# Sour milk smell in glass



## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

We use a sun tea glass jar for raw milk (the kind with the spigot at the bottom). I wash it in hot soapy water, and I always wash it, let it drain well, pour the milk in, and back in the fridge it goes.

We ran out of milk yesterday, so I washed the jar, let it drain and dry, then put the lid on loosely with the cap opened on the counter overnight. When I went to pour milk in this evening, the smell about knocked me over! Wow - I was not expecting that!

It has never affected the taste of the milk, and I never even realized it was smelly until the jar sat empty last night. Is this what they call 'milkstone'? Should I be using something different to clean it? 

Our first Jersey heifer should calf in March, so we'll have our own milk - I've got a lot to learn!


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## steff bugielski (Nov 10, 2003)

I would think it is the spout. I do not think you can clean it well enough unless you can take it apart completely. The feed store might have acid wash for the milkstone. I do not know if it will be able to get into all the hiding places of that spout.

Best to use a plain glass jar like a mason 1/2 gallon.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Let set with hot water, 1/4 cup vinegar and baking soda for 1/2 an hour, run some through the spout while hot, once a week or so....James


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

i'd clean it like james said, maybe even run a tad of bleach water thru it, then use it for tea, and get new jars for milk. i too use the half gal mason jars for milk, got those white plastic lids, and that's working the best of all. its pre-measured for 'sharing' or making cheese, and i can fit my fat hand in it to scrub if needed. pours pretty easy, and they aren't real expensive either.


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## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

jwal10 said:


> Let set with hot water, 1/4 cup vinegar and baking soda for 1/2 an hour, run some through the spout while hot, once a week or so....James


I washed it with vinegar, and that seemed to help, but I'll try this too. Thanks! 

We like the bottom spouts - that way we've got the cream last, and use it for butter (or half & half). We might have to go to the half gallon masons though. 

Thanks everyone!


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## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

I use a plastic sun tea jar too. Everytime it's empty, which is often, I rinse it thoroughly in warm water with the spigot open to wash the milk film from inside, then I run hot water with dishsoap leaving the spigot open to flush the inside of the spigot. After that I take it completely apart by pulling the spigot out of the jar and run everything through the dishwasher leaving it to air dry completely before reassembling.

For a scrubbing wash, I use vinegar and baking soda with dishsoap and wash while it's foaming. This has been working for me for over two years.


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## Waiting Falcon (Nov 25, 2010)

ALWAYS rinse milk jars with cold water until the water no longer looks milky.
THEN wash with hot soapy water. Sun tea jars were made for tea, not milk. 
You could have also sorts of bacteria build up and even with tea the spigot needs to be cleaned as frequently and well as you wash your tea glasses.
I would suggest you store your milk in smaller containers and not use the spigot jars.
In the old days people poured milk in to pitchers for table use.
If you have children - that use the spigot for ease- I would get smaller jars /bottles that that little hands can handle to pour by themselves . Just make sure what ever you get will be easy to clean.


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## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

Waiting Falcon said:


> ALWAYS rinse milk jars with cold water until the water no longer looks milky.


I'm afraid I have to disagree slightly with this comment. Using too cold or too hot water at first can cause milkstone to develop. It's best to use water about the same temperature as the cow, around 100 degrees. This causes the milk to dissolve better. Hot water will cook the milk and cold water has a similar effect causing the cellular walls to harden and make it more difficult to remove. A warm water rinse works best. I agree you should rinse it until there isn't any noticeable milk left, then wash with soap and hot water.

I've been using a sun tea jar to separate my milk for over two years without having the milk go sour. I did buy a better spigot because the little rubber knobby type always ended up leaking. The most important thing is to get every nook and cranny cleaned up and dry before you fill it with fresh milk.


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## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

about the spigot but jars can be placed out in sunshine after washing and it helps git rid of the smell...


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