# How do you cool you're fresh milk?



## minifarmer (Mar 28, 2008)

I am wondering how you all cool your fresh milk quickly. I get 5 cups of goat's milk at a time and put it in the freezer for 45 minutes then the fridge. I am wondering if I should chill it longer in the freezer?


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## woodsman (Dec 8, 2008)

Works for me. I usually set a timer for an hour. Though if you forget about it and it freezes don't try making cheese out of it.

Also keep it away from any frozen meats and other stuff you don't want to defrost a little every time you put warm milk next to them. I separate milk from frozen stuff with frozen ice packs.


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## prairiegirl (Nov 2, 2004)

I have a large bowl of ice water in the frig that I put the jars of milk into. I've heard other use a large cooler filled with ice water.


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## robinthegeek (Nov 18, 2004)

I put a couple of plastic ice packs in the bucket when I'm milking, so it's starts to chill as soon as it leaves the goat! Then I just filter and put in the fridge.


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## busymomof7 (May 11, 2010)

I strain mine into jars, then place the jars in a sink full of ice water. I stir the milk and change the water a couple of times. Then, I put the jars in the freezer for an hour. I set the timer, too. Then, I move them to the fridge. 

_______________________________

~Julie~

Keeping the weight off...while balancing a large family, a frugal lifestyle, and a hobby farm.

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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

prairiegirl said:


> I have a large bowl of ice water in the frig that I put the jars of milk into. I've heard other use a large cooler filled with ice water.


That's exactly what we do. It is starting to get tedious, though, I wonder if there is a more efficient way to do it. I tried to find a small chilling vat, like 25 gal, but it was 3,500$!


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## FunnyRiverFarm (May 25, 2010)

I have a plastic tub that is a bit larger than my milk pail. I fill it with ice water and set the milk pail in it so the milk starts cooling as soon as it leaves the udder practically. Once I get the milk to the house it is strained into jars and put in the freezer for a couple hours...if I am not going to be home to remove the jars from the freezer I just put them on the bottom shelf of the fridge toward the back. I never use jars larger than 1/2 gal because the milk takes too long to cool in them.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

prairiegirl said:


> I have a large bowl of ice water in the frig that I put the jars of milk into. I've heard other use a large cooler filled with ice water.


That is the best and fastest way to chill milk.


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## robinthegeek (Nov 18, 2004)

I've also read of keeping a slurry of crushed ice and alcohol in a tub in the freezer. Stick your jars of fresh milk in the slurry to chill them quickly. The advantage being you can keep reusing the slurry and not have to keep making fresh tubs of ice water.

I keep meaning to try this method!


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

Umm... You would still have to replaced the crushed ice. Ice is ice...


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

i believe you can make cheese from frozen milk, at least after thawed.

i use an ice bottle in the bucket as i milk. less hassle than all those containers of ice water, and i dont want to mess with making that much ice. if i had an extra fridge i would use a slurry of water and salt, keep in the freezer. but i just use my half gal jars, back of the fridge after using the water bottles (frozen). works fine, but not 'legal'. i am only milking for home use and its always good tasting.


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## steff bugielski (Nov 10, 2003)

I fill the sink with cold water and add ice cubes( frozen soda bottles ) I also have a pond circulator. They come in a variety of sizes at your feed store. Above 80 gallons per hour is best. That keeps the water moving and it cools the milk faster. I place the thawed soda bottles in the freezer for the next milking.
Works great I get the milk(6-7) gallons down to 45 within 2 hours. More milk more ice, less milk less ice needed.


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## robinthegeek (Nov 18, 2004)

Heritagefarm said:


> Umm... You would still have to replaced the crushed ice. Ice is ice...


I don't think so! At least not often. 

Okay, my mission this weekend is to try this out and post some photos, we'll see how it goes :hrm:


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## [email protected] (Jul 5, 2007)

I use the alcohol slurry and it works great for me.


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

robinthegeek said:


> I don't think so! At least not often.
> 
> Okay, my mission this weekend is to try this out and post some photos, we'll see how it goes :hrm:


All right, well just tell how long the ice lasts!:thumb:


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

robinthegeek said:


> I've also read of keeping a slurry of crushed ice and alcohol in a tub in the* freezer*. Stick your jars of fresh milk in the slurry to chill them quickly. The advantage being you can keep reusing the slurry and not have to keep making fresh tubs of ice water.
> 
> I keep meaning to try this method!





Heritagefarm said:


> Umm... You would still have to replaced the crushed ice. Ice is ice...


The ice shouldn't melt in the freezer.


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## robinthegeek (Nov 18, 2004)

Well, apparently I have too much alcohol in my "slurry" because it never froze at all!

It works really well though. I keep it in a tub in the freezer, then after milking I set the milk jar in the tub of super cooled liquid, put it in the fridge, and I have cold milk in a hurry.

Then just put the tub back in the freezer for next time.


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

Trisha in WA said:


> The ice shouldn't melt in the freezer.


 We put it in the fridge.


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

we put the 1/2 gallon jars into a big canning pot that 'lives' in the utility sink - turn the cold water on to a slow run speed - and leave everything there for 45 minutes or so. The running water circulates the water in the pot - the milk gets nicely chilled quickly. Our running water is about 41 degrees. Our pot can handle 5- 1/2 gallon bottles at a time. It's a pretty good no fuss method.


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## minifarmer (Mar 28, 2008)

So I tried the alcohol/ice slurry method. I took the morning milking, divided it in half. Placed one half in the freezer for one hour (my usual method) and the other half in an alcohol/ice bath in the freezer for one hour as well. Then I put them both in the fridge as usual. Then did a blind taste test on everyone in the house (6 people) 100% said they preferred the slurry method. DH said less 'goaty' dd said it is richer and creamier. So I am now a believer in the slurry method. Thanks everyone for advise. Can't wait to make some yogurt with it.


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## steff bugielski (Nov 10, 2003)

Yes it just takes too long in the freezer to go from 100 degrees down to 45. Just think of how hard your freezer has to work to keep it temp down when you put something hot into it.


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## buslady (Feb 14, 2008)

what kind of alchol are we talking about; rubbing or drinking? I'd like to try this. Buslady


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

Maybe just Vodka?


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## minifarmer (Mar 28, 2008)

I used rubbing alcohol, but I suppose you could use any alcohol because it won't freeze. But I think price might be prohibitive using drinking alcohol.


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## mountainlaurel (Mar 5, 2010)

Question, I know you said goat milk, but we milk Jersey cows and we just strain the milk and stick it in the fridge. Works great. Have y'all ever just tried sticking the goats milk in the fridge without doing all of the other stuff and seeing how it tastes?


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

Yes. It tastes pretty darn bad. You can't do what you can do to a cow's milk what you can do to a goat's milk. It is much more flavor sensitive, and not chilling goat milk properly results in that dreaded 'goat' flavor.
I wonder if anyone else just puts it in the fridge and it doesn't taste bad to them?


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## goto10 (Oct 5, 2009)

I milk directly into a sterilized 24oz applesauce container with funnel and coffee filter. I get about 2.5 cups and that whole thing goes right into the refrigerator with lid on. In the afternoon I measure it and either pour it into my gallon pitcher/cheese batch or small glass pitcher for drinking. I know people say it must be chilled immediately but this method works for me. I drink the milk raw and pasteurize milk for cheese. I've never had any problems with off-taste or getting sick from it.


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## minifarmer (Mar 28, 2008)

wrong forum


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## KimM (Jun 17, 2005)

This is what I do after trying pretty much everything else. I just use a small pail and keep it in the freezer. When I get it out, I cut through the frozen slush to make it a slurry and put the jar of milk in. This gets the milk down to about 38Â° *quick*, giving the jar a swish every few minutes.
As you use this method, you will have to replentish the alcohol now and then as it evaporates while it sits out. 




robinthegeek said:


> I've also read of keeping a slurry of crushed ice and alcohol in a tub in the freezer. Stick your jars of fresh milk in the slurry to chill them quickly. The advantage being you can keep reusing the slurry and not have to keep making fresh tubs of ice water.
> 
> I keep meaning to try this method!


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I think the size of the container makes all the difference. I use a 1 quart glass bottle to cool the milk, quite tall and thin. I leave the clean milk pail in the fridge, take it out to milk, bring it back, strain the milk, pour in my cold glass cooling bottle and put back in the fridge. When I get home from work, I pour the milk into a glass container so I can skim the cream off later and wash the cooling bottle for the next day. But I only do a quart a day....James


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## SiameseVA (Dec 30, 2005)

I guess I am the lazy one. I just put the quart jars of fresh goat milk right into the refrigerator. It tastes great to me! Would it last longer if I cooled it down faster??


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

Well, someone else may find the flavor offensive. I have drank milk that was just put in the fridge, and could not stand it.


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## steff bugielski (Nov 10, 2003)

Most likely it would last longer. My milk lasts up to 3 weeks in a cold fridge with no change in taste.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

I was going to suggest a "wort chiller" (used to cool the wort when brewing beer), but it probably won't bring the temp down enough using it in the conventional way (running cold water through it).








(This is a large wort chiller, 1/2" x 50' of tubing)


However, what if you build your own (after all, all it is basically is coiled copper tubing)? Determine how much 3/8" or 1/2" copper tubing you'd need based on the size of bucket/container your milk is in, thread the ends so they can be capped, make the coil, fill with water, cap the ends, and keep it frozen??? Then all you'd need to do would be immerse it directly into the milk. As you'd have a LOT of surface area, in theory, it should cool it quickly.

Just a thought.


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## VegRN (Jun 23, 2010)

Newbie here, I'm wondering if the glass jars used for keeping the milk could be frozen empty to start cooling the milk as soon as you strain it into the jar (kind of like they freeze empty beer mugs, LOL). I have not tried this, as currently all my doe's milk goes to the bottle baby, but just trying to get myself organized for when the kid weans and I can have her milk!


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## minifarmer (Mar 28, 2008)

I agree with the size of the jar. When we use a half gallon jar, it sits in the alcohol/water slurry for 1 hour, when we use quart jars, only 45 minutes or it starts to freeze on the bottom.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I strain the milk into 20 oz water bottles and set them in various spots in the frig. I've never had any off taste so I guess my frig is cold enough to cool the bottles quick enough to preserve the flavor. 

I like the idea of a double bucket with ice to start cooling the milk immediately, also the ice chest idea.


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## CarolynRenee (Jan 30, 2008)

I put our milk in the freezer for about two hours, then they go into the fridge. I use 1/2 gallon jars. Sometimes there is some ice on the sides, but I don't mind much. 

I don't think that there is any off flavoring, but this is the way we've always done it. Maybe I'll try the slurry in the freezer trick in quart jars & see if DH can taste the difference in a blind taste test.


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

So for those of you who use the slurry method...how much alcohol do you use...would you mind sharing amounts so I can try this for myself.
I usually bring in, filter , then pop into the freezer for a while but sometimes it gets forgotten and the jars crack when the milk freezes.


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## mylala (Jun 3, 2008)

suzyhomemaker09 said:


> So for those of you who use the slurry method...how much alcohol do you use...would you mind sharing amounts so I can try this for myself.
> I usually bring in, filter , then pop into the freezer for a while but sometimes it gets forgotten and the jars crack when the milk freezes.


start out with about 1 part alcohol to 3 parts water. If it freezes too solid add more alcohol. If it is not slurry enough then add more water. You will just have to try and see, and adjust accordingly. At first I tried equal parts and it was just a cold liquid so I had to add water till I got the consistency I wanted. Every three to four days you may have to adjust it with more alcohol, or more water. Works great at cooling the milk.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

I recall reading that, to achieve Grade A dairy results, you must bring the milk down to 38 - 41 degrees within 30 minutes. Here's how I do it, and the milk chilled thus is good up to 10 days (raw), stored in the fridge, of course. 

I use a 5-gallon bucket with a couple of blue ice (reusable ice blocks) in the bottom. The jar of strained milk sets on these blocks (3/4 gal jar, or two 1/2 gal jars). I then add a pitcher full of ice cubes. All this time I've had the tap running cold water to draw up the coldest. I surround the jars in the bucket with more ice blocks and add cold water up to past the jars' shoulders. 

Agitate the jars every so often, and test the temp. At 30 minutes, the milk should be cold enough (38 - 41 degrees) to place in the fridge.

Thanks, Mylala, for the alcohol slurry ratios. I want to try this myself.

Hope this was helpful to someone.

P.S. Get the milk from the goat to the chilling bucket ASAP. No fooling around, taking care of other chores! Do the other chores while the milk is chilling.


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## minifarmer (Mar 28, 2008)

nehimama said:


> P.S. Get the milk from the goat to the chilling bucket ASAP. No fooling around, taking care of other chores! Do the other chores while the milk is chilling.



yep, no hoof trimming while the milk sits in the barn. lol


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

minifarmer said:


> yep, no hoof trimming while the milk sits in the barn. lol


Voice of experience??? LOL!


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

mylala said:


> start out with about 1 part alcohol to 3 parts water. If it freezes too solid add more alcohol. If it is not slurry enough then add more water. You will just have to try and see, and adjust accordingly. At first I tried equal parts and it was just a cold liquid so I had to add water till I got the consistency I wanted. Every three to four days you may have to adjust it with more alcohol, or more water. Works great at cooling the milk.


Do you put this in the freezer or fridge?


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## mylala (Jun 3, 2008)

Heritagefarm said:


> Do you put this in the freezer or fridge?


Freezer


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

Oh... Well, we use the fridge, because if we put it in the freezer, we'd forget and have all this frozen milk. It's probably a better idea, but with so much to do around here, anything extra to worry/remember has to be eliminated. I'm assuming the alcohol doesn't make cold water colder in the fridge? Hm, on a side note, never buy antifreeze for your windshields again: Vodka works wonders in your wiper fluid.


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## mylala (Jun 3, 2008)

Heritagefarm said:


> Oh... Well, we use the fridge, because if we put it in the freezer, we'd forget and have all this frozen milk. It's probably a better idea, but with so much to do around here, anything extra to worry/remember has to be eliminated. I'm assuming the alcohol doesn't make cold water colder in the fridge? Hm, on a side note, never buy antifreeze for your windshields again: Vodka works wonders in your wiper fluid.


I'm sorry I thought you were asking where I stored the slurry in between uses. While I'm using it I leave it on the counter. My frige is too full, and I also would forget it in the freezer.


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

Oh, it chills fast enough to leave it on the counter?


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## mylala (Jun 3, 2008)

Heritagefarm said:


> Oh, it chills fast enough to leave it on the counter?


It does. You have to make sure you have enough slurry for the amount of milk you are cooling. After I get it in the slurry I go back outside and release the babies back to momma, and feed the chickens (about 5 min). I come back in take a shower and get ready for work, and right bedfore I leave I put milk in frige, and it is ice cold. Every time I walk by it I give the jars a lil swirl. When I put it up the slurry is like a slushie drink texture, and back to the freezer it goes to firm up a little bit till the next time.


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## mylala (Jun 3, 2008)

I just checked my milk, and at 30 min it was 39 degrees. I have wondered how cold the slurry gets, and I checked it at the same time (30 min) and it was a steamy 20 degrees!!!! I didn't know it got that cold, and that was at the 30 min mark on the counter in an un-air conditioned house with hot milk being placed in it.


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

What alcohol are you using? Put rum in it, and it's been 90 minutes and it's still warm.


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## mylala (Jun 3, 2008)

Heritagefarm said:


> What alcohol are you using? Put rum in it, and it's been 90 minutes and it's still warm.


Rubbing alcohol


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

You have to put it in the freezer.:goodjob:


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> You have to put it in the freezer.:goodjob:


The bucket of slurry, that is.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Heritagefarm said:


> Well, someone else may find the flavor offensive. I have drank milk that was just put in the fridge, and could not stand it.


I wonder if we keep our fridge colder than some... I put the milk right into the very back of the fridge; it chills quickly and tastes great.

Lately, though, I've been putting at least a milking a day straight into the freezer. Lots more milk than last year!


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

Well, the fridge can only get so cold, but eggs freeze occasionally, and the milk may get frozen around the edges...


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

I'm milking an Alpine, and no goaty flavor here, even after several days just in fridge. I may try the ice bath while milking and see how that goes..


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I've been doing the ice water for the past few days. We'll see...


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