Goat-ty Milk
Have you ever had milk that tasted goat-ty for the lack of a better word? I have. My first experience with goat milk had this very strong aftertaste. My family was repulsed by it and I struggled to overcome the taste as I had read so many good things about raw goat milk. You know the whole theory that “if it tastes bad, then it must be good for you.”
At the time of our first trial run with goat milk, my family had been considering buying some dairy goats and milking them. We wanted to try the milk first and make sure we liked it before doing something so drastic. We were sorely disappointed in our first goat milk experience. We really wanted it to taste good.
Years passed and we found out that Isaac was severely allergic to cow milk. As soon as I weaned him from breast-milk, Isaac began exhibiting symptoms of an allergic reaction. Each time that he was introduced to cow milk, his reaction became more severe. We immediately put him on rice milk, which he drank without a problem. We cooked with rice milk and were satisfied with the results. Organic rice milk is also a cheaper option for a cow milk allergy.
However, I read an article in Living Without magazine about the importance of finding animal-produced milk for which to substitute cow milk. The article went on to discuss the high protein and vitamin levels present in animal-produced milk which rice, soy, and almond milk lack. The options given were goat milk, mare milk, sheep milk, etc.
The most easily obtained substitute was goat milk. We set out to try it again. This time we went to a different dairy. We were so impressed with the milk that we enthusiastically paid the high price per gallon.
Then we decided to begin milking our own goats. However, we wanted the results of the second dairy and not the first. We wanted delicious, creamy milk, and not something that had a bad aftertaste. We learned all we could about what creates off-flavored milk.
Last week I discussed the importance of cooling your milk down quickly. In “Grade A Milk,” I showed how we achieve Grade A standards for our home dairy with an ice cream maker. Properly cooling your milk is one of the most important steps in getting the great-tasting milk we wanted.
Cleanliness is a big issue. First for your health, it is paramount when drinking raw milk to have clean buckets, jars, and strainers. Clean hands when milking is important, too. Clean udders are required. We carry a clean rag out to the milking stand and dust off the udder. You clean the teats both before and after milking. You can use a teat dipper or simply with a rag or paper towel and bleach solution in a spray bottle.
We dilute the bleach to a 1:13 ratio. We have a 26 oz spray bottle. So we pour two ounces of bleach into the bottle and fill it with water. It is strong enough to kill the bacteria, but not strong enough to hurt the delicate tissue of the teats.
Other issues can throw the flavor off. A buck living among your does will change the taste of the milk. Bucks let off this very musky scent and it taints the flavor. I think that this was the problem with the first dairy we tried. They had their whole herd running together, male and female alike.
Another issue is what the goats eat. Some herbs and plants change the flavor of the milk like wild onions. One day our goats got out of their pen and ate some sweet feed. Our milk tasted horrible for two days. Moldy or old hay if eaten will also change the taste of the milk.
Regardless of which animal you are milking, off-flavored milk can ruin your operation. I have covered the most common causes for bad-tasting milk. For more information, read this report by North Dakota State University.
Being well disciplined in properly cooling your milk and keeping everything clean can make a huge difference in your home dairy. Great-tasting and nutritious milk are the goal. You don’t want anyone to take a swig and say, “Now that is some goat-ty milk.”
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