Cooling Raw Milk - The ONE thing you are forgetting to do

So you go out, milk your cow, sheep, goat, donkey, whatever it is, bring your milk back to the house or wherever it is that you process it, strain it, and then what? Put it in the fridge? Freezer? Or are you cooling your raw milk first? This is what we are here to discuss today friends. 

Chill your milk before putting it in the fridge. That is all. Bye-bye. 

Ok just kidding, of course I am going to talk more than that. 

Is cooling raw milk ABSOLUTELY necessary? Well… yes and no. Milk that is going to be consumed right away or made into cheese or some other deliciousness does not need to be chilled first. 

BUT! If let’s say for example, your cow is nearing the end of her lactation and not giving you much milk so you literally have to m-i-l-k that gallon for all it is worth, then cooling your raw milk is a good idea. 

Why chill milk? 

Chilling milk is the best way to ensure milk quality, safety, and longevity. This is how your sweet delicious milk stays sweet and delicious for a longer period of time. I used to have people come up to me and tell me that raw milk only lasts for a couple days in the fridge. Uh no my friends, it should easily last two weeks or you have other problems. 

Ok so maybe you do chill your milk, but are you doing it properly? 

I have heard of people just putting their milk in the freezer. This is a not so great choice for an abundance of reasons. First and foremost, it just DOESN’T WORK! To prevent the rapid growth of bacteria in your milk, ideally, it needs to be cooled to below 40 degrees within two hours of milking. Bacteria experiences a lag phase before growing rapidly in raw milk, after that initial “no -growth” phase, bacteria doubles in count every 20 minutes. 

Not to mention, if you are anything like *me* you will forget about said milk in the freezer and henceforth break the glass jar it is in. Don’t be like me. Avoid the freezer. 

So how should I chill my milk then? 

Here is how I do it… and I’m not saying it is the only way but it has been working great for us the last ten years! I use a cooler filled with cold water. I add my filtered milk (in a glass jar). Then I add as many frozen water bottles as I can fit. My secret weapon? I have an aquarium pump in my cooler that pushes the water around. 

Ideally you would go out every half hour and agitate your milk jars. Do I always do this? No, no I don’t. I still have delicious, long lasting milk. 

Here is a link to the pump I use. Other than cleaning some lint from it occasionally, I have never had any problems with this little thing! 

What is even more important than chilling your milk in an ice water bath? Filtering! When I am only milking one cow, I just milk into my bucket, then bring it back to the house and put it through my filter. 

With my sheep, since I milk 4-6 at a time (and it takes me a teensy bit) I milk each ewe into a bucket, then when I am finished with that ewe I dump it into a gallon jar with butter muslin or a tea towel over the opening to keep ickies out while I milk each remaining sheep. Then when I get back to the house I run through my one time use, disposable filter. I love these filters and I have been using them for many years with my antique milk strainer. Check them out here. 

So two important lessons today. Filter your milk! And then chill it in an ice water bath with a pump! Great talk. See you all in the next one! Have sheep but you aren’t sure when you can start milking after lambing? Check out this post where I talk all about that.