# Homemade Butter from Goats Milk



## tberggren (May 1, 2008)

I see that some of you do this, 
I am hoping to also,(well as soon as I get a milking goat that is, LOL) and hope you will share your know how as well as any tips you've learned along the way. 

Thanks so much

Theresa


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## goatsareus (Jun 23, 2007)

making butter from goats milk is very problematic. The cream does not easily separate from the milk. You need a cream separater to do that. I think most of us goat raisers do not make any appreciable amount of butter from our goats milk. I buy butter when on sale and freeze it.

What is your interest in goat butter?


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## tberggren (May 1, 2008)

I just want some raw homemade butter, and goat milk is the only milk I will have available to do so. Does the same go for making cheese?


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

I have been using my goat milk to make cheese, and it works well.
Although sometimes I will have 1/2 inch of cream on the milk, I don't think it would be worth trying to make butter. It is a far cry from the 5 inches cream I would get on cows milk.
I buy butter on sale and can it. Trying to clear out the freezer.


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## Bricore (Sep 8, 2007)

Hello!
I do it but I also still buy my butter too.. I let mine sit in the back of my refrigerator for a few days. Then take the cream off the top of it and freeze the cream until I have enough to make butter with it (the milk that I had sitting to get the cream I use in a spray for my plants or feed it to my other livestock.)
I like to add a little honey or cinnamon to my butter when I am making it.

Dora Renee' Wilkerson


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## Bricore (Sep 8, 2007)

Oh, a tip....
Let the cream sit out and get to room temp before shaking your jar (otherwise it'll take longer to turn.) The only other tip I could pass along to you is that when you wash out your buttermilk from your butter is to use COLD water doing it or otherwise you may wash your butter down the drain (I have done that before.lol)

Dora Renee' Wilkerson


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## tberggren (May 1, 2008)

Thanks Dora!!
Really appreciate the tips, so it is possible, good to know!


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## Corky (May 11, 2002)

I make goat milk butter all the time.
I also let the milk set for a couple of days befor skimming the cream of.
I have found that the little gravy dipper that came with my flatware works best for this.
I also freeze the cream till I have two quarts and then churn it in my churn after letting it warm to room temp. Wash and salt to taste. It will be white. It is very sweet and good.

I never thought to make poo butter with it. Good idea!

DH complains that it gets too hard. As poo butter (w/honey) it wouldn't and we mostly use it on toast anyway.


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## Leo (Feb 7, 2006)

Ditto what Corky said, I get a quart of cream/2wks. from my does w/o a cream seperator. Just put the milk in a wide bowl and skim with a gravy dipper. 

When I have enough cream(about 1qt) I used my handheld mixer and churn away, till I get those lovely white bits of butter, I drain the butter milk and press out the rest under cool running water. I don't salt it, but for long term storage I just freeze it. 

PS. the higher the butterfat your doe has the easier it is to get cream without a cream seperator, and not all Nubians have good BF levels.
Megan


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## goatsareus (Jun 23, 2007)

tberggren said:


> I just want some raw homemade butter, and goat milk is the only milk I will have available to do so. Does the same go for making cheese?


goats milk is excellent for making cheese, and yogurt, and buttermilk, but especially cheese, I make lotsa cheese


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## whodunit (Mar 29, 2004)

Our milk if it sits for about a week will get about 3 inches of cream per gallon.

I skimmed this off and made butter.

The only reason we had milk sitting around so long to even find this out was due to us being gone for a week and having somebody who doesn't like goat milk milking our goat LOL

Have also found that cream separates out of the milk better if the milk was frozen for a bit.


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## Dreaming2Loudly (Apr 19, 2007)

I do the same as the others....skim and freeze untill I have enough. I only let my milk set for one day. 

Only have one in milk right now, she is a Nigerian Dwarf FF and giving 1qt and 1 cup of milk per day. Out of that amount I get a bit over a 1/4 cup of cream per day. When i have 2 cups (every 8 days) of cream I make butter. The amount of butter from cream will definately depend on your doe but I will get 8oz of butter from from 16oz of cream.


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## draggahaus (Feb 3, 2008)

what breed of goat produces more cream? And can you feed them something to produce more cream?

I think I would like to make some butter. I am looking at starting some cheeses soon. does anyone make Cheddar? I see it has to age for a year, where do you keep it so you can keep the temp right and age it?


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

draggahaus said:


> what breed of goat produces more cream? And can you feed them something to produce more cream?
> 
> I think I would like to make some butter. I am looking at starting some cheeses soon. does anyone make Cheddar? I see it has to age for a year, where do you keep it so you can keep the temp right and age it?


It seems my Alpine gives more cream, but I milk them all together so I can't be sure.
I have 3 "beginners" cheddars I just waxed and will be aging. But, I read they need to age 2-5 months! I guess I need to research that again.


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## Sasha (May 22, 2006)

Many cheddars can be eaten after a month, although the flavor improves over six months. Parmesan is traditionally aged for one year.

We keep our aging cheeses in the breadbox or, if there isn't room, the pantry.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Sasha, you read my mind! I have been wondering all day where to age my cheese at! Thnx for the tip!!
Do you make Parmesan? is it hard? I am thinking of trying it.
Sounds complicated.


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## Sasha (May 22, 2006)

I haven't tried Parmesan yet--I'm intimidated by it.


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

I overheated and over pressed my first cheddar, and it turned out like parmesean. Wonderful!


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

well, I did the first cheddar the same way Rose! Maybe I will have parmesean from it! lol!
I will try the velveeta first, then the parmesean.


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## goatsareus (Jun 23, 2007)

Rose said:


> I overheated and over pressed my first cheddar, and it turned out like parmesean. Wonderful!



LOL, ....early in my cheesemaking career I learned to NEVER name the cheese until after it was done! Often times it turned out to be something other than what I intended


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## draggahaus (Feb 3, 2008)

don't you have to keep it at a certain temp while it ages. My A/C died so it will get warm in the summer in the house??what do you think?


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## Dreaming2Loudly (Apr 19, 2007)

draggahaus said:


> what breed of goat produces more cream? And can you feed them something to produce more cream?QUOTE]
> 
> Nigerian Dwarfs have the highest butterfat of any dairy goat.
> 
> http://fiascofarm.com/goats/breeds.htm


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## Leo (Feb 7, 2006)

Also feeding them BOSS and free choice baking soda will increase their butterfat.


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## whodunit (Mar 29, 2004)

Leo said:


> Also feeding them BOSS and free choice baking soda will increase their butterfat.


I am drawing a blank, whats BOSS?


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## goatsareus (Jun 23, 2007)

whodunit said:


> I am drawing a blank, whats BOSS?


Black Oil Sunflower Seeds....and I question whether it is true that feeding BOSS would increase butterfat in milk. If it does, it would be negligible. I would think genetics plays a bigger role in determining butterfat content than feed.


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