Sanitizing tubing of milking machine

Pamela Carlton

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I just purchased a milking machine and am figuring out all of the logistics. I plan to clean with warm soapy water and hot bleach water after each milking. However, after air drying/hanging the tubing it is not 100% dry prior to the next milking. I have read that you should re-sanitize just prior to milking. I am just not sure how to do this and not get sanitizer or bleach in the milk. What do you all do?
Thanks!!
 

Donna R. Raybon

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Use bleach and water and rinse no more than 30 minutes before you milk. Use cold water as hot can 'boil' off ch!orine. Best I remember a 10% bleach solution and rinse for at least 3 minutes.

I save that sanitize rinse, add warm water to get it up to 100*F and use that skin temp water to rinse machine after milking. This helps keep fat/protien from cooking onto surfaces. Then I dump that water and draw fresh hot (read what temp detergent says to use) add detergent and wash for 5 minutes. Dump and draw up cold water to which is added acid for final rinse. Run that for 3 minutes dump and drain dry.

I think our hot water is about 160*F. You want to ensure all surfaces come in contact with solutions. Our system has air injector to make sure a slug of solution fills pipe. With home milk machine you get same effect by lifting claw out of solution to suck a bit of air.
 

Pamela Carlton

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Thanks Donna - If you use bleach within 30 minutes of milking don't you worry about there still being bleach on the tubing and having it get into the milk?
 

Donna R. Raybon

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No, I don't worry about it, you are talking about a very small amount diluted in water and then drained.

Remember though to not mix any of the bleach with anything that is acid. Like bleach and vinegar mixed will liberate chlorine gas, a bit 'not good' on the ol' lungs. On our pipeline system I am mixing about a cup of bleach to about ten gallons of water. I dump that after I milk by running it through the system (warmed up with hot water) to get initial coating of milk off. Then I run sink of hot water and add the detergent. Run that through system and dump and then another new sink full and add the acid, run and dump. Never had any problems with any fumes coming from the drain. I might be concerned about dumping down a home's drain and into septic as that much chemicals might kill the bacteria in tank?
 

AlebertoDoon

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Hmm, I think you should read the composition of the substance with which you wash milking machines. You say that you wash with soapy water, perhaps to create this solution you use soap or detergent that is not dangerous for domestic consumption, such products are made for dishes, so it won't be a big deal if a little solution gets into the milk. A friend of mine who works with similar devices on https://www.valorexo.com / he told me about it because I have been engaged in cattle breeding not so long ago and I am not well versed in such topics. I think that if you are worried, just rinse the milking machine with water again and everything will definitely be clean.
 
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