We drink our milk raw, so I don't usually pasteurize. I've done some Googling on how to make goat's milk butter, but most procedures are unclear about whether or not they are skimming cream off of raw or pasteurized milk. Our Saanen doe Prima Donna is giving us just shy of one gallon per day, and it's very creamy (her previous owners had the butterfat in her milk tested and it came out high for a Saanen, 3.75-4.5% depending on when she was tested in her lactation cycle).

Sooo... how do you make your butter? Understanding that it will probably take me at least 5 days to collect enough cream to make it worth the effort, because I don't have a cream separator.. I'm curious about your method. It would be the most convenient to put jars in my fridge, as they are more space efficient, but I understand that a wider surface area will allow me to skim more cream faster, which is probably more efficient in the long run. How long should I wait before skimming? Does that depend on my storage method, and does raw/pasteurized play any part? If you pasteurize before making butter, let me know, and if not, tell me how you do it and about how long you feel comfortable keeping milk/cream in your fridge, and then after you make butter, how long you consider it to be fresh.

Sorry if that rambled, hope it makes sense!

Without a separator you won't get much. I was successful with just skimming the top with an icecream scoop. My kids don't like the heavy cream in the milk so I usually skim it two times before serving it to them. Sorry if I just made some of you gag!

I pasteurized the milk, then let it sit for at least 36 hours to get the most cream on top. I would put he cream into a pint jar until full then pour it into a quart for shaking.
I'm not certain, but I believe more of the cream rises to the top after the pasteurization than does with raw.

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Thanks for your quick reply! I know I won't get *as much* without a separator, but we have a milk surplus (making my first farmer's cheese today, just need to find some real cheesecloth or muslin at the fabric store, wish me luck!), and can literally see the cream at the top and on the sides of the jars when we crack them open. Prima has some really creamy milk for a Saanen. I figured I would collect it in a pint jar, and follow MichiganSnowPony's model (on her YouTube channel) for making butter. However, she pasteurizes her milk regardless of whether or not she's going to make butter, so I wasn't sure if that helped with separation, or if it was just her method, if you know what I mean. I do figure it would make for a longer shelf life for the butter.

I use raw milk as that is what we drink. I skim cream by hand a put it in a mason jar then stick it it the freezer. When the jar is full I thaw it out completely then let it sit for a half hour on the counter. I then pour my cream which is really thick in my stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Turn that baby on to medium speed and two minutes I have butter. Pour off the buttermilk then rinse it with cold water a few times. Knead it with a spoon and rinse until water is clear. Then salt lightly and stick in the fridge. Easy peezy!

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That sounds lovely... do you find the whisk works better than the paddle? Also, do you have the splatter guard? That's just what I'm calling it... I don't have one, haven't been able to spend the money on it, though maybe making butter will finally tip me over the edge. It's easier to justify if I'm using my KitchenAid more.

Also, do you put your milk in jars, then skim the cream, or do you find that placing it in a shallower, wider container helps more cream rise to the surface, or at least makes it easier to skim? How long do you wait before skimming?

I put it QT size jars. I use wide mouth when possible but I have no problem with regular jars either. I scoop it out with a spoon and it works great. The whisk is super fast and doesn't splatter as much. If you start your KitchenAid on slow then turn it up one at a time it doesn't splatter hardly at all. Do NOT walk away though because once it turns into butter it will splatter everywhere and it happens fast! Ask me how I know! I don't have a splatter guard either.

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Before I used a cream separator, I strained my goat milk into gallon jars. It made it easier to scoop the cream off for me, without accidentally mixing it back in. I also let it set in the fridge for 3 or 4 days before a scooping the cream. It made it thicker and easier to differentiate between the milk.

I've never used a blender. Always used a churn. I also let mine warm up to room temperature before I churn. The only problem I've ever seen with a mixer is over churning as others stated. I had a friend that used to use a mixer and if she didn't watch it closely, she either mixed the buttermilk back into the butter or she ended up with whipped cream.

I have pygora goats so a quart of milk a day, 4-5 days milk in refer, skim after 3 days. A pint of cream in a quart jar, a marble and shake. Easy. I like sweet cream butter made twice a week....James

A friend helped me make butter from my girls' cream and she used a food processor. Poured the cream in with the blade and watched for it to form butter. Really cool and super fast. And no splatters