# Poor man's cream separation?



## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

Would this work? 

If I partially freeze milk.. it freezes the thinner water in the milk first-- leaving a thicker product sloshing around. 

Does that count as heavy cream? I have a heck of a time getting cream separate from my dexter milk but I'd _really_ like to be able to do some whipped cream and butter. 
Anybody ever tried it?


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

are you separating goats or cow's milk?


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

I put my goats milk in a stainless steel stock pot, in the Reefer, and if fill to where it touches the lid, I end up with a heavy cream to skim off, and use a spatula on the lid, and keep that in a container in the freezer. and cow milk should seperate easier than goats,


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

DB, someone once posted that they use one of those wide mouth gallon sun tea jars to let the cream rise on the milk. Then they just drain off the skim into another container, leaving the cream behind.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Freezing milk just gets frozen milk in with your cream.

Voice of experience. 

A simple stainless restaurant skimmer and a spatula works great.
The quicker you chill the fresh milk, and the longer you let it sit in the fridge, the more cream will come to the top.

That is, you're better off giving the milk 24-36 hours rather than skimming after 12 hours in the cooler.

While we're on it, don't buy a butter churn or foul your blender making butter. 
Get a quart jar; fill it half full of cream; shake vigorously and voila.....little mess/little cleanup, and a wad of butter that is easy to work the buttermilk out of.


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## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

We use a Sun Tea jar to skim the milk. I filter the milk right into the jar, stick it in the fridge and the next day the cream is at the top, skim comes out the little spigot at the bottom. Works like a charm.


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## oth47 (Jan 11, 2008)

BlackWillowFarm said:


> We use a Sun Tea jar to skim the milk. I filter the milk right into the jar, stick it in the fridge and the next day the cream is at the top, skim comes out the little spigot at the bottom. Works like a charm.


This right here.Just don't forget to loosen the lid before you drain the milk.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I just use wide mouth quart jars. I only need 1 a day, the rest goes in the slop bucket with grain for the chickens. This makes it easy to skim as I can see the layer, 3 days is best before skimming. Mine is goat milk. I use a quart jar to make butter, fill 1/2 to 2/3 full and put a marble in the jar, shake. Takes about half the time as it does with no marble....James


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

Yeah, my dexter cow milk just does not like to separate  3 days and I still don't have much of a cream line.


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

Dusky Beauty said:


> Yeah, my dexter cow milk just does not like to separate  3 days and I still don't have much of a cream line.


What are ya feeding her...I'm new to milking cows and my Dexter gives a varying amount of cream as we milk and them pour into 1/2 gallon jars. There is a different cream line to each jar. 
As an example today I made a batch of mozzarella...it uses 4 gallons of milk...I partially skimmed the 4 gallons and ended up with 2 quarts of cream.


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## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

I posted the picture some time ago of our sun tea pitcher cream separator. It works like a charm, at least for our Jersey milk. Skim milk comes out the bottom spigot, leaving all the cream in the jar. We make our own butter and cheeses and yogurt.


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

thequeensblessing said:


> I posted the picture some time ago of our sun tea pitcher cream separator. It works like a charm, at least for our Jersey milk. Skim milk comes out the bottom spigot, leaving all the cream in the jar. We make our own butter and cheeses and yogurt.


Thanks! We will be trying this next!


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## laurajean23 (Nov 28, 2012)

The sun tea pitcher is a great idea! I was just talking to my mom earlier today about finding a good solution for skimming cream, so this is very timely.


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## Laverne (May 25, 2008)

It sounds like the Dexter's milk has properties similar to goats milk. I have a couple cream separator's but they're a pain to use for just a few gallons. I have the milk in half gallon jars, letting each one sit for a week or two, then siphon off the milk at the bottom.


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## steff bugielski (Nov 10, 2003)

How hard is it to clean the valve on those sun tea jars?
I would imagine the milk getting inside the ball and never really getting clean. Would it eventually start to smell?


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