pasteurization

I'm undecided regarding raw milk.  Doesn't really matter, I live in an apartment.  But one day I'd like to have some land & my own milk-giving animal.  Even if I decide to go raw, certain friends and family probably wouldn't.  & I'd want to accommodate them as guests.

So - is there a way to do small-scale pasteurization on the cheap?

Kitchen pot on the stove. 

Pasteurization is merely heating something to reduce the bacterial load. There are different legal standards, built around risk reduction and what we know about problematic bacteria. The time and temperature varies - higher temps need shorter times.

huh.  well, that's easy enough.  much obliged!

You can fill a pan with water and set another inside to act as a double broiler. Supposedly heating to 161F and holding at that temp for 30 seconds will pasteurize the milk. You can also do it at a higher temp for less time for I don't recall the specifics.

Not that you asked me, but in my opinion if you clean your equipment thoroughly and use good milking practices you shouldn't need to pasteurize. I will not drink pasteurized milk as the good enzymes, vitamins, and beneficial basteria have been killed. Pasturization also destroys vitamin C, B12 and B6. It's basically a near-dead food. I can keep raw milk in my fridge for over two weeks and it will still be fine to drink.

Excuse my OT departure, but I'll take any opportunity to push raw milk!
janvandebong:  I don't know the laws where you are, but I live in town and am part of a group that circumvents the tortuous raw milk legal labyrinth by signing up for a 'herdshare'.
No need for your own cow...

all in good time - I'm in my late 20s & quite suburban.  I even work @ a grocery store.  Permaculture's a new realization of mine which fits into my years-old plan of saving, investing (in rental property mostly) & then one day living off the proceeds in Uruguay.  Canada's too cold.  & I'll need something cheap to do, so here I am.  If it feeds us some, all the better.  But until then I'm mostly keeping my head down, working & spending most of my free time reading about this & investments.  It's for the future, not the present.

I use raw milk to make yogurt.  I heat the milk just to a good incubator temp, about 110F, to promote the good bacterial growth.  When the milk is close to 2 weeks old I am not so clear about how the bacterial load in the milk might affect the yogurt culture.  Any thoughts on this?  And can anyone explain why it takes 20 hours or so in a yogurt machine to bring the milk to yogurt consistency?  I'll start another thread to ask my questions about the various "accidental" products I have produced.  (All good)