I just checked Lehman's for a goat milk cream separater. The only one they carry is $225.00 !! Plus, they say their stock is low and they can't say when it'd be shipped.

Anybody got any ideas on rigging up a homemade version? I know I can separate the cream by leaving the milk in a flat pan in the fridge, but what if there's no fridge? Any ideas?

Thanks!

-- Arewyn (isitthatlate@lready.com), December 05, 1999

Answers

I found one at an antiques store near me. They still wanted $125.00. You might try calling stores near you. I do live in a rural area and there are many farm antiques in the stores. But then if you have goats you are probably not downtown either! Pam

-- Pamela (jpjgood@penn.com), December 05, 1999.

Arewyn and all, I couldn't afford a separator either, but do let the cream rise in flat pans. Never kept the milk in the refridgerator while doing so. Given the amount of space the pans take, I usually store them in the oven when it isn't in use. Most of the time the inside of the oven stays pretty cool over night.

My girls aren't giving me enough milk at present to do much with (milking two, will milk five after spring), and we still have the luxury of "margrine" also :-).

When I have extra, I first skim off of the jars and put it aside in separate jar, and even skim some quickly off of milk I am using for baking too, till I get enough to fool with after a day or so.

I have one Nubian gal that gives a high amount of cream, so feel lucky to have her.

Also, experiment with different utinsels for "skimming" the butter to make the job easier. I found a round stainless steele spoon at a Roses' Dept. Store for $1.00 that had very small holes in it, and it works pretty good. I like pie pans with slanted edges better than the straight edge pans I use for getting the most cream out of.

It takes alot of milk and effort to get a little butter this way. Perhaps in the future, freash butter will be as it has in the past, a nice luxury on freash baked bread, instead of a given.

Feeding the goats for most cream production helps too. I believe (going from memory here), sunflower seeds at a proportion of 18% (?) of grain supply ups the cream. I don't feed that much, but I add about 1/2 cup to feed daily, which I mix myself. 50 lbs of the black sunflower seed is about $8.00 a bag here, and lasts a good long time at that rate, and it stores very well. Chickens and rabbits like it too.

-- Lilly (homesteader145@yahoo.com), December 06, 1999.

Thanks! Lilly, thanks for the info about keeping the pans in the oven. Excellent idea. We've got two new (to us!) Nubians, and are learning as we go!

-- Arewyn (isitth@latealready.com), December 06, 1999.

Arewyn, Hoeggar's Goat Supply in GA. has goat cream separators for about $60.00. I got one several years ago and it works great and has held up just fine. They also carry a non-electric yogurt maker. I'm at work and do not have the toll free number with me. E-mail address is real if you want info. let me know. They are a family business and carry lots of good things for goats and are willing to talk with folks. They carry herbal alternatives for goats also. Very effective for worming and getting ready for kids.

-- Goatlady (MRealty@aol.com), December 06, 1999.