Home Pasteurizers

[Aries]

I am looking to purchase a small (2gallon) pasteurizer. I looked at the Duel Function pasteurizer from Hoegger's and the Safgard Pasteurizer from Caprine supply. Does anyone have experience with either of these? Or is there another you would recommend. This is my first year breeding and I only bred one goat and she is due early April with triplets. Thank you.  Rose

[Sondra]

I and alot of us use the large electric turkey friers  they are wonderful

[Ziggy]

Just curious how you know she will have triplets. Do you ultrasound? If so how much does it cost.

[Narrow Chance]

I have the dual one from Hoeggers.. with an extra pail.  Would not want to do all that I pasteurize with only one pail.
It was expensive... but I would buy again because of the ease.
I do have a Weck canner that I started out with.. and still use it when milk gets backed up.  My bell milker fits in it perfect and I can do 5 gallons at a time.

If you are only doing one goat... I would suggest one of the fryers that everyone uses.. it's not feasable to spend that kind of money on a pasteurizer for no more milk than you will be pasteurizing at a time. 

[Aries]

Just curious how you know she will have triplets. Do you ultrasound? If so how much does it cost.

Yes I did a ultrasound. Not sure what it would cost. I am a veterinary technician at a small animal hospital and one of the drs use to work at Cornell with goats so she ame over to my farm and did the ultra sound. I was going to xray her too but I could not fit her in the cage to get her to the hospital. We charge about 150.00 for a small animal ultrasound so probably around the same plus farm call or if you could get her to a practice that has one and will do it.

[Aries]

How do use the electric turkey fryers?

[MiaBella Farm]

You fill them with water, then put a large pot in the water.  Turn on the turkey fryer, it heats up the water which then heats up the milk.  It is sort of like a huge double boiler.

You can find used ones online at ebay and craigslist.

[Vicki McGaugh Tx Nubians]

Honestly pasteurisers like those are for very small herds.  With nesting kettles/stock pots, you can pasteurise all the milk for the whole day so much faster.  I know in visiting another herd the size of mine, and I don't have a large herd anymore, they had 5 pasteurisers going at once to heat the milk for the whole day, they would then heat the evening milking for the next morning...that is way too much work.  Vicki

[Aries]

So after you heat the milk to pastuerized temp how do you cool it down?

[Sondra]

I just put in the sink in an ice bath if I need to cool it quickly now I only pasturize to feed to my babies  so   usually just leave on the counter for lunch and dinner meals   just depends on if it is going to be used that day.