Using raw milk

[Dobe Lover]

Just joined the forum and am already hooked. I have found a source for raw milk - to be used for pet food only of course. I have lots of info on making butter and buttermilk but want to know about using the leftover liquid. I'm guessing it would be like a lowfat milk and could be used for making yogurt. Has anyone ever tried this?

 

[miss_thenorth]

Now, are you talking about the whey that is a byproduct of cheese and yogurt making? do a search on whey,and you will get some hits. You can bake with it, feed it to the chickens, and lactoferment with it. Lotsa ideas on the "what are you fermenting today" thread.

 

[Dobe Lover]

Thanks, Frugal.

 

[freemotion]

The liquid left from making butter is buttermilk, but not to be confused with cultured buttermilk, which is whole milk innoculated with a bit of cultured buttermilkd from a previous batch. Both can be used in baking. I wouldn't use "real" buttermilk to make yogurt, I really don't think it would work. It is the liquid and lactose from cream, and is not skim milk. The skim milk is what is left behind when you skim off the cream, from which you make the butter.

I end up with so much whey from cheesemaking that I toss it. The chickens won't touch it anymore, they hold out for the occasional sour milk or really badly failed batch of cheese. Picky little beasts! Once we have pigs, though, they will get the whey. I don't bake much. I have some frozen buttermilk waiting for the next batch of biscuits....Sunday, for company!

 

[Dobe Lover]

Thanks, Freemotion.
I wasn't too clear when I asked my question. After I remove the cream from the raw whole milk I will have a liquid left over which I guess, is skim milk. I would like to make yogurt from this liquid for the dogs.
After using the cream for the butter making process the liquid left over is fresh buttermilk which I think I can use in baking - bisquits, pancakes etc. Right?

 

[freemotion]

Thanks, Freemotion.
I wasn't too clear when I asked my question. After I remove the cream from the raw whole milk I will have a liquid left over which I guess, is skim milk. I would like to make yogurt from this liquid for the dogs.
After using the cream for the butter making process the liquid left over is fresh buttermilk which I think I can use in baking - bisquits, pancakes etc. Right?

Oh, yes, and yes!

You can certainly eat the yogurt yourself, too, it will be similar to what most yogurt available in the store is...non-fat yogurt. But personally, I would give it to the dogs, too.....I prefer whole milk for everything!

 

[me&thegals]

Welcome, Dobe lover

I use my fresh buttermilk for chicken feed. My friend I get the milk from says this can be cultured for a thicker buttermilk, but I haven't had luck with that. The gals love it anyway!

I find that after skimming off all my cream, my milk is still far from skim milk. It looks more like 2% or higher to me. I've been doing this for years, but I still don't get all the fat off. No problem.

Have fun with your milk!

 

[Dobe Lover]

We picked up our first gallon of raw milk yesterday. The homemade butter is in the frig along with about 3/4 cup of fresh buttermilk. The 3 + quarts of yogurt are incubating in the microwave with a mason jar of hot water. The butter yeild was lower than I expected - approximately 2 ounces - but it sure is delicious. The left over milk after skimming the cream does look more like 2% or more. All in all the project was a success. We paid $5 for the gallon of milk and got some butter, some buttermilk and lots of yogurt.

 

[freemotion]

$5!!! I wouldn't have dairy goats right now if I could get that! (I'm secretly glad.....nothing like kids!)

 

[Dobe Lover]

Awww....Your goats must be great. We have a man with a goatherd here and he sells raw milk but he can't keep up with demand. I was pleased with the dairy where I got the raw milk. The cows are mostly Holsteins with a few other dairy breeds. The cows are kept on pasture with dairy bulls so no AI or hormones. The milk storage room was spotless and the people very nice. Of course the raw milk is sold only for pet consumption because Georgia forbids the sale of raw milk for human food.