Okay, folks, I was just called rude when I commented on how someone is straining milk. She posted a photo of using a coffee filter and a bag for straining almond milk. I pointed out that coffee filters and milk filters are not the same thing. Of course, almond milk is *not* milk. I said that milk filters should be used for milk, that coffee filters are designed to separate coffee beans/grounds from water. I also mentioned that milk filters are packaged to be sterile.
Was I "rude" - is it okay to use coffee filters or bags for straining our raw milk? Is it adequate and/or safe?
What methods do you use to strain your milk?
Replies
If someone uses fabric, they should boil it between uses because bacteria can get trapped in the weave and can grow on it between uses. Maybe it's good bacteria; maybe it's not. When making cheese, you should also boil cheesecloth before each use, unless you're making queso blanco or ricotta and straining curds and whey that is already 190-200 degrees.
I've tried using a coffee filter on the rare occasion that we've run out milk filters, but our milk wouldn't go through it. I always assumed the butterfat was too high, but knowing that it's worked for other people, I'm guessing it was a seasonal thing. Perhaps it was fall or winter, and the butterfat was too high at that time?
To answer your question, I don't think your opinion was rude unless you were being condescending rather then educating... Over the years I've learned that someone is likely going to be offended at some point no matter what...
I used double-layered, paper coffee filters inside of a mesh coffee strainer (like Rachel described) before I got my actual milk strainer. It really seemed to do a good job, it just didn't hold enough milk. It took longer than my milk strainer, which means it was probably catching more stuff. I don't think it would cause any issues, especially if the udder is properly cleaned and her sanitation of her utensils is good. I'm a total noob to milking though, and have never compared milk samples under a microscope or anything so I guess I can't definitively answer.
I use a metal mesh coffee strainer for straining my milk. It's got smaller holes than the milk strainers I've seen, and I wash it the same way I do the rest of my milking supplies... (hot soapy water, a dip in bleach sanitizing solution) It works well for me! I would use a coffee filter too, if you're talking about a disposable one. It would be disposable, and should be clean when you use it, so I can't think of any reason it wouldn't be good. I've also used flour sack cloth to strain, and again, wash the same way I do my other supplies. I think as long as you're cleaning and sanitizing between uses, there are a lot of things that work as good substitutes. I can see how commercial dairies might need a more milk specific strainer, but IMO, my milk is pretty clean to begin with. My goat's udders aren't muddy, and I wash them well before milking. The thing I worry about more than anything is hair, and my filter definitely gets that just fine!