# Homemade Powdered milk without Electricity



## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

I want to make my own powdered milk but is it possible to make it without electricity?

Just imagine, a blackout caused by (name-your-disaster-here) have prevented you from freezing your milk plus you already made alot of butter, buttermilk, cheese, clabbered milk, yogurt, kefir and home-canned milk but within whatever reason why you still have surplus milk amid making dairy products and sharing/selling the milk to the community.

The only solution is making powdered milk because it uses your milk surplus. I don't know about the shelf life though.

It's 2022, We as homesteaders should know how to safely dehydrate our milk surplus because we have to find a different way to preserve it without any electricity whether you have a generator or not to keep your freezer going.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

It is not the only solution. I would feed it to the pigs I would have or I would can it.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I think your assumption is flawed.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> I think your assumption is flawed.


Why is that?


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> It is not the only solution. I would feed it to the pigs I would have or I would can it.


How would can milk without electricity? What if you already fed your pigs milk and you still have more left over? Would You find a way to dehydrate milk?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Because dehydration requires a lot of equipment not available to homesteaders through the years. You want a modern solution to a situation that was solved thousands of years ago.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Because dehydration requires a lot of equipment not available to homesteaders through the years. You want a modern solution to a situation that was solved thousands of years ago.


How did people solve the milk surplus problem before the advent of dehydrated milk? There has to be a safe way to dehydrate milk without electricity and expensive dehydration equipment.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

What products made with milk keep the longest?


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> What products made with milk keep the longest?


I know cheese but I don't know about the other dairy products. I still want to safely dehydrate milk without electricity because I just love powdered milk but I just don't like buying it. The price of powdered milk is ridiculous so I just want to go the extra mile as a DIY-er by making my own powdered milk. I just want to be both producer and consumer.

To me, I'm not reinventing the wheel. If I am, so what?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Jerryberry said:


> How would can milk without electricity? What if you already fed your pigs milk and you still have more left over? Would You find a way to dehydrate milk?


Canning can be done on a wood or propane stove.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Jerryberry said:


> I know cheese but I don't know about the other dairy products. I still want to safely dehydrate milk without electricity because I just love powdered milk but I just don't like buying it. The price of powdered milk is ridiculous so I just want to go the extra mile as a DIY-er by making my own powdered milk. I just want to be both producer and consumer.
> 
> To me, I'm not reinventing the wheel. If I am, so what?


You are trying to reinvent the wheel. What are the chances of you having enough excess milk in the first place. You would more likely just trying to feed yourself each day then have the time to dehydrate milk. 

You would have needed to kill those extra cows just to eat them because you could not feed them.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> You are trying to reinvent the wheel. What are the chances of you having enough excess milk in the first place. You would more likely just trying to feed yourself each day then have the time to dehydrate milk.


Idk it might happen. I would both try to feed myself and take time to dehydrate milk because that's the kind of DIY-er I am. I am reinventing the wheel because that's what DIY-ers do.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> Canning can be done on a wood or propane stove.


What's the process of safely canning milk without electricity?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Jerryberry said:


> Idk it might happen. I would both try to feed myself and take time to dehydrate milk because that's the kind of DIY-er I am. I am reinventing the wheel because that's what DIY-ers do.


You are not that kind of person yet. You may want to be but you are not.

What things do you do now for yourself? Do you cook your own meals? Do you can your own food. Do you raise your own animals? You have to be realistic. I don't believe you have a real understanding of the work and money involved in producing the milk before you even dehydrate it.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Diyers look at situations logically. We learn from history. We learn from other folks who do it.

We try to make wise decisions.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> You are not that kind of person yet. You may want to be but you are not.
> 
> What things do you do now for yourself? Do you cook your own meals? Do you can your own food. Do you raise your own animals? You have to be realistic. I don't believe you have a real understanding of the work and money involved in producing the milk before you even dehydrate it.


Rest assured once I'm trained by my day program, I will think outside the box by doing things that's long thought impossible on a homestead scale. 

Right now, I'm just hand-copying diy foods like breakfast cereal and hot sauce. I will start making my own meals, canning, and animal husbandry once my homestead business takes off.

My day program will start training me on Monday may 2nd because I have to be under my old day program due to paperwork from them and the regional center. I will have a meeting with my new day program on what goals I want to do.

What my day program is currently doing? They're observing how capable I am at the farm.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Jerryberry said:


> Rest assured once I'm trained by my day program, I will think outside the box by doing things that's long thought impossible on a homestead scale.
> 
> Right now, I'm just hand-copying diy foods like breakfast cereal and hot sauce. I will start making my own meals, canning, and animal husbandry once my homestead business takes off.
> 
> ...


Training will not reduce the work or money needed. You need to be realistic. Billions of people have walked this route before you and quickly come to understand the limitations on doing things as a homesteader.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

What farm are you working on?


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> What farm are you working on?


Gold coast farm in southern California


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> Training will not reduce the work or money needed. You need to be realistic. Billions of people have walked this route before you and quickly come to understand the limitations on doing things as a homesteader.


I do too and I will make do with homestead limitations.


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

Excess milk problems is what prompted people to make cheese, yogurt and curds. The costs associated with dehydrating milk are way higher than buying it. Better to work on a project that is possible to DIY


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

oldasrocks said:


> Excess milk problems is what prompted people to make cheese, yogurt and curds. The costs associated with dehydrating milk are way higher than buying it. Better to work on a project that is possible to DIY


Like What? I'm still entranced by making homemade powdered dairy products.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Let it go, honey.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Let it go, honey.


I still refuse to give up.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Ask your dad and your school advisors.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Ask your dad and your school advisors.


I will


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

If you have that much surplus milk and nowhere to go with it, you are milking too many cows.
Why feed and milk more cows than you need to get the milk you need?
It makes the milk you do use pretty expensive.
Pigs will eat corn mixed with milk or drink milk until it runs out.
They don't even care if it's a little sour, in fact, I think they prefer it.
All that being said, let us know if you find a solution


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## Kiamichi Kid (Apr 9, 2009)

My solution would be to generate my own electricity and use modern technology to dehydrate the 🥛.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Dear Jerry,
You need to work with your advisors/teachers about having realistic expectations. I am not being mean. I am cautioning you to avoid setting yourself up for HUGE disappointment.

If your dad is as wealthy as Elon Musk, he may be able to fund all the projects. Otherwise, it’s not likely.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

If I had excess milk I would do what people did for generations before me. I would use it to barter for things I can't grow or make because I am spending all my time milking these cows, or goats.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Kiamichi Kid said:


> My solution would be to generate my own electricity and use modern technology to dehydrate the 🥛.


How would you reconstitute the powdered milk? How would you generate your own electricity?


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Dear Jerry,
> You need to work with your advisors/teachers about having realistic expectations. I am not being mean. I am cautioning you to avoid setting yourself up for HUGE disappointment.
> 
> If your dad is as wealthy as Elon Musk, he may be able to fund all the projects. Otherwise, it’s not likely.


I appreciate your concern but I want to safely dehydrate milk straight from the cow without electricity as an experiment. I won't know if it works or not unless I just try.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

@Jerryberry, have you read these links?



how to dehydrate milk at home - Google Search



To do it without electricity you can try it over a wood fire. Do you have a yard where you can set up a fire pit to have a safe outdoor fire? Do you have access to a lot of wood to keep your fire going? Do you have the patience and physical ability to set by the fire, tending the fire and stirring the milk? If you can honestly answer yes to all those questions then go ahead and try it.


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

People of Mongolia spread milk to try out on places dogs can't reach. It evaporates into a cheese-like food. It is also cooler there, so storage may not be great for everyone.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

altair said:


> People of Mongolia spread milk to try out on places dogs can't reach. It evaporates into a cheese-like food. It is also cooler there, so storage may not be great for everyone.


How can a 21st century homesteader do that?


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Danaus29 said:


> @Jerryberry, have you read these links?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes and Alphafoodie puts in "skimmed or full-fat" on their how-to dehydrate milk. I think alphafoodie's way of dehydrating milk is outside the US. I feel unsure about the other sites, Idk why though.

There has to be a safe effective way to dehydrate milk straight from the cow without electricity.

Once my homestead business have took off, my culinary team will try and see if it's possible to safely dehydrate milk straight from the cow without electricity. It will be on youtube.


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

Jerryberry said:


> How can a 21st century homesteader do that?


I mean, they still do it today. But I would attest not all homesteaders would be as tough as Mongolian and Kazahk herders.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

altair said:


> I mean, they still do it today. But I would attest not all homesteaders would be as tough as Mongolian and Kazahk herders.


How can a homesteader spread milk like the Mongolians and the Kazahks? 

I found this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powdered_milk 

My question is, How did people dried milk in the 1800s?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Jerryberry said:


> Yes and Alphafoodie puts in "skimmed or full-fat" on their how-to dehydrate milk. I think alphafoodie's way of dehydrating milk is outside the US. I feel unsure about the other sites, Idk why though.
> 
> There has to be a safe effective way to dehydrate milk straight from the cow without electricity.
> 
> Once my homestead business have took off, my culinary team will try and see if it's possible to safely dehydrate milk straight from the cow without electricity. It will be on youtube.


If you have a culinary team it will no longer be a homesteading business.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> If you have a culinary team it will no longer be a homesteading business.


My homesteading business will have a culinary team because i'm going to sell food and drink. I need a culinary team to come up with culinary creations that will make consumers go absolutely bonkers over. Who knows? My homesteading business might be the next Trader Joe's.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Jerryberry said:


> My homesteading business will have a culinary team because i'm going to sell food and drink. I need a culinary team to come up with culinary creations that will make consumers go absolutely bonkers over. Who knows? My homesteading business might be the next Trader Joe's.


It won't be a homesteading business.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

I like people that think outside the box. To dehydrate milk you don’t need to reinvent the wheel, just use the ones that have been around for centuries. Water power still works as does wind. Instead of heating the milk to boil the water out of it simply set up a vacuum pump and “boil” the water out of the milk at room temp.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> It won't be a homesteading business.


What is a homesteading business then?


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Evons hubby said:


> I like people that think outside the box. To dehydrate milk you don’t need to reinvent the wheel, just use the ones that have been around for centuries. Water power still works as does wind. Instead of heating the milk to boil the water out of it simply set up a vacuum pump and “boil” the water out of the milk at room temp.


Thank You

Is there a vacuum pump for kitchen use? How would you reconstitute the dried milk?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Jerryberry said:


> What is a homesteading business then?


A business that is run off the property you live on, using the land to produce what you sell. IMO.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> A business that is run off the property you live on, using the land to produce what you sell. IMO.


It will be the 1st homesteading business with a culinary team because it's the 21st century and I just want experts to develop food/drink products that consumers will absolutely go buckwild over. It will also include standard homesteading items.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

I don’t know of one specifically for kitchen use but one can be made easily enough. any air compressor pump wil work by connecting the intake side to your vacuum chamber.


Jerryberry said:


> Thank You
> 
> Is there a vacuum pump for kitchen use? How would you reconstitute the dried milk?


add water!


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Jerryberry said:


> It will be the 1st homesteading business with a culinary team because it's the 21st century and I just want experts to develop food/drink products that consumers will absolutely go buckwild over. It will also include standard homesteading items.


But it won't be. Just because you want it to be or dream it does not make it so. You don't have the land to produce your own milk or grains or nuts etc for your cereal. You have an idea of what you want to do for a business but in reality, it is not a homesteading business when done at a scale you dream of.

A homesteading business using the property you live on to produce something. It is almost always small in scale and done by the family. You use the land to provide what you eat and sell the extra. 

I think it is great that you are dreaming big but you are not dreaming of a homesteading business. I have never seen or read of one that is at the scale you imagine. Do you have an example of such a business that runs as such in this day and age?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

@Jerryberry, I'm starting to see what you mean by difficulties with a google search. I tried "how to make powdered milk without electricity" and every hit came up with using a dehydrator. It looks like you'll have to first build a solar dehydrator.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Other than the Mongolians, most homesteaders did NOT dry milk. Humidity is an issue, time, spoilage.

Cheese is the historic method of preserving milk.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Other than the Mongolians, most homesteaders did NOT dry milk. Humidity is an issue, time, spoilage.
> 
> Cheese is the historic method of preserving milk.


I found this. How to Make Powdered Milk at Home - Survival Sullivan


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

What is the cost of running a dehydrator for 12 hours for a single batch?


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> What is the cost of running a dehydrator for 12 hours for a single batch?


Idk


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

It’s an important piece of information. If it is very expensive, it’s not a good choice for milk preservation.


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Other than the Mongolians, most homesteaders did NOT dry milk. Humidity is an issue, time, spoilage.
> 
> Cheese is the historic method of preserving milk.


People have fermented milk too, but I have not researched its lifespan (probably not long). Even the Mongolian method of drying it made a sort of cheese, not a powder, so you're right it's not very common.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Kumis



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumis


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I would like to know why you want to dehydrate the milk in the first place?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Jerryberry said:


> Idk


The cost of running a dehydrator long enough to make a batch of powdered milk is something you can research for yourself. The equipment will be expensive but the actual process using electricity will give you an idea about how you might do it without electricity. You should do a batch and keep track of your steps, the time it takes and the cost of the process. I believe you can find mini meters that will tell you how much electricity your appliances are using.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> I would like to know why you want to dehydrate the milk in the first place?


Because I love powdered milk so much that I want to dehydrate milk with and without electricity.


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

I love a lot of things that I accept aren't practical. That T-rex on my Christmas list each year is for naught each time.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

painterswife said:


> I would like to know why you want to dehydrate the milk in the first place?


I can't give you specifics as to why, really. But some people get a fixation in their brain that they need to resolve. My son had a fixation on falconry. It took several years before he realized it wasn't practical for him.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Danaus29 said:


> The cost of running a dehydrator long enough to make a batch of powdered milk is something you can research for yourself. The equipment will be expensive but the actual process using electricity will give you an idea about how you might do it without electricity. You should do a batch and keep track of your steps, the time it takes and the cost of the process. I believe you can find mini meters that will tell you how much electricity your appliances are using.


I'll do it.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

altair said:


> I love a lot of things that I accept aren't practical. That T-rex on my Christmas list each year is for naught each time.


I still want a pony. I almost bought one Saturday.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Danaus29 said:


> I can't give you specifics as to why, really. But some people get a fixation in their brain that they need to resolve. My son had a fixation on falconry. It took several years before he realized it wasn't practical for him.


I will try to dehydrate milk without electricity.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Jerryberry said:


> Because I love powdered milk so much that I want to dehydrate milk with and without electricity.


Do you understand that because you love something, it might not be financially responsible to choose to dehydrate it in a way that is neither time nor money efficient?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Jerryberry said:


> I'll do it.


Let me know how it turns out. I am interested in hearing about your experience.

Lots of people make foods they can buy in the store. I have made bread and bought bread. Bread is cheap to buy and hard to make. I still prefer the taste of home made sourdough bread but not enough to make it very often.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> Do you understand that because you love something, it might not be financially responsible to choose to dehydrate it in a way that is neither time nor money efficient?


I will find out soon.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Danaus29 said:


> Let me know how it turns out. I am interested in hearing about your experience.
> 
> Lots of people make foods they can buy in the store. I have made bread and bought bread. Bread is cheap to buy and hard to make. I still prefer the taste of home made sourdough bread but not enough to make it very often.


Yeah and 2020 was the year of homemade cookie crisp, homemade pancake and waffle cereal. 2020 proved you don't need special equipment to make cereal.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Danaus29 said:


> Let me know how it turns out. I am interested in hearing about your experience.
> 
> Lots of people make foods they can buy in the store. I have made bread and bought bread. Bread is cheap to buy and hard to make. I still prefer the taste of home made sourdough bread but not enough to make it very often.


 Good bread is not cheap to buy. I make bread at home but I don't do it as a business.

I think she needs to understand that doing something for yourself because you love it and have the time does not always equate to making money ( and a real living) doing that. Most people do something that they don't love to pay for the things they do love. Unless of course they have someone that will bankroll them.

She works at a no profit farm that needs to take donations to survive. It is not a good example of what real homesteading is.

I think the dreams are great. The scope of them not always posssible.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

@painterswife, Some people have to figure things out for themselves. You can tell them till you are blue in the face and they still have to figure it out themselves. 
Cracker Barrel sells a really good sourdough bread. It's not cheap, but it is worth the money, IMO.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Danaus29 said:


> @painterswife, Some people have to figure things out for themselves. You can tell them till you are blue in the face and they still have to figure it out themselves.
> Cracker Barrel sells a really good sourdough bread. It's not cheap, but it is worth the money, IMO.


Yes, but I hope we can help. I love her enthusiasm. 

I am very happy to see that so many are trying to help and trying to do it nicely. It is a welcome change to how it was here many years ago.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Danaus29 said:


> @painterswife, Some people have to figure things out for themselves. You can tell them till you are blue in the face and they still have to figure it out themselves.
> Cracker Barrel sells a really good sourdough bread. It's not cheap, but it is worth the money, IMO.


"Some people have to figure things out for themselves. You can tell them till you are blue in the face and they still have to figure it out themselves." Exactly! I won't know if dehydrating milk straight from the cow without electricity will work or not unless I try it.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> Yes, but I hope we can help. I love her enthusiasm.
> 
> I am very happy to see that so many are trying to help and trying to do it nicely. It is a welcome change to how it was here many years ago.


"Yes, but I hope we can help. I love her enthusiasm."
Thank you, you can help by trying to dehydrate milk straight from a cow or goat or any dairy animal without electricity since my homesteading business is still a dream.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Jerryberry said:


> "Some people have to figure things out for themselves. You can tell them till you are blue in the face and they still have to figure it out themselves." Exactly! I won't know if dehydrating milk straight from the cow without electricity will work or not unless I try it.


It will work. It can be done. All people are telling you is that it is not really economically feasible to do it for a homesteading business.

There are so many knowledgeable people on here. They have worked hard in their lives and know what is involved. Your posts come across like you don't value their input.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Jerryberry said:


> "Yes, but I hope we can help. I love her enthusiasm."
> Thank you, you can help by trying to dehydrate milk straight from a cow or goat or any dairy animal without electricity since my homesteading business is still a dream.


That will not help me. It won't even help you. Others here have already tried and shared their experience.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

@Jerryberry, I really do suggest that you try it using electricity first. You can use a dehydrator for all kinds of foods and herbs. I use mine to make dehydrated vegetables to add to ramen noodles. Once you know the process, you can figure out a way to do it without electricity.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> It will work. It can be done. All people are telling you is that it is not really economically feasible to do it for a homesteading business.
> 
> There are so many knowledgeable people on here. They have worked hard in their lives and know what is involved. Your posts come across like you don't value their input.


I apologize and I do value their input. My communication skills is a literal dumpster fire.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> That will not help me. It won't even help you. Others here have already tried and shared their experience.


People tried to dehydrate milk without electricity?


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## Chief50 (10 mo ago)

Made a big mistake.


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## CC Pereira (9 mo ago)

Spray Drying Without A Spray Dryer


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Chief50, i suggest you read enough of Jerry’s threads to understand.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Chief50, i suggest you read enough of Jerry’s threads to understand.


Understand what? I apologize for not valuing the army of input.


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## Kiamichi Kid (Apr 9, 2009)

Jerryberry said:


> How would you reconstitute the powdered milk? How would you generate your own electricity?


1. Mix it with water 💦 
2. Wind, Solar,Hydro, Animals…etc


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## Chief50 (10 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Chief50, i suggest you read enough of Jerry’s threads to understand.


Sometimes I just keep making mistakes.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Kiamichi Kid said:


> 1. Mix it with water 💦
> 2. Wind, Solar,Hydro, Animals…etc


How can you generate your own electricity using animals?


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

she does though. that's all that matters. i've been through this all before with members of my family word for word almost. we dont have to read it or answer. it's her dream. her father knows . let her have it. ~Georgia


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

newfieannie said:


> she does though. that's all that matters. i've been through this all before with members of my family word for word almost. we dont have to read it or answer. it's her dream. her father knows . let her have it. ~Georgia


Thank You very much


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

Jerryberry said:


> "Some people have to figure things out for themselves. You can tell them till you are blue in the face and they still have to figure it out themselves." Exactly! I won't know if dehydrating milk straight from the cow without electricity will work or not unless I try it.


There ya go! History books are filled with people that proceeded to do what couldn’t be done! Eli Whitney, Alexander graham bell, Robert Fulton, Ben Franklin, George carver to name a few that changed our world completely doing stuff “they” said couldn’t be done.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

Jerryberry said:


> How can you generate your own electricity using animals?


Antique equipment. A treadmill works just as well today as it did a thousand years ago.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Evons hubby said:


> There ya go! History books are filled with people that proceeded to do what couldn’t be done! Eli Whitney, Alexander graham bell, Robert Fulton, Ben Franklin, George carver to name a few that changed our world completely doing stuff “they” said couldn’t be done.


Thank You very much


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## Chief50 (10 mo ago)

Evons hubby said:


> There ya go! History books are filled with people that proceeded to do what couldn’t be done! Eli Whitney, Alexander graham bell, Robert Fulton, Ben Franklin, George carver to name a few that changed our world completely doing stuff “they” said couldn’t be done.


Guess if I would read more and talk less I wouldn't need to do this much changing.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Chief, 
I am sending you a private message. It’s in “conversations.”


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## Chief50 (10 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Chief,
> I am sending you a private message. It’s in “conversations.”


Couldn't find it. Saw the post you were sending one. Probably because I don't know how to find it. I am not vedry good on the computer.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Click on your avatar (picture)

Click on conversations


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Jerryberry said:


> How can you generate your own electricity using animals?


One way is to burn the methane produced by their manure. That's what was done in _Mad Max; Beyond Thunderdome_.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Danaus29 said:


> One way is to burn the methane produced by their manure. That's what was done in _Mad Max; Beyond Thunderdome_.


Electricity needs methane?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

You use methane to run a generator to make electricity.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

_Mother Earth News_ article that talks about it. 






Make a Biogas Generator to Produce Your Own Natural Gas – Mother Earth News


Transform grass clippings, food waste and livestock manure into renewable energy via a homemade biogas generator.



www.motherearthnews.com


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> You use methane to run a generator to make electricity.


Would it be more efficient to burn the methane in an internal combustion engine to power the generator… or use it to heat water for a steam engine?


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> You use methane to run a generator to make electricity.


You can use animal manure to generate electricity?


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Evons hubby said:


> Would it be more efficient to burn the methane in an internal combustion engine to power the generator… or use it to heat water for a steam engine?


I like to see that at a homestead.


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## CC Pereira (9 mo ago)

Jerryberry said:


> Electricity needs methane?


The purpose of the methane is to burn it, to produce heat, to use it for generating electricity (from heat or a temperature difference). Any heat source will do.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Jerryberry said:


> You can use animal manure to generate electricity?


Yes. Methane is naturally produced by animals and rotting vegetation. Our local landfill generates quite a bit of methane.

Here is a little information on it.









Basic Information about Landfill Gas | US EPA


Learn about methane emissions from landfills, how landfill gas is collected and treated, and the types of landfill gas energy projects.




www.epa.gov




.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

Danaus29 said:


> Yes. Methane is naturally produced by animals and rotting vegetation. Our local landfill generates quite a bit of methane.
> 
> Here is a little information on it.
> 
> ...


Interesting.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Our landfill gives school tours of the collection system but they don't have any real info on their site.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

I found it!


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

That will work for individual use. I can't see you being able to produce enough to sell.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I thought your classes started today?


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> That will work for individual use. I can't see you being able to produce enough to sell.


That's what I'm aiming for.


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## Jerryberry (9 mo ago)

painterswife said:


> I thought your classes started today?


it is. My octa access bus is way late.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Ah. Wood fire. Excellent!


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## Woopsadaisy (Apr 11, 2020)

Jerryberry said:


> I will try to dehydrate milk without electricity.


We have dehyrdrated fruits and things by sticking them on window screens and setting them in the car on a hot day. 
My friends cure their soaps this same way.
I'm not sure why you're stuck on this, but give it a try. Start with a little, spread thin, on wax paper on the screen, or in a cookie sheet. You just never know. You can film it like a science experiement and post it to You tube. could be fun!


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Making your own powdered milk would be very labor intensive and in an emergency situation would take up too much of your time. Without power you will be milking by hand, so you will already have plenty of work to do. Use fresh milk for yourself, feed the rest to your hogs, chickens, dogs, and neighbors. And save your energy for the other hundred things you will be doing in a grid down situation. 

Or you could go ahead and ignore all of the advice you have been given by some very experienced people. When the power comes back on, and the internet is up and running again, be sure to let us know how that worked out for you.


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