How do YOU pasteurize?

[ChickenPotPie]

We expect all our children, no matter what their age, to pay for their own animals. With recent kidding, hay purchases, disbudding, castration, and meds for mastitis, my 11 yr old son is really getting into debt with the Bank of Mom and Dad.

The vet told my son that he can make good money the selling kids he won't keep. She also told him that he could make a bundle selling pasteurized milk to their clients. Problem is that we don't really want to loan him a few to several hundred dollars for a automatic pasteurizer. He'd like to find another, easy, method.

What methods do you use for pasteurization?

 

[jessica117]

I have yet to start milking but plan to try my hand at it this year. The method I plan to use comes from Alton Brown (love that guy!) All you need is a stove, a big pot (I plan on using my stock pot) and a digital cooking thermometer.

You heat the milk to 145F and hold it there for 30 min then cool.

Here is a link to a transcript of the show where he told how to do it. Scroll down not quite half way to Scene 8.

I also found the same info at Fias Co Farm .

I won't be pasteurizing for everything, but I will be for certian recipies... and probably for drinking.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Alton Brown is my hero. I'll check out those links.

Has anyone used a water bath to pasteurize? I read that you put the milk in quart canning jars. I'm not sure if you put the lids and rings on, though. My son seemed to be excited about that idea since he sees me canning. I'm wondering how you're supposed to cool it quickly using that method, though. The hot jars would break from the sudden change in temperature, you know? Has anyone used that method or know someone who has? I'd really like to hear about that.

If we can't figure out how to do the jars in the water bath canning method, we'll do the large pot method. Do you just stick the pot on the stove top or do you need to put the pot in another pot filled with water so it doesn't scorch?

 

[jessica117]

You know... It's been a while since I've actually seen that episode. I want to say he just had it on the stove. When I make rice pudding (which is mostly milk the way I make it ) I have it at a rolling boil for 30 min and have never had problems with scorching and I'm sure it's well above 145F or it wouldn't be boiling. I just stir about every 5 min or so.

I'm with you on the rapid cooling and glass jars just wouldn't mix. Hopefully somebody has more insight than I do on that one.

 

[AlaskanShepherdess]

What are the raw milk laws for your area? Could he do just a goat share program? That is legal in most states, and much easier then pasteurizing.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

What are the raw milk laws for your area? Could he do just a goat share program? That is legal in most states, and much easier then pasteurizing.

My family has always used the milk raw. The reason he needs to pasteurize it is for the veterinary clients. Pasteurization is required to ensure that the goats do not pass on anything to the sick animals drinking the milk. It makes clients feel safe using it.

 

[AlaskanShepherdess]

OK, I missed the part about it being for sick animals.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

Check into state laws about milk sales. Here in GA you are required to have a license to sell milk labeled for pets.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Check into state laws about milk sales. Here in GA you are required to have a license to sell milk labeled for pets.

Wow, that's pretty restrictive. In California, we can't sell raw milk for human consumption (Thanks a lot, Arnold). However, we can sell raw milk for craft, but some people buy that milk to get around the law. I mean, who's going to check to see what they're using it for once they get it home? Our vet said that goat milk they prescribe to animals must be pasteurized. I think that is pretty standard.

 

[Roll farms]

I pastuerize on top of the stove.
I put a HUGE (think Witch's cauldron) pot of water on to boil, then I set a 14 qt pan w/ the milk in it down inside of that and stir constantly until the milk reaches 165 dg for 30 seconds.
I have metal canning lid rings in the bottom of the big pot to keep the milk pan from sitting on the bottom of the water pan.
It's sort of like a giant double boiler.

Cool it FAST in a sink of ice water, I just keep adding ice / cold water until I can work w/ it and then fill kid bottles (or glass milk bottles for our use) and put them in cold water.

The faster it's cooled, the better it tastes.