Cream separator

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We have two Jersey cows that we breed for milk all year. Our refrigerator is usually full of eggs and produce, and has no room to set milk for cream to rise. Where could we find a small, hand-cranked cream separator that doesn't cost a fortune (well, over $100, anyway)? We leave the calves on the cows and milk once a day, so we only have about 3 gallons at a time. I make butter from the cream and freeze it for the times when the AI doesn't work out..... Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Annabel Kellam

-- Annabel Kellam (newmoonky@aol.com), July 27, 2001

Answers

It may cost you less to get an old refrigerator to set out in an outbuilding or on the back porch to set milk and extra produce in. You would be surprised how thankful you would be to have that second fridge.

It would certainly be less daily chores, to simply strain and set milk in, and get milk out and skim it, then to use a separator, when you concider the work of cleaning the separator.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), July 27, 2001.


hoe about a cooler/ice chest, with about 2 -3 ice cube trays in it?

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), July 27, 2001.

Hi Annabel, I don't think there is such a thing! I have been looking for months when I thought we would go with goats instead of a cow. Ebay prices are going for over $200 and the only place I have found that is somewhat reasonable is the Plava from the Herb Plenty (http://herbplenty.com/plaava.html) but it is $129.00 plus shipping and is made in Russia and is all plastic. When you buy one from a yard sale/auction, you are never sure if all the parts are there unless you are very familar with that model machine and they usually don't appreciate you taking all 30-40 parts apart and then not sure how they go back together. They are getting scarce for replacement parts. There are so many disks and so much to wash that with cows milk it just isn't worth it. There can be 40 parts to wash everyday! I would go for one of the suggestions above.

One question though...if refrigerator storage is your problem, you seperate the cream from the milk, you still have the same volumn of milk/cream you started with. Won't you have a problem then storing 2 containers - one for milk, one for cream. Have you thought about getting one of those glass jugs with the spout that they use for ice tea? You can pour in your milk and just use your milk as usual from the spout. The cream will stay on the top and then just skim it off as you need it too.

Best of luck!

-- Karen (db0421@yahoo.com), July 27, 2001.


Lots of good cream separators out there looking for new homes! Just check out the thread I started some time ago called "Cream Separator, where to get one." In the Farm Equipment category.

I have had a very nice email from a lady who took my advice and acquired for herself a Lister.

See also the comments regarding the fellow who found separators for US$42!

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), July 27, 2001.


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