| Author |
Topic |
|
NellieBelle
11217 Posts
|
 Posted - Jul 22 2014 : 2:06:15 PM
|
| Has anyone tried the manual cream separator? I'm thinking about purchasing a hand crank cream separator. Thinking I may get more cream this way and less time waiting? Any thoughts on this? Thank you. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
|
|
maryjane
7074 Posts
|
Posted - Jul 22 2014 : 5:39:10 PM
|
| I can't help you because I've never used one. I've heard mixed reviews, mainly that by the time you get it cleaned after each use, you'd have the cream lifted off a bottle using a ladle. When we drink our milk, we grab a bottle and shake it each time so that we mix the cream back in. We've also learned that we like to make most of our cheeses using full-fat milk. Other than skimming some off for things like coffee, butter, and whipping cream, we drink it "whole." |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
 |
|
|
NellieBelle
11217 Posts
|
Posted - Jul 22 2014 : 6:14:20 PM
|
| Yes, between the expense of the separator and the time cleaning it, perhaps I would be better off skimming and use it the way you suggest. I do want to start experimenting with the cheese making. I have so much milk and would like to put it to good use. I will continue this way and see how I make out. After cleaning all my milking equipment and the Kleen-Flo pasteurizer I would probably never get to leave the sink if I got the separator too. :( Thanks. |
|
|
|
maryjane
7074 Posts
|
Posted - Jul 22 2014 : 7:16:23 PM
|
| You'll get a system and it'll speed up. I clean my equipment every day and at this point I can do it with my eyes closed. I've gotten pretty darn fast I must say! |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
|
|
|
CloversMum
3486 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 19 2015 : 11:25:49 AM
|
| Janet, did you ever get any kind of cream separator? If so, what kind and where? The Jersey milk is so rich even without the cream mixed in, that I'd love to get more of the cream for butter and I've had some people ask just for the cream. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
|
|
|
NellieBelle
11217 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 19 2015 : 12:20:05 PM
|
| Yes, it's called 24-hour refrigerator. No I decided I could live without a cream separator. Sorry. I know there are manual/electric cream separators but I didn't want another thing with several pieces to wash and the refrigerator over night works wonderfully. If I were going to milk more than a couple of cows I would most definitely get one. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
|
|
|
NellieBelle
11217 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 19 2015 : 1:44:02 PM
|
 Photo from Lehman's. I've seen the old time cream separator in Lehman's catalog that holds 10 gallons. And it mentions you pour the milk in and then in 3-4 hours later, you may turn the valve and remove the skim milk from the cream. MaryJane, wouldn't that be laden with bacteria by that time, and yet that's how they use to do it. ? |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
Edited by - NellieBelle on Oct 19 2015 1:46:39 PM |
|
|
|
Mike
1667 Posts
Mike
Argyle
WI
United States of America
|
Posted - Oct 19 2015 : 6:06:22 PM
|
Those gravity separators like you just pictured work better if you mix in water with the milk. I have an old one, $30 at an auction, painted the original green.
|
|
|
|
NellieBelle
11217 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 19 2015 : 7:25:40 PM
|
| Okay, but if milk is to be cooled to slow down the bacterial growth wouldn't the milk in these separators be risky to drink, if the milk is to sit 3-4 hours? |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
|
|
|
CloversMum
3486 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 19 2015 : 8:23:18 PM
|
| I know I would not want to drink milk that had been mixed with water and sitting for 3-4 hours in order to separate cream. The gravity separators sound just like my milk jars that sit overnight in my fridge, only on a much bigger scale! A ladle works well for my milk jars, but I was just thinking ahead to when both Betsy and Clover are being milked and I'd love to collect more cream for butter and such ... trying to be slightly efficient without taking the charm out of it. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
|
|
|
maryjane
7074 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 19 2015 : 8:26:30 PM
|
| If you dig into the history of milk, that is the down side to all things old-fashioned. People did get sick and people did die. Even today there continue to be cases in not only the dairy category but all kinds of food categories. It's right up there with Aunt Edna's canned green beans that weren't processed properly. Fortunately, extension agents everywhere did their job effectively and almost everyone accepts basic parameters for canning now and even things like honey (not for infants) and sushi (not for pregnant women). Milk is a fantastic growth medium for a host of nasties so a certain protocol is required to make it safe. The same kind of thinking applies to potato salads and summer potlucks. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
|
|
|
NellieBelle
11217 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 02:09:28 AM
|
| It's amazing any of us have made it this far considering the history of food preparation, milk storage, etc. Amazing. We've come a long way, and now can enjoy many of the things that once caused havoc to many. I'm with Charlene, I wouldn't want water mixed with my milk. I'm amazed they still sell a gravity separator like the one pictured above. ? |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
|
|
|
Mike
1667 Posts
Mike
Argyle
WI
United States of America
|
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 03:49:56 AM
|
| Adding water to the milk to gravity separate wasn't a 'trick', it was part of the procedure. The resultant skim 'milk' was not for folks, it was for critters. Butter and cream were the products the farm sold, not fluid milk. Cheese factory milk wasn't pasteurized, it's safety relied upon the acid products of the bacteria making the cheese acid enough after sixty days to kill off nasty things. |
|
|
|
NellieBelle
11217 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 04:01:51 AM
|
| Good to know this gravity separator wasn't used for folks to get their daily milk. Thank you Mike for explaining this. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
|
|
|
NellieBelle
11217 Posts
|
|
|
NellieBelle
11217 Posts
|
|
|
maryjane
7074 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 07:34:28 AM
|
Awesome links Janet. I've always thought it would be a kick to search for and then open a dairy museum.
There is a gorgeous cream separator in town I've had my eye on. They let me drive some of the metal bowls and parts to our local machine fabricator to see if I could get them re-made into stainless steel but sadly they shook their heads, "no." |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
|
|
|
NellieBelle
11217 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 07:51:05 AM
|
| Thank you MaryJane. You would think in this modern day anything could be fabricated wouldn't you? Still fun to look at and know the history. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
|
|
|
chives
313 Posts
Victoria
Shelton
WA
usa
|
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 1:02:16 PM
|
| This might sound bad. I not sure. It worked for me for two years. The milk went into a gallon jar. After being in the refrigerator, I have a stainless steel turkey baster and i would just suck the cream out and put it in a seperate glass jar. Only one cow, but it worked. |
A cow is the heart of a farm |
|
|
|
NellieBelle
11217 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 1:26:40 PM
|
| Doesn't sound bad to me. I put milk in the refrigerator every morning so that the cream and milk can separate for 24 hours, then I take my stainless steel skimmer and skim off the cream, put it in a pint jar (for my coffee) or anything else. And I put the milk in 1/2 gal. jars. If others would like milk I leave it whole. And hello dear lady. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
|
|
|
Mike
1667 Posts
Mike
Argyle
WI
United States of America
|
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 7:29:32 PM
|
Maryjane,
What brand of separator was the one you wanted parts for? Do you have photos?
Mine are IHC/McCormick, 3S, all stainless parts touching milk. Motor or manual, either way. There are a lot of them around here. The cleaning racks and stuff are still to be found. Cold water first, then soapy water, then scald and air dry. Sunshine a plus! Out side milk houses you occasionally see the little rack that held the cones. |
|
|
|
maryjane
7074 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 7:46:00 PM
|
Hi Mike,
I tossed the paper I had that written on, but will take a photo of it the next time I'm in town. The last time I was in the store, it was still there, priced at $125 I think. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
|
|
|
Mike
1667 Posts
Mike
Argyle
WI
United States of America
|
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 7:50:26 PM
|
Thank you. I am always interested in machines. I remember in ND, we moved to a new ranch. I was asked to wire the cream separator..no problem. Climbed up into the attic and ran two wires down from the old knob and tube wiring system. Fired it up and it ran like it was going to take off. Oops...... grabbed 220 rather than 110. Glad I didn't burn the separator out but it didn't run long enough I guess. I was 13.
|
|
|
|
maryjane
7074 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 7:59:40 PM
|
| Impressive gumption for a 13 year old! Ha, we did that here a couple of weeks ago to a brand new dishwasher. We fried its circuit board doing that. It's been replaced and all is well again. Lesson for us? Make sure every switch in the breaker box is labeled. You just never know what the guy in front of you did. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
|
|
|
Mike
1667 Posts
Mike
Argyle
WI
United States of America
|
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 8:09:46 PM
|
Oh, up in that attic, located over four structural walls going right down to the basement was a water tank. It was Redwood, about four feet in diameter and three or so tall. It was the old pressure system for the house. There was a wood fired boiler in the bathroom to heat the water. The windmill had a pump but it was about twenty feet in the air and there was a valve you could change by pulling two ropes. One way ran to the upstairs tank, at a good downhill clip so it would not freeze up. The other way the valve let the water down to the horse tanks for the work and driving horses in the 'carriage house/garage'. Neat. Wish I had a photo of that today.
|
|
|
|
NellieBelle
11217 Posts
|
Posted - Oct 21 2015 : 02:59:50 AM
|
| Mike, have you ever thought about writing a book. You've had such interesting experiences and I know I would personally love to read them. You should really give it some consideration. Machinery and how things work, as well as childhood experiences. Make for good reading. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
![[flourish]](/images/flourish-txt_mobius.png)
Manual cream separator
![Heritage Jersey Organization [logo]](/images/HJO-logo.png){kind=logo}
