Author Topic: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?  (Read 10663 times)

Offline ArnaudForestier

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SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« on: April 20, 2011, 07:14:48 AM »
Hi all - about to begin using new milk, and have been looking for a way to transport batch amounts in a cleanable and sanitizable vessel.  Had no idea the old fashioned milk cans were so bloody expensive, so looking for alternatives.  Corney kegs come to mind, but I'd prefer to avoid the dead zones around gas and spear outlet fittings, even if I remove the spear, etc. - would like to avoid caustic usage to clean.  Just looking for something simple, plain, to do the job in 5 gallon increments, that doesn't run me a ton of money. 

Any thoughts, off the cuff?
« Last Edit: April 25, 2011, 02:41:51 PM by ArnaudForestier »
- Paul

linuxboy

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2011, 07:25:53 AM »
What about a 1/4 barrel keg? Remove the sankey connection and replace with a plug, and it's easy to clean and durable.

ebay is a good place for SS 304 milk cans. You could also use plastic. Either plastic carboys or poly milk cans.

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2011, 07:32:36 AM »
Hey Pav, thanks. 

I'm a bit leery of plastic, just afraid of scratches and nucleation sites, etc., but I might be being too precious.  Easy enough to fill in several food-grade buckets that I have, with lids, or even 5 gallon water containers - just would rather use elbow grease than any chem cleaner, if possible.  Do you have a source for the poly milk cans? 

I've not been successful on e-bay, yet, anyway.  Everything's either the "vintage" variety, unusable for milk, or near a couple hundred $ for the size I'm looking for. 

Pony keg's not a bad idea - in fact, all my fermentors were converted 1/2bbl kegs - but again, I'd like to avoid the need for caustic, etc., to clean.  I might be asking too much.
- Paul

george

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2011, 08:05:05 AM »
A little pricey, and not quite the size you're looking for, but these 12-qt SS totes have been serving us well for about 18 months now (we trade off two empties for two full ones a couple times a week).

http://www.hoeggergoatsupply.com/xcart/product.php?productid=3331&cat=80&page=1

Tomer1

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2011, 09:49:00 AM »
I use my blue plastic fermentors which have a lid and a clamp,
Before doing a pick up I sanitize it with boiling water ,swirl it around and close the lid (without the clamp obviously, It can build up pressure and explode) and let it cool.

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2011, 12:13:44 PM »
Thanks, George.  Yeah, more than I was looking to pay - I'd need 2, so I'd be at $150, hard to swallow, for me.  Interesting that they're on back order - I've seen them on backorder from other sites, too.  Wonder if it's a demand thing, or a supply thing. 

Tomer, I do have the same fermentors, and may just go with that for a temporary solution.  As I mentioned, I'm a bit leery of plastic over the long haul, just because it can get scratched, making it difficult to clean and sanitize. 

I may be asking for the moon, I realize - stainless that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
- Paul

Helen

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2011, 02:34:58 PM »
Paul,

What about Better Bottles carboys? They are quite light and food grade. I am always leery of glass. I heard of so many accidents with heavy glass containers.

- Helen

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2011, 02:37:39 PM »
Helen, thanks.  The thing I'm trying to avoid is the carboy shape - meaning, to keep it clean after repeated use, I'd really only feel comfortable after using some sort of caustic cleaning agent, then sanitizer.  With the milk-can style, wide mouth, I can get in there with elbow grease, then sanitize. I may have to just deal with it, though, and our local coop has these carboys in stock.  Thanks again.
- Paul

linuxboy

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2011, 02:39:34 PM »
I don't know, you still have to use a dairy rinse even with elbow grease. There's no way to really permanently avoid it that I can think of. I like my detergent/acid routine, it's really reliable.

susanky

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2011, 02:42:54 PM »
I was also leery of plastic.  I used glass jars for quite a while. (Also using raw milk btw)  But I did some research and couldn't really find anything concrete to tell me I really needed to use glass or stainless.  So I swiched to plastic and life is soooo much easier.  The schools get mayonnaise and salad dressing in 1 gallon jugs with good lids (some have snap-on lids.  Skip those).  They have been saving them for me.  That is working out great.  I think FAR more important than glass/stainless vs plastic is how quickly the milk is chilled.  I put it on ice immediately and get it below 35 within an hour of milking.  Works great!  Hopefully the experts will chime in and let us know if there is a study to discredit food grade plastic.  I sure couldn't find it.
Susan

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2011, 03:41:26 PM »
Thanks Pav. I guess I'm living in the alpage of my mind.  You mean, a cleansing rinser, yes, milkstone, etc.?  My brewer's paranoia regarding milk comes to the fore - no issue with a pony keg, carboy, etc., /no manual cleaning?

Susan, thanks.  I had first thought the easiest thing for me would be what Tomer suggested, just using one of my 5 gallon buckets, with a tight-sealing lid, but your smaller container idea and cooling is well-taken; one issue I was thinking of re: the large bucket.  I had thought of SS, and putting it in the back of our Caravan, sunk in ice, but I'd have to come home and begin the make ASAP, as I've no way to place that large a container in a cooler, and if I transfer to smaller containers, well, another transfer point and point for possible contamination. Anyway, thanks again, nice food for thought.
- Paul

sstrantz

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #11 on: April 20, 2011, 03:43:19 PM »
If anyone would be interested in looking, I posted some links below that are from a website that has several articles and links regarding the issues surrounding using plastics.  I only listed a few, but there are several other articles at this site and links out to research on the subject as well.

I personally use glass (or ceramic) for almost everything including cooking when possible.   I tote & store my (raw) milk in 1/2 gallon mason jars that I can carry in one of the large plastic or wood crates that are readily available almost everywhere.  (I used to use the large glass gallon "pickle-type" jars but they are too bulky and not as easy to handle as the 1/2 gal jars.)

And... as far as the estrogens are concerned, I DEFINITELY don't need any more of those!!!   ::)



http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/07/scientists-warn-of-the-dangers-of-a-chemical-found-in-plastic.aspx


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/04/16/food-storage-part-one.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/07/05/food-storage-part-two.aspx

sstrantz

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2011, 04:08:58 PM »
I forgot to add that the 1/2 gal size is also easy to quick-cool in ice (if needed) and they can fit in a normal fridge much easier than anything else I've tried.  No need to "repackage" when you get home,  easy to clean with wide-mouth. and non-porous. 

I carry about 10 gallons of raw milk this way on every trip I make to the farm.

coffee joe

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #13 on: April 20, 2011, 06:26:01 PM »
I have had no good experience from using plastic, even food grade, for holding fresh milk. We have used HDPE milk cans and they can be really hard to get clean, especially after using to hold whey.
While glass is great, Stainless is the only reliable product for long term usage. I went cheap innumerable times and spent 5X the cost of stainless before breaking down.
11 gal stainless for $199 from E Bay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Stainless-Steel-Milk-cream-Transport-Can-11-gallon-/330545221616?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf607cff0#ht_1457wt_932

Or 12 Qt for $29.99
http://cgi.ebay.com/Stainless-Steel-12-Qt-Milk-Can-Hygeia-60-Sealed-/250807049127?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6543dba7#ht_500wt_715

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: SS Milk Cans - alternatives?
« Reply #14 on: April 20, 2011, 08:36:35 PM »
Thanks, Joe.  It looks like I'm out of luck on the 12 qt - it's got a sealed lid, so it is apparently basically unusable as is. I queried Hamby on their smaller sizes, will see.  Leah's mom, thank you, as well.  My only concern with glass is that I've a history, over the years, with busting up carboys, etc., from transporting wort back and forth from home and brewery - so I finally just went to converted ss kegs; and so do feel, for myself, that ss is likely the way to go. 
- Paul