Milk filter question....

[Limner]

Those of you with dairy goats, do you purchase the premade milk filters? We are getting two Alpine milkers and I am looking at some of the equipment we need to add to what we already have. I was thinking about making filters from cloth and washing and drying them after each use, but evidently you are supposed to buy them....and it the stuff hits the fan, how doyou get replacements?

[Summerthyme]

Limner... for sure, the commercial filters work MUCH better than almost anything you can make, or at least anything you could make and then wash easily. I have dairy cows, and even the cleanest cows/goats will shed off small bits of hair, scurf (dried skin particles), dust, etc... and some of it IS going to end up in your milk. The commercial filters catch a LOT of the really fine stuff. A homemade multi layer filter of some type will probably work, but you'll lose some milk in it (because you can't squeeze it... you'll just force all the sediment on through) and it's going to be a bugger to wash all the protein/fat particles from the layers.

I've discovered this making maple syrup... it's really amazing how much sediment gets through anything but a heavy felt filter. And how much work it can be to get the last bits of syrup out of the good felt filter!

Filters are pretty cheap... check dairy supply places (not just specialzed catalogs, although some of them have good prices). Get at least one box and see what they filter out... and if you want, try homemade alternatives and see if there's a difference.

Summerthyme

[Limner]

Thanks, Summer! I appreciate the input.

[chasingdreams]

I milk a cow and use cheesecloth for a filter - I rinse then boil it after each use for sanitation.

[just me]

I used to use muslin and boil it after every use. Filters weren't readily available back then.

While you can get filters, I would suggest using them. The cheesecloth and muslin will work if you can't get filters any more.

[Yooper]

We bought a case of filter boxes for now. I've used cheesecloth and boiled it afterward too. Guess that's what we'll eventually be using.

[Limner]

Looks like I'm going online to look for good deals on milk filters, then....! Thanks!

[Kayla]

Another one here who's tried to reinvent the wheel and not been happy with anything but the real thing. I've put aside some muslin, etc. to use if TSHTF but I'm stocking up all I can on boxes of the commercial filters!

[Freeholder]

Ditto all the replies above! I do have muslin set aside for when we can't get milk filters anymore, but until then, I'll buy them. It's well worth the small cost to be sure the milk goes into the jars as clean as possible.

Dairy 'cloths' (both for filtering milk and for draining cheese) used to be set out in the sun for a while to disinfect them after washing. The sun is a good sterilizer.

Kathleen

[Mrs. S]

For what it's worth, I've been using disposable coffee filters.

[Limner]

If that is working for you, that would be a very reasonably priced option. Thanks!

[mowarren]

buy a package of NEW cloth baby diapers we've been using them for goat and cow milk for several years just wash and air dry.Just don't use for anything other than milk :mrgreen:

[momof23goats]

I guess we ahve all used cheese cloth, and I have used cotton material as well.
but filters arecheap, so I will get loaded up on them again. probably at least a case of boxes of them. but in time , when they run out , I will be back to using material, and boiling it again.