| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Brew Crew |
Posted - May 27 2008 : 9:19:22 PM
DH has been in the hospital for 6 days now, with horrible intestinal bleeding and stomach pains that have reduced him to tears. It took the Drs. until today to find the cause: a rare bacteria that can sometimes occur in raw milk. It's a fluke that he got it and reacted so badly, and the rest of the fam (all 6 of us!) haven't had any reactions. Needless to say, DH has resolved never to drink our raw milk again! Do any of you pasteurize? What methods do you use that work well for you? Pot on the stove-top? Fancy equiptment? I'd love to hear any solutions-- input please!!!
Funny Farm ramblings http://happydalehobby.blogspot.com/ |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Renee M. in Michigan |
Posted - May 31 2008 : 9:00:46 PM
Hi,
As someone mentioned before, I always stovetop pasteurized our goat's milk when we were milking. (I did it so it would keep longer.) I would slowly heat it up to 165-170 degrees, (used a candy thermometer, so approximate temp, but at least 160), held it there for 30 seconds, then quick chilled it in ice cold water in the sink in mason jars.
The commercial pasteurizers use lower temps and hold the milk there for a longer period of time. There is less chance of getting a scalded taste that way, but if you're careful, you can avoid that with the higher temp as well.
-- Renee M. in Michigan
No woman ever made history by following the rules. |
| artbysue |
Posted - May 29 2008 : 7:32:07 PM
I am sorry to hear your husband got so sick-- it sounds terribly painful! I hope it is feeling better.
The bacteria you mentioned is one I have heard of too. Oddly enough I had a kitten who had this and had the worst case of intestinal upset i have ever seen and it lasted forever!!!! It was awful-- and that was just watching a pet with it! I remember this because it was difficult for the vet to treat. I am sure they have much better treatments for people.
equine and animal artist, Amish art, www.suesteiner.com www.amish-art.com
www.amulti-coloredlife.blogspot.com
http://www.cafepress.com/suesteiner |
| Farm Girl 2 |
Posted - May 29 2008 : 1:04:27 PM
Oh Molly!! I am so sorry this has happened to him. I have not been pasteurizing either and we have been lucky. We drank raw milk for most of our lives and I only pasteurized both of the girls milk when they were infants. Yes they were both raised on whole fresh cows milk form 6 weeks old on and they did fine. The Dr would say at each visit "looks like the formula is doing well. keep it up" they did not know it was from our cows.
I will have to rethink this too. BUMMER!!!! And we thought we were really doing something good for our family!!
Loving Living Simply!
http://sunnymorningfarm.blogspot.com |
| wooliespinner |
Posted - May 28 2008 : 09:50:57 AM
Hey Molly,
did you check out about pasteurizing in a stainless steel pot on the stove ? If you don't want to put the money out for a pasteurizer it can be done on the stove. I just looked it up in my goat book. You bring the Temp. up to 165 degrees and hold it there for 15 seconds and then chill back down. Thats would be way cheaper than a pasteurizer and not as much to cleanup.
My book also talks about the bacteria and I had heard of it before believe it or not.......lol. Only because of the goat books I have read over the years. Most people who drink raw milk will build up a natural immunity to it. Usually first time raw milk drinkers or visitors to the farm are the ones who usually get this but still it is rare.
The bacteria is universally present in all birds including domestic poultry. Symptons range from mild to severe. Sounds like your husband had the severe one. Usually the book says that the chances of getting this are very very small.
But it happened to your husband and it was no small matter for him. Glad he gets to come home tomorrow !!!
Getting this bacteria was not from how you handle your milk. This bacteria can float through the air. Even dust from their bellies from being in the pasture where wild birds come and go. Don't think it was something you did wrong. For some reason it just got to him and managed to get a foothold in his stomach.Well gotta go put my wheat bread in the oven.
Well hope this info helps.Good luck Molly.
Linda
Each day is precious...take a few of those minutes for yourself. |
| Brew Crew |
Posted - May 28 2008 : 09:27:45 AM
Thanks for the wishes and thoughts, Linda! I will look into the pasteurizer at Caprine....Funny, it crossed my mind when we first got the dairy gals but then the equiptment seemed so expensive and unnecessary! So many of us around our area drink raw milk and have never had any problems. Of course, now it would have been such a small expense compared with the hospital bills that will be coming in soon enough....
I do know that most of the 'bacterias' in raw milk can actually be benefitial to our systems and you can build up immunitites to certain types of it. DH attributes this reaction to the *2 quarts* of ice cream he ate the night before he got sick. ;) Anyway, the name of the bacteria is 'campylobacter jejuni'. Yep, never heard of it myself, either!
Our does pen stays clean and dry, I milk on ice, and cool in an ice bath immediately. What a fluke that he got sick....hopefully he will be coming home tomorrow.
Funny Farm ramblings http://happydalehobby.blogspot.com/ |
| wooliespinner |
Posted - May 28 2008 : 05:18:00 AM
Molly
OMG that is super scary about your husband. If I were him I would be afraid to drink raw milk again. I hope he is going to be okay.
I use to have a pasturizer but traded it for a grain mill. I have always just handled the milk carefully and thought things would be just fine.I had my herd tested for CAE and the list of other stuff they can carry and thought I was good to go.
What was the bacteria they said he had picked up? This has got me super worried. I have been drinking raw milk for 16 years. I do have a few people who buy from me and worry they could get sick. It wasn't listerosis,samonella or something like that ? If you could find out I would really appreciate it. It would help me decide what course I should take.
The pasturizer in Caprine supply was the one I had. Its price is way higher than it use to be years ago....but so is everything else for that matter. My friend pasturizes hers on the stove top in a stainless steel kettle. I am not sure of the temp and how long but I don't think its a big deal to do it. I see Alee has posted a good website. That should get you the info you need.
Hope your Husband stomach heals. I am so sorry he had to go through that..........that would truly be scary when you don't know what is causing it at first. Take care.
Hugs
Linda
Each day is precious...take a few of those minutes for yourself. |
| Alee |
Posted - May 27 2008 : 9:23:58 PM
Oh No! Here is a fact sheet that has some information about pasteurizing
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5354.html
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1556228
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
