How to help keep milk cold while still in the bucket (during milking)?

[Kala]

I know, that title shows my clear mastery of the english language but I couldn't think of any other way to put it!!


Just wondering what others did to help keep milk cold when milking multiple goats? Our barn is a piece away from the house and we didn't really want to have to run back and forth between milking each goat to throw the milk into the fridge/freezer. So we put the bucket in the freezer for a few minutes before we go out. We also put in a few of those blue freezer stick things into the bucket to help keep it chilled until we can get it into the house. I know those things are probably some really nasty plastic and who knows whats actually inside of them but it seems to work pretty well for us so far and they're only in there for a few minutes.

 

[Neko-chan]

...

 

[Kala]

Well...last time I checked, milk didn't come out of the animal chilled, so you might be fighting a loosing battle. I'd just milk the goats and chill the milk when I finished and got back to the house.

Well no, its at body temp give or take and the sooner you can get the body heat off of it and get the temp down the longer the milk will last. And no matter how quickly we milk and try to get it back up to the house something always inevitably holds us up a few minutes. So we were just brainstorming ways to help ourselves out a bit

 

[Neko-chan]

...

 

[Kala]

I'll be sure to tell the goats and chickens next time that I'm in a hurry and simply can't be stopped...that should go over well.

 

[Neko-chan]

...

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Double bucket system, with ice cubes in the middle.
Another option, is to keep a stainless bottle with water in it, in the freezer. Make sure its only half full.
Keep it very clean, and just set it in the bicket while you milk.

 

[Rebbetzin]

I came up with a "chiller" that works really well. I have to drive a few blocks to get to the goat pen, and with our summers being so hot, I wanted to begin to chill the milk right away.

At a local grocery store I found these "ice packs"

And then I made a quited cover that a half gallon canning jar will fit, and used velcro to keep it tight around the jar. It works great!

I like it because it doesn't take messing around with ice, and it is reusable.

 

[Rebbetzin]

Double bucket system, with ice cubes in the middle.
Another option, is to keep a stainless bottle with water in it, in the freezer. Make sure its only half full.
Keep it very clean, and just set it in the bicket while you milk.

Now that is a great idea!! Of course, I don't keep much milk in the bucket at a time, I pour it into the canning jar when I have 8 to 10 oz. Because, the goats seem to think it is very funny to either step in the bucket, or try to kick it at times and get "stuff" in the milk!

 

[freemotion]

Milk straight from the goat or cow is very protected by good bacteria. As long as no one put a foot in it, the milk should be fine for quite a while until you can get it chilled.

I don't really worry about it so much anymore. Milk keeps in my fridge for an amazingly long time. Weeks, even. What seems to be most important when saving it up for cheese making (for me, anyways) is to not disturb it in the fridge. I put gallon jars all the way in the back where it is coldest and also so no one has to move them around to get to anything. They don't move. The cream will form a seal and the milk will keep a loooooooong time.

Of course, if it is an hour or more between milking that first goat and getting it to the kitchen, I take it all back. Run that ice pack through the dishwasher between each use to sanitize it.