Why do you need a milk separator and how does it work

If you are a villager and have a household cow, a milk separator is required. Even one cow, if she is a bucket, will feed the family with sour cream and cottage cheese. Unproductive wet nurses are not kept in the backyard now - it is irrational. The number of cows and their productivity determines which separator model you need to buy.

What is dairy processing based on?

Fresh cow's milk is a suspension in which fat globules, called cream, are mixed with the heavier molecules of the rest of the milk. They are easily separated from the bulk of the product by floating up. Milk separators have been designed to speed up the separation of fractions. Subsequently, the heavy residue is stratified into curd mass and whey, but this is after fermentation. There are also separators to separate them.

You can separate the cream during separation in any percentage.

If the final result of processing is 1:10, it means that for every 10 liters of skimmed milk, 1 liter of cream is obtained from 11 liters of milk. It is a cream containing a large amount of oil and a small liquid fraction. But you can get 3 liters of cream for 8 liters of skim milk. Such cream will be liquid, and little oil will turn out from them. The separator allows you to create a ratio from 1: 4 to 1:12.

In everyday life and for the primary processing of milk of small farms, only cream separators or separators are used, which is the same thing. The separation of the cream takes place under the influence of centrifugal force, which throws the heavy particles to the periphery, while the light ones remain closer to the center. After the separation, it remains to select the fractions in separate containers.

The milk separator is a tuned system of continuous milk supply to a rotating disc drum and selection of cream and skim milk, or skim milk.

But the process depends on many factors:

• drum rotation speed;
• tasks for obtaining a certain ratio of skim milk and cream;
• on the temperature and flow rate of milk through the centrifuge.

An experienced user finds his own ratio of all variables and tries to follow it. It is important for the user with a manual device to catch the required number of revolutions of the drive manually. The electric milk separator is pre-set using the mode buttons.

Separator working principle

Commercially available manual and electric cream separators are based on the general principle of slurry separation in a poppet drum. This is the main unit, it consists of a package of separation plates, put on a glass, and closed with a lid on top. The perforated plates are stacked in a specific order, creating 6 milk outlet holes. For cream, the outlet is closer to the side of the glass. The product is poured into the receiving bowl of the milk separator. Through an adjustable cork cock, milk flows into the float chamber, and from there flows down the central glass of the drum.

The milk in the disc drum is separated by centrifugal forces on each disc. Through common channels, the return rises to the receiving chamber and is discharged through the horn into the container. Cream falls into the other chamber. Accidental impurities get into the sump. This is how a household milk separator works, regardless of the drive type.Techniques for correct operation, the sequence of operations are reflected in the operating instructions for the separator.

It is mandatory for all household separators to thoroughly rinse and dry all parts after milk distillation.

Surprisingly, if the dishes are not clean enough, not dressed in the correct order, the machine will not work and milk will flow from all slots.

Separator models for domestic use

When choosing a cream separator, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of each consumer:

1. A one-time processing volume will determine the choice of the volume of the receiving bowl. The more milk you need to distill, the larger the bowl will be required to avoid adding milk every minute. They produce containers for 5.5 and 12 liters.
2. The universal separator combines milk cleaning from impurities and cream separation.
3. If more than 30 liters of milk are distilled daily, an electrically driven machine will be the best purchase.
4. Metal parts are more durable, longer service life, but they are more expensive than plastic separators.

One of the most popular separators is the Motor SICH separator. This is an open-type electric household appliance for universal use. The marking depends on the capacity, measured in l / h. The separator can work for an hour, then a break is required to cool the motor. The connection to the separator goes through a reducer and a reducer. The milk receiver is designed for 12 liters. Reverse can be beaten off up to 0.05% fat. The ratio of cream to skimmed milk can be 1: 4-1: 10. Such a unit costs from 6.5 thousand, depending on the configuration and material for manufacturing the working part.

Milk must be heated before separation. If there is no thermometer at hand, the milk should be equal to the temperature of the fingers, which means that the finger feels that the milk is slightly warm.

Open the tap and put milk into the system after the separator picks up speed, warms up, and idles for about five minutes.

The Farmer separator differs from the previous apparatus by a higher rotational speed of the disc drum, 1450 rpm, which means more efficient separation of milk into cream and return. The drum rotation frequency is adjustable. The device weighs only 3 kg.

Manual separators RZ OPS are designed for low productivity. The set includes a 5.5 liter bowl. In the plastic version, the separator costs 3 thousand, in the metal version it is twice as expensive.

How to make your own milk creamer

However, the craftsmen came to the conclusion that you can create a milk separator with your own hands, using the same centrifugal force. The diagram shows the simplest apparatus separating cream and return to fractions.

When rotating under the action of centripetal acceleration, the heavier the particle, the further and with greater force it is thrown. If you take a vessel, pour milk into it and give a sufficient rotation speed, the liquid will separate. The light fraction will be closer to the center, while the water fraction will concentrate on the rotating walls and will tend to fly out further.

A hole is made in the rotating cylinder with a thin needle. It is placed in a stationary vessel that will receive the spray. It is important to know the amount of skim milk to be taken. This is determined before the start of the separation The part remaining in the inner cylinder is the light fraction, cream.

And the more skim milk is taken, the thicker the cream will be.

Such a homemade separator allows you to process only one portion of milk, after which you can make a new load. The torque can be transmitted from any engine. The drum rotation speed should not exceed 1400 rpm.

Another principle of milk separation is vibrational, but it has not found application in household milk separators.Magnetic separators for separating cream from cold milk and whey from cottage cheese are used in industrial processing, model A-1 AXO.

How to assemble a separator - video