I noticed something interesting. Last summer when I started milking Caramel, there were about 2 weeks right at the beginning when her milk tasted really twangy, almost too much for me to drink. But then it cleared up and tasted AMAZING, so I figured she'd been getting into a weed or something in the pasture. All the rest of the time I milked her, it tasted great.
I started milking Oreo just recently and her milk tastes quite strong. So much that even Paul doesn't like to drink it straight, and he is not a picky drinker.
I put several jars of it in the freezer to store up until I figured out what to do with it. Then I took out a jar to bake with (turned out great), and happened to sip it when it thawed. It tasted awesome! Not a hint of off flavor at ALL.
I wondered if it was my milk handling, but I do the same with Oreo's milk as I did with Caramel's. Strain it well and chill as quick as possible. And they are getting as much the same diet as possible. I guess taste can differ from goat to goat.
I tried it again just to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and sure enough, it tastes not good from the fridge and awesome from the freezer. Weird. I'm not complaining though...if it makes it drinkable for us, I'll go with it. :P
Replies
Just a low grade systemic type... from the stress of her labor. She had a very large kid, that injured her back legs for a while. She still walks funny from it. Possibly low grade mastitis. She never had any signs of it other than her milk had a twang to it. Later on, her milk tasted fine, and since I never thought to test for mastitis, I don't know for sure which was the cause... infection, or milking too early after delivery.
What kind of infection do you think that could have been?
Rachel Whetzel at MigMog Acres said:
I had a doe that did this the first set of babies I had here on my farm. She had a hard delivery, and I think my flavor issues came down to two things: I did a test milking early (a bit before two months) and I think in hind sight, that she might have had a mild infection.
Taste can differ from goat to goat, but it's unusual to have a ND that has off-taste milk. It is really important to clean the udder before milking and then put a few squirts into a separate cup to give the barn cat or dog. And you probably know this, but if there is a buck near them that can rub on them (even through a fence) that will also cause an off taste. Using disposable filters for straining rather than reusable cheesecloth can also help.