drying your raw milk than drinking it straight and was wondering if anyone knows how to make powdered milk. Also where could I get unbiased info. on the safety of raw milk and how to test an animal to reduce the risk of TB and such?


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## Prickle

Powdered milk is usually spray dried. The equipment for that is usually out of the range of home producers.

There isn't any officially approved method to dry milk at home.


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## Alice In TX/MO

Testing for CAE can be done by Biotracking. See their website for instructions and supplies. They also do the pregnancy testing.

www.biotracking.com

WADDL is a lab that does testing for Johne's Disease.
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts_waddl/fees.aspx

I don't know where to get the TB testing done.


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## suzyhomemaker09

IIRC there is a version of "Goats Produce Too" that has instructions for making dried milk....I don't think that version is available any longer so finding it would be difficult.
Pretty sure it's not a task to venture into very easily.


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## willow_girl

Your vet can test for TB and brucellosis, but in reality, the risk posed by these diseases is pretty miniscule. The real danger comes from bacteria such listeria, salmonella and E. coli. When I milked by hand, I tried to do so as cleanly as possible, but always pasteurized the milk. I bought a tabletop 2-gallon pasteurizer for less than $30 on eBay. Always figured it was a good insurance policy!


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## linn

I too pasteurize our raw milk. Over the years I have caught a lot of flack from food purists, but our milk still tastes great and I feel like I can share milk with family without worrying about passing on some disease. If you want to save milk, why not just can it. That way it will be preserved and safe at the same time.


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## Shrek

As was mentioned above, powdered milk is produced as powdered eggs using large sprayer drum dehydrators.

The best method for home preserving straight from the udder milk is pressure canning it which pasteurizes it during canning.

This online article at MEN seems to be similar to how I remember a local woman canning her goats milk for family members who lived out of the area in the 1970s.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1984-05-01/Home-Canned-Milk.aspx


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## Nevada

Prickle said:


> Powdered milk is usually spray dried. The equipment for that is usually out of the range of home producers.


I used to work with spray dryers commercially. We used them to manufacture powdered (called fluid) catalyst used in the production of gasoline & diesel fuel. The same process is used to make things like coffeemate and powdered milk.

They are kind of tricky beasts to operate, and a terrible mess to clean. As was pointed out, they are also pricey.

http://www.bid-on-equipment.com/5780.htm

I suppose you could always get lucky at an equipment salvage yard and buy one for near scrap price, provided that the seller doesn't know what he has.


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