Cream Separators

DianeWV · #1 08/03/08, 11:07 AM

Hello! Hope everyone is well.

I am going to purchase a new cream separator. My tired search for a workable, used cream separator, in my local area, has turned up ziltch.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Any particular ones (brand) you would recommend or avoid? Thanks! Take care.

hintonlady · #2 08/03/08, 02:48 PM

$5 for a sun tea jar.....

Pour milk into jar
wait for cream to settle
pour milk out of bottom through little spicket
cream left at top

voila, same results with a few hundred $ left in your pocket

Jack T. · #3 08/03/08, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hintonlady

$5 for a sun tea jar.....

Pour milk into jar
wait for cream to settle
pour milk out of bottom through little spicket
cream left at top

voila, same results with a few hundred $ left in your pocket

Except that while you are waiting on the cream to settle, the cotton-picking spigot is leaking milk all over the ice box! Aaaaggghhhhh!

65284 · #4 08/03/08, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack T.

Except that while you are waiting on the cream to settle, the cotton-picking spigot is leaking milk all over the ice box! Aaaaggghhhhh!

We have used 2 1/2 gallon Rubber Maid water dispensers for this purpose for several years with nary a dripped drop. About $5.00 when we bought them.

DianeWV · #5 08/03/08, 08:15 PM

Hey, I have been using the sun tea jars. I just put two of them in my fridge after milking this evening. It does work. Those things do leak after a short while- cheap plastic spigots. But, they are only a couple dollars.

And, they only hold a gallon of milk. So, I'll keep doing it like this, but I sure would like to try out a cream separator. I thank you for your responses.

I have never used a cream separator before. From what I have read, there is an art to using one. I'll just keep plugging away. If anyone has used a cream separator recently, or bought one, any info appreciated. Thanks a bushel!!

Cande · #6 08/03/08, 08:28 PM

I'm still learning about a lot, and I will try the sun tea jar. I saw them today at the Dollar Store and wondered if that would work......thanks.....I'll be back at the dollar store tomorrow.

Junkman · #7 08/04/08, 01:48 AM

Somewhere around here, we have a cream separator. I guess it is all still there. Where in WV are you located? I have the bowl of one with flowers planted in it. Jklady

michiganfarmer · #8 08/04/08, 08:04 AM

Cream seperators are expensive to buy, and a serious pain to tear down to clean.

Like other have said, let gravity do the work for you

Shinsan · #9 08/04/08, 10:19 AM

Been trying to find one myself, but they're few and far between. When you do find one, (nearly always in need of a lot of refurbishing), the sellers are asking around $350 for them. Finally found that they can be bought new, (cause they are still being manufactured in India, China and Russia), for about the same price. Think you'd be needing a lot of cream to make it worth the expense.

whinnyninny · #10 08/04/08, 04:50 PM

We bought a cream separator back in June... Novo, for $324. Not sure if I like it or not. I need to watch my calorie intake, so I can't really drink whole milk (at least, not very much of it)... but that cream separator is a pain in the rear to take apart and clean. I also never seem to get the same consistency in the cream from one use to the next, but that's probably operator error.

WisJim · #11 08/05/08, 08:50 AM

Friends that have one that they use regularly have an old (probably 1940s or so ) DeLaval that has stainless steel bowl and discs, and an electric motor drive. We had a similar one that was hand cranked, but sold it 20 years ago or more. Many old units had tinned discs and other internal parts, and the tinning wore away allowing rust--avoid that! Also, often the discs were used to make whirly-gigs or otherwise lost damaged or misplaced, so an old machine might be incomplete--and o-rings and other small parts might be hard to find. BUT an old DeLaval that is complete would be a great machine if you need the capacity.

DianeWV · #12 08/08/08, 08:51 PM

Thanks for all your comments! But shoot, I was a thinking that a cream separator just might simplify my routine just a hair-bit LOL!

Just when I had given up on trying to find a used one, a fellow called me and said he had one that worked with all the parts "as slick as a whistle". I am going to go and check it out Sunday afternoon. Not sure what brand it is, but will know more about it then. It's the old hand-cranked. Wants $50 dollars for it. I probably will bite on it, if it's all there.

See, I am milking....I get 5 plus gallons per day from my Brown Swiss cow. Right now, I am feeding out 4 dairy calves, which are taking the bulk of my milk-leaving us just a little over a gallon per day. Actually, the calves should be weaned, but with so much milk, I just keep feeding them. I really enjoy milking that Brown Swiss. She is a real quiet cow. She has alot of cream in her milk. Really good milk.

But in October, the calves will all be weaned, and in addition, I will be milking my 2 Jersery x Holstein cows as well as the Brown Swiss. So, I thought a cream separater would be the answer. I'll just do some experimenting with that cream separater, if I get it Sunday, and see how it goes.

Been just hand-skimming for now, to make butter, etc. Prefer the Blue-John to drink. Well, I'll see how she goes, thanks for the help!! It's nice to talk with people-not too many around here milking anymore. Take care