# Chilling quickly as you milk



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

Hubby came up with a solution (literally) for getting the goat milk cold quickly. We mixed up a saturated salt solution that we keep in the freezer between milkings. At milking time, the extremely cold salt slush goes into a stainless steel bucket that is slightly larger than our milk bucket. As we milk, each squirt of milk is chilled quickly, and the accumulating milk is resting against a very cold bucket bottom. When we got the milk to the house, the temp was already down to 58 degrees. 

One advantage of re-using the frozen salt solution is that we aren't using up all the ice in our fridge's ice maker twice a day!

We used about two cups of salt for 1 1/2 quarts of water.

Here's the jug of frozen (slushy) salt water, next to the bucket that will hold it while we milk.









Salt solution in the outside bucket.









Milk bucket set inside cold salt solution bucket.









Milking into the cold inside bucket. We use a homemade milker, designed on Maggidan's idea.


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## doodles (Sep 27, 2002)

What is the salt /ice ratio?


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## Patty0315 (Feb 1, 2004)

I use the little ice things you would put in your lunch box. I have several frozen and then put them in my milk pan . When I am done I take the milk in strain it and put it in the freezer for an hour or so.


Patty


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

We used about two cups of salt for 1 1/2 quarts of water.


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## AnniesGoats (May 18, 2007)

The water/salt combination does not freeze totally, it just gets slushy? Just making sure I understand. 

Also, if you do not mind, how much do you milk out each time? I am interested in the fast chill method. but trying to determine if it will work in large volumes. My volume is down right now, 1 1/2 gallons in the AM, and about 1/2 gallon in the PM.


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

Yes, it just gets slushy. If yours freezes too hard, let it thaw and add more salt.

I'm milking only one goat, about 1 1/2 quarts in the morning and evening. The ice is not thawed by the time I'm done. There is room in the outside bucket for more slush, so you could just make a bigger batch.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Hey, you could just go ahead and make some icecream too.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Is it necessary, even possible, to get all that salt to dissolve? I'm trying, by stirring & stirring, but there's still a LOT of salt undissolved at the bottom of the container.

NeHi


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

Heat it, either in a pot on the stove or in the microwave.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Oh! That'd do it. Never thought of that. Thanks!

NeHi


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## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

Its a good idea, I did the same thing when I had goats only I used a large stainless steel bowl that the bucket milker fit in.


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