Help! Teach me to milk!

[Cheribelle]

Please, let's hear how you all do it?
I can get the milk out, but other than that I am a total newbie.

I took clean quart jars out to milk into, but still have "stuff" in it to filter out. Coffee filters don't seem to be working.....

How do you keep it clean through the milking process, which I am s l o w
at, and cool it quickly, and what do you use to filter?

If it gets dust or a speck of hay (?) in it, do you still use it?

[Citrine Rising]

I milk into a stainless steel pot and then strain that into the jars when I get into the house. Coffee filters are really difficult for milk to get through in a timely manner so maybe try using a piece of a flour-sack towel, musslin or the like.....this is going to allow for much faster milk flow and no hair or dirt will get through. Of course be sure that its super clean and sterilized in boiling water first. I used this method until I was able to get the proper equipment.....It really does make a difference. It's really difficult to learn how to milk and also how to be so exact with the aim of the flow........give yourself a break and milk into a pot.
And on cooling the milk........Setting the jars into a big pot of ice water for a few works for me, and I've always had great tasting milk.
Congrats on your first time there sister, and continued goat milk blessings!!

Citrine

[Cheribelle]

OK, so I need to boil some cloth. Thanks!

What I did was take a bucket of ice and 2 clean quart jars out. I milked into the jar and poured it into the other jar, in the ice bucket. Someone told me once to get it cold ASAP.

When I had my jars almost full I finished milking into a bucket for the critters.
Keeping things "sterile" in a barn.... OMG how do you do that?

[TwoAcresAndAGoat]

I put a piece of loose weaved cloth over the top of a stainless steel bucket and hold it in place with a large rubber band. I also put a clean piece of cardboard on the milk stand under the bucket as I milk. If I am milking more that one goat I pour the milk from the bucket into a stainless steel milk can that has a tight fitting lid. Switch the cloth on the bucket and milk the next goat.

Then I carry the bucket into the house and strain it through a finer cloth into another stainless steel bucket that is placed in a pot of ice water for cooling. Once cool I pour the milk into clean glass milk bottles.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Stainless Steel mini-filter with the disposable milk filters from Caprine Supply.

[Cheribelle]

So milk through the filter?

[arkansastwist]

i pour mine through cheese cloth tripled and then i boil with a little bleach afterwards, just a teaspoon and hang to dry...but i'm new too i might be doing it wrong

[Goat Servant]

What I do is brush goat, use non scented baby wipes and just milk the first squirts pr teat onto the floor. Most people use strip cups. Into a steel container it goes, into the house the minute Im done and strained into glass jars with regular milk filters from the feed store $6.50 for a hundred. When its warm out I put the bucket & jars into the freezer a few hrs before milking.
Im lazy, do not want to have to wash & boil muslin. If you wash windows or mirrors with paper towels you see a dust residue.
Paper coffee filters are a pain they take way too long.
As Citrine already said, "Congrats on your first time there, sister, and continued goat milk blessings." (Well said!)

[dragonchick]

The cone type permanent coffee filters work great for getting all the ickies out of the milk.

[ShyAnne]

Originally Posted by dragonchick

The cone type permanent coffee filters work great for getting all the ickies out of the milk.

Thats what I use, also a friend that milks her cows.

[LaManchaPaul]

Cheribelle, Is there someone near who could be a mentor for you? It might save you from a few bumps and make your goat milking all the fun it was designed to be. Paul

[pookshollow]

If it gets dust or a speck of hay (?) in it, do you still use it?

Relax. That's what the filter is for. I don't find coffee filters work well at all - way too slow. The proper milk filters from the feed store are well worth the money.

My routine is: put a handful of grain in the feed bucket, goat goes up on milkstand. Brush her off, top and bottom, then wash and dry the udder (I use commercial udder wash). Give her the rest of the feed. The first few squirts go into the cats' stainless bowl, so I can check for lumps (never had any yet). Then I milk into a stainless steel bucket (it's actually a "compost" bucket). It has a lid, so when I'm done milking, the lid goes on and keeps dust and flies out. Repeat for next goat.

Into the house, I filter the milk into 1.5 litre widemouth canning jars (glass, easy to sterilize) then put them in the freezer for about an hour - or longer, if I get distracted!

[Cheribelle]

Well, I had my first glass of milk this morning. Delicious!
This is something I will continue to do.

[6e]

I use to use a cloth that I bleached and boiled, but I noticed I was still getting very fine sediment in the bottom of the jar like dirt, so, I ditched the cloth and bought a stainless steel strainer with milk filters from Hoeggers.
I milk into a stainless steel bucket and I wash them in hot bleach water after each milking. I also wash off the girls udders with an udder wash each time to help. It's probably a good idea to shave their udder too. We've been leaving ours furry, but that tends to allow too much hair in the milk. Ick.

[Laura Workman]

Here's a link to my page on milking, including why I do what I do. Hope it helps! http://www.glimmercroft.com/MilkingEquipment.html

[Laverne]

Any dust or dander getting into milk bugs me. I feel milking through a filter rinses any microscopic bacteria off of any hair, that's fallen in filter, and can get through the filter. Bacteria is extremely small and with the pressure of the squirting milk forced over debris is not tolerated by me. Milking only one doe I milk one handed into a gallon glass jug with a small opening. This really came in handy for following the teat with a kicking doe acclimating to milking. Then I use milk filters that I wash and boil, then dry to reuse. I will have three does freshening so my plan is to use a bucket for speed, but make a spandex belly band about 15 inches wide, velcro on the ends,then wrap around each doe, to prevent as much danter from falling in. Then keep the udder shaved. I will use the jug till the 1st freseners get over squirming and stomping. Then a good jug brush and cleaners to sanitize the jug.

[Madfarmer]

You can find web pics of a dairy clip. That, & cleaning the udder before milking really help with clean milk. You can't completely avoid bacteria. There's millions of bacteria in your mouth right after you brush your teeth.

Madfarmer

[LaManchaPaul]

Originally Posted by Laura Jensen

Here's a link to my page on milking, including why I do what I do. Hope it helps! http://www.glimmercroft.com/MilkingEquipment.html

Laura, I LOVE your website!!!! Thanks for the link.
Paul

[Goat Servant]

Thanks for sharing with us Laura! Very neat! All this time I've been putting the milk filters over the jar & holding it with one hand while pouring milk but now Im gonna dig out my plastic canning funnels! Ah the simple things one has to learn when it doesnt occur to them!

[catdance62]

1. Drag unwilling goat to milkhouse door.
2. As soon as goat realizes she is in front of the door where food is available, she will bolt through door and up onto the stand, turn and look at you like "So, i changed my mind!"
3. Attempt to milk goat. Squeeze teat with no results. Try again....and again.... Try twisting teat like a faucet.....try rolling teat like a cigar.......refill feed tray because doe has eaten all the food and is getting fussy.
4. Try again, with slight success--2 squirts.
5. Finally, using JUST the right pressure and grasping the teat in JUST the right spot--SUCCESS at last!! You fill your container almost 3/4 of the way!! and the goat kicks it, spilling every last drop.
6. Drag unwilling goat out of the milk house and grab next nearest goat.
7. Repeat until permanent success is achieved!