Raw goat milk - low temp pasteurization question

[DrChile]

So I bought into a herd share of goats and now have access to raw goats milk (and made my first cheese with the milk - see Montasio post).

I'm not adverse to using raw milk at all, but some of my family members and friends who I share this cheese with can't take that chance due to decreased immune systems. So for some makes I am considering low temp pasteurization.

My question is this:  Say I want to low temp pasteurize the milk:  145F for 15-30 minutes then rapidly cool, correct?  Any other tips?

Thanks!

Trent

[mikekchar]

Yes.  Minimum 30 minutes at that temp (145 F) to be pasteurised.  Then cool down as quickly as possible.  I have not done it, but if I was intending to, I would use a chiller similar in design to a beer wort immersion chiller.  Basically you buy a 15-30 foot coil (for 5 gallons -- less for smaller amounts) of copper refrigerator tubing.  You attach a hose to both sides of the coil.  You can either attach one of the ends to a cold water tap, or you can siphon ice water through it. 

Here is an example:



You can buy them online, but they are dead easy to make.  The important thing is to wash the chiller, and then put it in the pot with the milk *before* you heat the milk.  Then you heat the milk, hold the temp and finally run cold/ice water through the chiller.  I imagine you can get it down to 90 F in probably 1 or 2 minutes.

There are so-called counter flow chillers, but the extra complexity and need to sanitise everything is not worth it for milk, I think.  For making beer, you want to crash cool the wort from boiling all the way down to below 70 F as fast as humanly possible, so the counter flow chiller gives you that extra fast cooling.  I don't think it will be necessary for cheese making as you are reducing the temp by only a small amount.

[DrChile]

Ahhh yes - my friends who make beer have that apparatus... I can borrow theirs!

Thanks!

Trent

[Bantams]

If you're just pasteurizing a few gallons, setting the pot in a sink of cold water is quick enough.
145+ for 30 minutes, and be sure to leave your spoon in the whole time. Make sure you don't have any droplets of milk on the sides or cover (I use a piece of foil so the spoon can stay it).

[DrChile]

good advice!  Thanks!