Keep records of vat temperature
Farmers must assess the milk cooling systems on a regular basis to ensure it meets requirements set out by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI).
Refrigeration is a key element in ensuring milk is cooled and stored at the correct temperature and there are a range a range of products and solutions for dairy farms of varying sizes.
Here are some solutions and their advantages:
Ice Bank solutions are ideal for herds of up to 600 cows but can also be sized for larger numbers.
The unit manufactures ice between milkings with little or no impact on electricity supply. A small footprint means the Ice Bank can easily be accommodated in existing dairy parlours.
Milk enters the milk vat at the industry standard, generally around 6°C (42.8°F).
Advantages are:
Water chilling is suitable for all dairy farms. The size of the unit and volume of the water tank determines how long it takes to bring the water in the tank down to the recommended temperature (often around 6°C (42.8 °F) enabling milk to enter the milk vat at around 9°C (48.2°F).
The chiller on the milk vat then reduces and maintains the milk temperature to the industry standard, generally between 4°C and 6°C (39.2°F and 42.8°F).
Advantages:
Glycol Snap Chilling is ideal for large, continuous 24/7 operations. The unit is powered by inverter technology enabling it to ramp up to match loading and delivering power savings of up to 40% over standard compressors. Glycol chilling can also be supplied with standard technology.
Advantages:
Milk vat chilling is a cost effective option for farms whose milk is collected every other day.
It chills milk once it is in the milk vat and can be easily retrofitted into existing dairy parlours between milkings.
Advantages:
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