The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: Anke on July 17, 2011, 10:07:10 pm
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We are currently thinking about a cream separator. The only make I can generally find is the one made by MILKY, and it comes to around 850 quid in various catalogues/internet. Don't seem to be able to find anything cheaper, other than the Ukrainian outfit on e-bay (I don't use ebay usually).
Question: Is anyone aware of another make of reliable cream separator, for use in UK? If not - how reliable is the MILKY one? Spare parts?
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seems horrnedously expensive doesnt it?
what about googling how to make oyur own? and then make two and i'll take the first one off your hands....lol
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When I had a Jersey for the house I bought a second hand one, but I never managed to get the cow in calf after that, and it is in the loft somewhere. I think I paid around £150 for it about 10 years or more ago. Its in Worcestershire so if you are interested PM me and come and have a look at it. It works by hand rather than electric
All the best
Sue
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Hi Anke
We're waiting for one to arrive from the Ukranian website. We ordered direct, not through e-bay. I'll let you know what it's like when it arrives.
I must admit to being a bit skeptical, but at £850 we'd never have bought one so worth a try.
Dave
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I'll also be interested in your Ukrainain machine. I kind of baulk at £850.
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We've had an ebay Ukraine cream separator for nearly 2 years. I do cream through the milking season every 3rd day. Most times it is fine (cleaning it is a pain) but every now and then it decides to sit badly and we get the odd grinding noise. This is easily fixed by pressing down on one side of the milk 'arms'. I think it just sometimes vibrates off the little plastic catch that holds the arms in place.
For £90 (I think that's what we paid) it has more than paid for itself. I love it :D
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When I had a Jersey for the house I bought a second hand one, but I never managed to get the cow in calf after that, and it is in the loft somewhere. I think I paid around £150 for it about 10 years or more ago. Its in Worcestershire so if you are interested PM me and come and have a look at it. It works by hand rather than electric
All the best
Sue
Sounds great Sue - but we are in Scotland. if you can find it and put it on ebay - you may find that it is snapped up! Nothing remtoely useful on there atm.
I am just sooooo sceptical of anything that comes from the Ukraine, or that part of the world, especially if I have to give out my credit card details.... Also the price difference between the Ukrainian one (at about 90quid on ebay) and the others at 10x the price just makes me very wary (as in why is it so cheap, or why can the others sell theirs at such an inflated price?). Found two makes - one is Milky, the other Elecrem.
I have found a hand-cranked one for 450 Euros, but not sure where that one comes from. I guess everyone here is using/planning to use the electric version?
Crofter - I am awaiting the review of your machine before we go any further...
Skirza - you using the electric one? Are all the "insides" made of plastic?
Oh, bedtime now!!!!
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Skirza - you using the electric one? Are all the "insides" made of plastic?
Oh, bedtime now!!!!
Electric one. The main housing that holds the motor is plastic (not found it in anyway flimsy). The centrifugal bit, the milk 'arms' and the bowl are metal, the bit that holds the bowl off the arms is plastic. As I say, I bought it off ebay so no credit card details were used (paypal). It works, I get lovely thick cream from my goats milk which has to be a good thing, that's all I can say
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The one we've ordered was £55 for a hand crank one, I've come across eastern european motors before, though if the one Skirza has is ok after 2 years I may have to reconsider my opinion!
I beleive the one we ordered is made of plastic with stainless steel "cones". Still waiting for it to arrive, though it's not due for a couple of days yet.
I'll keep you all posted.
Dave
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this is on at the moment http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/cream-separator-/300578518430?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item45fbe0359e (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/cream-separator-/300578518430?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item45fbe0359e)
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this is on at the moment http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/cream-separator-/300578518430?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item45fbe0359e (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/cream-separator-/300578518430?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item45fbe0359e)
That's great - I have put that on my watch list. I had pretty well forgotten I had it until this thread came up. I shall have to crawl in amongst the spiders webs and look it out
Sue :)
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The seperator arrived and it is comlete and well packed. It is made largely of plastic with stainless steel "cones" and a set of instructions that are quite funny (translation) but understandable.
It is shipped with no oil in it so I have to fill it, give it a good wash and find a surface to permanently screw it down to. Maybe by tomorrow evenings milking I'll have a report on how it works for you all.
Dave
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just a bit of advice....they work much better when the milk is blood temp. We're getting 500ml of cream from 5 lts of milk at the moment, but if yours is the same design as ours, you can adjust the thickness of the cream with the little rod thingy in the milk pan on top. I don't envy you the manual version tho, ours goes round awfully fast :P
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http://novocreamseparators.com/blog/ (http://novocreamseparators.com/blog/)
Just found this USA site . less than $400. looks a good machine. the only problem would be the voltages , if you have a look at their links there is a demo on u-tube showing how it works.
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Ok, job done!
The seperator works very well. I filled it with oil and screwed it down firmly to a work surface. I washed all the components and re-assembled it, them put a litre of lukewarm water through it to warm it up as instructed.
Then I put the evenings milking (5 pints, warm) through it. Hey Presto! Skimmed milk and cream.
You are supposed to start it off gently, winding the handle up to speed, then open the tap to let the milk in. I thought the machine might be hard to wind but you are really only keeping up the momentum and it's no work at all to turn.
Skirza, it does have a "cream screw" but by your descrition it is not exactly the same design as yours. I have not messed with that bit yet, but with the factory settings got something about the thickness of single cream.
The instructions also say to put a litre of the skimmed milk back through at the end to wash out the last of the cream.
You can find them at www.merry-farm.com (http://www.merry-farm.com) and based on this purchase I'd recommend them.
I notice that they are now on ebay, which I don't think they were when I ordered. At a glance, I think the prices and shipping are lower on their own website.
Hope this helps people!
Dave
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This all sounds very positive as it makes goat-milk ice-cream possible, if I can get cream ;D Only milking Ellie this year so drinking all the milk she gives but next year, when Rowan is grown-up and also milking ...... :)
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So pleased it works for you, enjoy your cream :)
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Thanks Skirza. Just realized you're in Skirza. Both my children live in Wick so I know roughly where you are stiuated. You're about as windswept as we are!
Dave
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Don't I know it ;D
Getting back to the cream, we have ours after feeding/milking/watering in freshly brewed coffee...makes everything worthwhile ;)
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Thanks Crofter and Skirza - looks like we are buying one too... but the electric version I think.
My fridge has currently 15 ltrs of milk in it, and I have two lots of cheese in the press.... so I need another method if using up the milk. Oh, and piglets are on order too....
And I absolutely love my coffee with cream - continental upbringing...
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Anke
The piglets will thrive on the skimmed milk, and you get lots of cream! ;D
Dave
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Ok, job done!
The seperator works very well. I filled it with oil and screwed it down firmly to a work surface. I washed all the components and re-assembled it, them put a litre of lukewarm water through it to warm it up as instructed.
Then I put the evenings milking (5 pints, warm) through it. Hey Presto! Skimmed milk and cream.
You are supposed to start it off gently, winding the handle up to speed, then open the tap to let the milk in. I thought the machine might be hard to wind but you are really only keeping up the momentum and it's no work at all to turn.
Skirza, it does have a "cream screw" but by your descrition it is not exactly the same design as yours. I have not messed with that bit yet, but with the factory settings got something about the thickness of single cream.
The instructions also say to put a litre of the skimmed milk back through at the end to wash out the last of the cream.
You can find them at www.merry-farm.com (http://www.merry-farm.com) and based on this purchase I'd recommend them.
I notice that they are now on ebay, which I don't think they were when I ordered. At a glance, I think the prices and shipping are lower on their own website.
Hope this helps people!
Dave
Dave, which one did oyu buy? am i right that the electric one and the manual ones are the sameprice?? seems odd to me
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Can I ask do these electrical items work on our voltage system?
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MILK-CREAM-ELECTRIC-CENTRIFUGAL-SEPARATOR-80L-H-BRAND-/170508240771?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item27b3154783 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MILK-CREAM-ELECTRIC-CENTRIFUGAL-SEPARATOR-80L-H-BRAND-/170508240771?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item27b3154783)
That's the one I have, just needed a 2 pin to 3 pin adaptor
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Hi Egglady
I bought the cheapest manual one at $69. The carriage was $25 which when converted gave a total of about £55.
I suspect there may have been a glitch on their site. Manual and electric are not now the same price but I think the prices are higher on ebay (covering costs?)
The one I bought is pictured in an earlier post on this thread.
They're probably well suited to smallholders as we will only give them light use and look after them well.
Dave
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MILK-CREAM-ELECTRIC-CENTRIFUGAL-SEPARATOR-80L-H-BRAND-/170508240771?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item27b3154783 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MILK-CREAM-ELECTRIC-CENTRIFUGAL-SEPARATOR-80L-H-BRAND-/170508240771?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item27b3154783)
That's the one I have, just needed a 2 pin to 3 pin adaptor
Can I ask? why didn't you just cut the two pin off and fit a standard 3 pin?
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well i bit the bullet and ordered it........so if it's rubbish I'll have to be blaming you Dave lol
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MILK-CREAM-ELECTRIC-CENTRIFUGAL-SEPARATOR-80L-H-BRAND-/170508240771?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item27b3154783 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MILK-CREAM-ELECTRIC-CENTRIFUGAL-SEPARATOR-80L-H-BRAND-/170508240771?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item27b3154783)
That's the one I have, just needed a 2 pin to 3 pin adaptor
Can I ask? why didn't you just cut the two pin off and fit a standard 3 pin?
Errr...dunno...didn't think of it...blonde (with grey bits) female....small brain...your guess is as good as mine ;D
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Just found this post re separators ???? just what I need having found a recipe for goat milk ice cream! Just also wondering how everyone’s machines are working?
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Nowadays I use a hand operated separator, an Indian copy of a vintage Lister and works very well too .
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Just found this post re separators ??? ? just what I need having found a recipe for goat milk ice cream! Just also wondering how everyone’s machines are working?
Works fine after a few years of use, but haven't done any separation this spring yet. Needs thorough washing after each run through, max 9 to 10kgs of milk per run, it will clogg up if you attempt to do more in one go. Needs fiddling with the screw to get consistency as you want it, and we now always add a bit of milk back into the cream to make sure it stays pourable rather than goes solid when cooled down in fridge.
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Yeah i tried to put 20litres of goats milk through once and burned out the motor!
Will need to replace it before we start milking my Jersey/
Or alternatively get the bowl and cones re-tinned on my antique hand machine