How to Clean Milking and Cheese Making Equipment
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Important don'ts when cleaning your equipment
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Required cleaning agents
Cleaning milk utensils requires special cleaning agents.
1. Alkaline detergent is used as the basic cleaning agent, but it leaves a cloudy film which houses bacteria.
2. An acid wash is used to remove this film, but it does not have the cleaning power of the alkaline detergent. If you have hard ward, you'll need to use the acid detergent more frequently.
3. Either chlorine compounds or iodine are used to sanitize your equipment. You can also use iodine compounds to sanitize if you measure carefully and soak the equipment for at least 5 minutes.
4. A good, stiff brush.
I. For personal consumption:
If you are only using your milk and milk products for personal consumption and have a dishwasher with a sanitizing dishwasher cycle and soft water, you can use this for your daily washing with pails and buckets and wash every few days with the acid wash.
II. To follow the procedure for professional dairies:
1. Immediately rinse all equipment well with cool water as soon as you have finished using them. Warm water will heat the milk casein that can be difficult to remove.
2. Rinse with warm water and alkaline detergent and then the acid detergent.
3. Using the brush, wash in hot, soapy water.
4. Rinse in hot water and a sanitizing agent (either chlorine or iodine).
5. Invert on a drying rack for air-drying.
6. If you want to be doubly sure, you can rinse the equipment again with chlorine bleach diluted 10:1, then rinse with scalding water.
Regardless of which process you need to follow, always air dry and store your equipment upside down on stainless steel racks.
1. Alkaline detergent is used as the basic cleaning agent, but it leaves a cloudy film which houses bacteria.
2. An acid wash is used to remove this film, but it does not have the cleaning power of the alkaline detergent. If you have hard ward, you'll need to use the acid detergent more frequently.
3. Either chlorine compounds or iodine are used to sanitize your equipment. You can also use iodine compounds to sanitize if you measure carefully and soak the equipment for at least 5 minutes.
4. A good, stiff brush.
I. For personal consumption:
If you are only using your milk and milk products for personal consumption and have a dishwasher with a sanitizing dishwasher cycle and soft water, you can use this for your daily washing with pails and buckets and wash every few days with the acid wash.
II. To follow the procedure for professional dairies:
1. Immediately rinse all equipment well with cool water as soon as you have finished using them. Warm water will heat the milk casein that can be difficult to remove.
2. Rinse with warm water and alkaline detergent and then the acid detergent.
3. Using the brush, wash in hot, soapy water.
4. Rinse in hot water and a sanitizing agent (either chlorine or iodine).
5. Invert on a drying rack for air-drying.
6. If you want to be doubly sure, you can rinse the equipment again with chlorine bleach diluted 10:1, then rinse with scalding water.
Regardless of which process you need to follow, always air dry and store your equipment upside down on stainless steel racks.
How to Sterilize Equipment
Sterilizing your equipment before and after use is always a good idea. Use common sense to keep things clean while making cheese. The more you sterilize your equipment, the more likely you will have a great cheese-making experience.
Follow the below steps to sterilize:
Follow the below steps to sterilize:
- Immerse equiment in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Steam utensils for 5 minutes in a large kettle with about 2 inches of water in the bottom and a tight lid on top. Wooden items such as cheese boards may be scrubbed and air dried. between uses, mats must be boiled or steamed for at least 20 minutes.
- Sterilize plastic food-grade equipment by dipping it in a solution of 2 tablespoons of household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) per 1 gallon of water. Dampen a clean cloth in bleach solution and wipe all work areas.
- Bleach may also be used with stainless steel utensils, but make sure that your rinse them thoroughly afterwards. A residue of sodium hypochlorite will interfere with the growth of cheese making bacteria and may kill the rennet being used.
- Always air dry all rinsed equipment on a stainless steel rack and store in a clean place. Just before using them again, resterilize the equipment.
Hint: If you don't have an instant hot water dispenser, consider installing one.
It's a huge time and water saver when cleaning dairy equipment.
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