Milk Flavor?

[mickm]

Do you think that milk changes flavor from breed to breed, or do you feel that it is an individual goat thing?

Do does seem to pass this on to their offspring?

I am really wanting to invest in some goats, but in all honesty I am a little hesitant to invest in a goat that I can not taste her milk. I drank goat's milk as a young man, but that was some time ago. My kids keep reminding me. Speaking of which, my children have always drank store bought milk, and will continue to when at their mother's.

So I would like to hear some thoughts.

[LomahAcres]

Yes, milk flavor will vary, mainly just from breed to breed. You may get an individual goat that is 'off' in flavor but it's not terribly common. Milk flavor may also reflect on what the doe is being fed, as well as how the milk is handled.

Mini's and Kinders have a higher butter fat content, so their milk is extra rich and creamy - think runny ice cream but not quite as sweet.

Nubians a little less so, but still have the highest butter fat content for standard size breeds. I've had milk customers ask specifically for Nubian milk, it is the common favorite for our area.

Sannens and Alpines taste a lot less creamy, I compare it to consistency and taste of a skim cow milk.

I've never had Toggenburg milk, but I have herd it can have a stronger flavor to it, most seam to prefer it for cheese making but not drinking strait.

I've never had LaMancha milk either, but hear it's pretty close to Nubian in flavor.

See if you can find a breeder(s) near you that will let you taste the milk or sell some to you, then decide which you like best.

[HilltopDaisy]

I don't know, I really think it has more to do with how you process the milk. I've milked Nigerian Dwarf, Nubian, and Saanen does, and it all tasted wonderful to me, because I was super-careful in chilling it quickly.

I remember the first milk goat I bought. I was offered a glass of milk and I thought I would gag! I was told that they milk and put the container right into the fridge (so it takes a looong time to cool. Sometimes the fridge was off, and they'd plug it in to cool the milk.) I had already committed to buy this goat so I was sick about this. Well, it had nothing to do with the goat, I'm happy to say. Her milk was wonderful.

It's all about how you handle it, IMHO.

[mygoat]

Yes, milk handling and cooling will contribute the MOST to flavor. You will want to get milk cold as fast as possible after milking. Use only stainless steel or glass utensils to touch the milk, and make sure everything is washed well with dairy soap, sanitized before use (I use dairy sanitizer), and use acid wash to remove milk stone at least once per week.

My friend raises Nubians and their milk is MUCH creamier than my Alpines. But, it all tastes similar, IMO. It will taste better than storebought milk if handled correctly - and just think of the disease, somatic cells, antibiotics, hormones and cruel conditions of dairy cows that you'll be avoiding.

[Jay27]

On topic, I think goat's milk takes a bit of getting used to if you are used to cow's milk. We just start by mixing the goat's milk with cow's milk and gradually shift over.

Off topic, I respectfully disagree with the statement that flavor is based on how it is handled. I did an experiment after reading people's thoughts on this. For the AM milking, I ran my milk lines through a bucket of ice water and placed the collection jar in a bucket of ice. I milked one side and immediately placed the chilled milk in the fridge. I brought out another jar, hand milked the other side and put the jar immediately in the fridge. Six hours later, The hubby and I sampled both jars and could taste no difference. Decided to take it a step further. For the PM milking, I milked the same way but instead of putting the the hand milked jar in the fridge, I left it on the counter. Four hours later, tried both jars... same taste. Went back and tried the milk from the AM milking 24 hours after it left the udder and both jars still tasted the same. Maybe it is a bit of mind over matter because the hubby flinched at the counter milk at first - he prefers his milk ice cold but after a swig or two, he concluded that it didn't taste different. Not so sure about the hubby's pallet, but I've been told I have a very distiguished sense of taste backed up by a very good sense of smell. I'm glad this is the case because chilling milk immediately is a bit of a PITA.

[Alice In TX/MO]

When we talk about bad milk handling, we mean not washing udders, letting dirt and hair fall in the bucket, not filtering immediately, letting the milk bucket sit in the hot barn while you go back and feed all the critters, not getting the buckets scrupulously cleaned, etc.

Basically, you have to keep as many undesirable bacteria out of the milk as possible and then inhibit the growth of those you can't avoid.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

I never wash udders, and our milk is fine. I rub their bellies and udders to knock off any loose dry materials. I would only wash if the udders were wet w/ rain, mud, poo, etc.

The milk usually gets strained and into the fridge within a half hour worst case scenario. Then it is usually 4 days in the fridge before it starts to taste 'off'.
I have had alpine, togg, ober, sannen, and cross breed milk. togg milk was nasty. they were sold immediately. the others were fine. ober milk was the creamiest.

[QoTL]

I asked this question before (from the OP) and was surprised how up in arms people get!

I have a tiny herd so not much of a scientific sample. But my alpineX has milk which is much goatier tasting, while the nubian's is rich and creamy (tastes like cow, only with more cream). Same feed, same management.

However, I've certainly heard many people say they like Alpine best, and have certainly heard people say even within a breed there will be a few does who's milk they don't like.

If you are buying a milking doe, your best bet would be to taste her milk before you buy. Then you know what you are getting

[chewie]

i am aiming for snubians. they will have more creaminess like the nubians, but volume of the saanen. i can tell the diff. between the 2, and altho i do prefer the nubians milk, currently i have all saanens. (long story)and i like working with them alot. i think the obies i had, their milk was very much like nubian milk, but mine were really high strung and i didn't enjoy them much as much.

at some point, maybe when i am older and my kids move onto their own places, i will breed my saanens to ND's, for minis. i wouldn't mind more creaminess, and that would do it as well, and give me smaller animals, and less milk, but still be good for cheese. i notice my saanens' milk gives less cheese per gallon than the nubians did.

so yes, breed makes a difference, but i also think most of it is due to handling as other's have said. i use 'real' filters, as i cannot feel good about re-using cloth. some do, works fine, just not for me. i use glass half gallon canning jars, and steel pails. and those things are a small investment, but i won't need to buy them ever again, they'll last a lifetime and them some. ok, the glass jars break once in a while, but seldom. i use a marker, write on the glass jar the date of the milk, so i always use up the oldest first.

now store milk tastes sooo old to me. i don't have milk over 5 days old ever, and that stuff is lucky to make it to the store by then, and then sits for another week or better! ew.

[The Tin Mom]

I chill my milk in an ice slush made from a water/ alcohol mix immediately, keep it in the fridge, use clean utensils, etc. I clean my goats udders, etc.

My dd16 refuses to drink milk from any goat but one - the rest of us can't tell the difference. We have decided that we are going to trick her & see if she can recognize that it isn't the goat she insists has the best milk... We have an oberhasli and 3 lamanchas.

The only time that we notice an off taste is when the milk gets warm for an extended period or after it is about 3-5 days old. Especially since the weather has been hot. It seems like it lasted a lot longer (about a week) when it was cold outside.

[VegRN]

I have told people my nigie's milk tastes like melted vanilla ice cream. No one believes me

[Jay27]

Originally Posted by VegRN

I have told people my nigie's milk tastes like melted vanilla ice cream. No one believes me

I believe you! Never thought of it, but you are right!

[eam]

I have a Togg and a Saanen. I can't taste the difference in milk between the two, both wonderful and very drinkable. They are far richer and tastier than the raw cow milk we get from the farm next door.

Plenty of cream for all our ice cream, butter, whipping, etc. for our two person household.

Elizabeth

Oh, I forgot to add that the friends with the dairy next door thought our goat milk tasted as good as their milk!

[mickm]

Thanks for all the replies.

I guess my answer is, depends on who you ask!

[RedSonja]

It does depend on who you ask. If you ask me it depends on the goat. I have two does in milk that were bred by the same farm, both recorded grade Nubians. They are, I guess the best human term would be aunt and niece (one's dam is the other's grand-dam). One has milk that tastes like melted ice cream, the other has milk that is good but not nearly as much cream.

Growing up, our first milk goat was a scrub doe that had very strong-tasting milk. Next we got a half Nubian half Togg doe whose milk was also very strong. That doe's daughter by a purebred Nubian had milk that was less strong-tasting. Finally that doe's daughter by a purebred Nubian had milk that had no unpleasant taste. So when we got to what, 7/8 Nubian? the flavor was acceptable to me.

I keep ice water at the milking stand and immediately chill after I milk, then into the fridge as soon as milking is done. Haven't tried just fridge cooling it but I might sometime, just to see if there's a difference.

-Sonja