# Milking Idea



## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

Just me thinking out loud but I was trying to figure out how to get the milk as cold I can as fast as I can. It could be over 100°F while I'm milking this summer so every second counts when its that hot. It got me thinking why milk into a bucket then struggle to empty it into another container sitting in ice? So here's my idea.

Take a small plastic bucket and put a funnel in it that is connected to a tube. Cut a hole in the bottom of the side of the bucket for the tube to come out and somehow put a filtering system in the tube then have it go into a container in some ice. So all you do is milk into the funnel and have gravity take care of the rest. I will start working on this in a week or so because I don't have anything I need right now and put pictures up if anyone is interested in seeing it.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Cool! I'm looking forward to pictures!
Up till now I have only gotten small amounts, so cooling wasn't a problem. But I'll be milking four does this year, so I need an efficient way to cool milk.


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## ItchingDuck (Jan 21, 2012)

I also would be interested in something like that. Hurry! Pics! Then patent it and make some money lol
I wonder if I'm not getting mine cold fast enough. I definitely taste the goat in goat's milk. I've trouble shot the issue and all I can think is it's not cooling fast enough. Or it's cause I'm used to skim milk, and I can't skim my goat milk.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I am going to have two maybe three FF does freshening this year and going to have a job now. One doe has had a precocious udder that I know can hold nearly a gallon at one time and I never let her get completely full so I think I'm going to be handling a bit of milk so I wanted something to cut down on the time and if I can get a filter on the tubing it could help a ton.


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## ItchingDuck (Jan 21, 2012)

The filter is going to take trial and error I'm sure.
Great idea nonetheless


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

You will have to let us know how it works! I will be milking 2 does for sure and as long as everythink works out 3 does, this sound interesting!


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## ettasmama (Jun 27, 2010)

I like the idea.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

You go girl!!!! I love the idea of new inventions!! I went to my drawer and put my milk funnel/strainer into a funnel ... and was thinking about having a filter in between the two of them... Anyway, let us know what you come up with.. It's a GREAT idea! and probably marketable!!


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

I know a gal that cut a hole in the platform of her milk stand. Built a box, with insulation that mounted under the hole. She puts her frozen milk bottle in the box, with her milk strainer in the top, and she milks into the strainer. So, she milks and strains and the insulated box helps cool the milk. Pretty interesting plan, imo.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I thought about putting a hole in my stand but I'd rather not. Just one other way to get splintered. I really need to seal it before it just turns into a big splinter.


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## cyanne (Jan 7, 2009)

I bought the 4 qt. stainless steel milk pails from Hoegger Supply, along with their small strainer. The strainer fits perfectly in the opening of the pail once you fiddle with the handle a little bit. I keep a couple of small bottles of water in my freezer and when I am going out to milk I pop one of them into my milk pail, then put the strainer in the pail. I milk into a small, stainless steel bowl and as it fills up I just pour it into the strainer and it passes through the filter and trickles down onto the frozen bottle. This helps cool the milk fast and keep it cool while I finish milking, then I bring it inside and pop it in the fridge to finish cooling. 

Have tried putting it in the freezer to cool it faster, but I always forget to take it out and end up with frozen milk!

If I am not planning to use the milk right away, I divide it into 1 qt freezer bags and put them (laying flat so they are easy to stack) in the freezer to freeze.

If I pasteurize milk, the trick I use to cool it down fast is to put the pail into a sink full of icewater. I then stir the milk continuously as well as stirring the cold water around the pail. It's a pain in the rear, but it cools the milk down fast.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

Well I found one of my containers to put the milk in. It holds a gallon and is glass. Glass jugs are so hard to find now a days. Still don't have the tubing or any of that but I'll get that soon.










It currently has organic apple juice in it but that will be gone soon and we can buy another one.  It was $7.50 for it, a bit pricey.


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