Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Always begin the milking of each doe with clean materials: clean milk pail, clean soapy wa-
ter, clean towels and cloths, clean dip, and clean hands. If you learn to think about preventing
the spread of bacteria, you will have fewer veterinary bills and avoid many problems.
Processing milk
Good sanitation greatly reduces the amount of bacteria but cannot eliminate contamination al-
together. It is important to create an artificial environment where the milk remains free of
spoilage as soon as possible after milking. Milk must be cooled to 40 degrees F (4.5 degrees
C) or below within an hour of milking. Refrigeration will not cool it fast enough, so most
people immerse the containers of milk into buckets of ice water or into vats of continuously
circulating cold water. If you must cool more than 6 gallons per milking, you may want to ac-
quire a dairy cooler. A dairy cooler provides a steady supply of ice-cold water in which to
place containers of fresh milk, which then cools the milk to the required temperature within
minutes. In order to be certified as a Grade A dairy, you may be required to have a room des-
ignated exclusively for cooling and storing milk and a mandatory cooling machine.
Pasteurization
Milk that is not handled carefully and becomes contaminated can make anyone who con-
sumes it sick. Pasteurization is the process of heating milk to a specific temperature and main-
taining it for a specific length of time to kill harmful bacteria. In the 20th century, U.S. law
began requiring that all milk sold for human consumption be pasteurized. However, many
people believe that pasteurization makes milk less nutritious and detracts from its flavor, and
pasteurization is not necessary if the milk is handled properly.
The term raw milk refers to milk that has not been pasteurized. Many dairy goat owners keep
their milk raw specifically because they appreciate the taste and nutritional value of raw milk,
and they want it for themselves and their families. Advocates of raw milk point out that pas-
teurization gives milk a “cooked” flavor. Milk was consumed raw for many centuries. People
who routinely drink raw milk develop immunity to common bacterial infections. American
tourists traveling in Europe sometimes become ill after eating yogurt, ice cream, or cheese be-
cause they do not have the same built-up resistance to dairy-borne bacteria as Europeans.
To pasteurize milk, heat it to 165 degrees F, or heat it to between 159.8 degrees F and 165.2
degrees F, for 15 seconds.
