Application Separation of cold milk

Separation of cold milk

There is no exact limit between hot and cold milk separation. To avoid
misunderstandings definitions in terms of process parameters must exist.
Our definition is:
Separation of milk stored at 4-6C for at least 10-12 hours.

Process
Cold raw milk of known fat content, free from air, should be fed to the cold
milk separator at constant temperature and capacity. Any change in operating
conditions is a potential risk for plugging of the bowl. Standardised cream
and skimmed milk are the products leaving the separator.
Sediment discharged from the centrifuge during separation may contain
bacteria, leucocyte, hair, sand and similar. A cold separation is probably the
first centrifugal clarification step in the dairy and therefore is the discharged
sediment not possible to recycle. The best way to dispose it is to sterilise it
with steam and dump it.

Factors influencing safety

In cold milk separation there are two parameters of specific importance
regarding safety:
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1) Variations in operating conditions may cause plugging of the separator

bowl with fat. Discharges and hot water flushing remedies and prevent
heavy imbalance, but never shut off the feed and always start with small
discharges.
2) Discharge volume setting, which could be too low when aiming at
minimum disturbances. Always follow the given recommendations.
Check on size now and then.

Adjustments in separation process

Avoid variations in operating conditions. It could however be necessary to
adjust the separation process, for example when raw milk fat content
changes, when you desire a new cream fat content or when milk temperature
changes unintentionally.
Cream flow
Adjustment of cream flow is the common way to tune the separation process.
By increased flow follow a lower cream fat content and vice versa.
Pay special attention to adjustments at temperatures around 4C when cream
fat content is 40% or more, because the cream viscosity change dramatically
with any change in temperature or fat content. See diagram.

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Separation of cold milk Application

Figure:Cream viscosity at various temperatures for various cream fat contents

(10, 20, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50%)

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Normal tuning does not influence the fat content in the skimmed milk, with
an exception for extremely low separation temperature (3-4C) or high
cream fat content (>40%).
Separation efficiency
With efficiency for a separator we normally mean the ability to reduce the fat
content in milk. But we can also define the performance in terms of the
possibility to produce cream with a consistent and high fat content, or a
production with no unintentional stops.
A cold milk centrifuge has discs with higher caulks (spacers) to be able to
handle the high viscosity of the cream and prevent plugging as far as
possible. Consequently the number of discs, compared to the corresponding
hot milk centrifuge, is lower.
The capacity for a cold milk separator is normally about 50% lower,
compared to separation at 50-60C to compensate for the lower number of
discs and the higher product viscosity.
For standardisation of milk the capacity is limited by the pressure drop on the
cream side as efficiency is of less importance.
To maintain a high availability it is important to make necessary adjustments
with care, to run a proper cleaning every day and to make the recommended
daily checks. Maintenance may be carried out by certified personnel only.

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 Application Separation of cold milk

Product quality
The product quality in a milk separation process is most often mea-sured in
terms of free fat and air in the discharged products.
Crystallisation of milk is a slow process. After 4-5 hours still 35% of fat is
liquid and the fat globules are unstable. Therefore it is important to hold the
milk at a low temperature for at least 10-12 hours before processing, to avoid
damages to the fat globules.
For cold processing of milk there is an obvious risk that the milk fat is not
fully crystallised or that the milk contains too much air. Both symptoms on
an incorrect handling of the cold milk that may destroy the fat globule
membrane, whereby the non-crystallised fat will appear as free fat and cause
sticking and clumping, two serious faults. Rancid flavours may also develop
as a result of lipolytic reactions.

Sampling and analysing methods

Free fat in cream
The cream sample is extracted in petroleum ether, followed by evaporation,
drying and weighing. The result is judged as follows:
Good quality < 0.3% free fat in sample
Poor quality 0.3-1.0% free fat in sample
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Bad quality >1.0% free fat in sample

Fat content in cream and milk
Methods like Gerber and Babcock, or automatic analysing equipments like
Milkotester and MilkoScan, are sufficient when an accuracy of 0.1% for the
milk and 0.5% volumetric for the cream is sufficient. They are quick and
simple methods.
Fat content in skimmed milk
The fat content in skimmed milk is relatively low and gravimetric met-hods
preferred for accurate analyses of the absolute level. Other met-hods may be
used for indications only.
Air content
Fill a bottle with narrow neck through a plastic hose until the bottle is full.
Hold the hose under the liquid level. Leave the bottle at 55-60C for 1 hour.
The amount of water needed to fill the bottle again in relation to the original
sample volume gives the air content in percentage.

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Cleaning
Cold milk separation produces a highly viscous cream. There is no risk of
burning on or sedimentation of protein inside the bowl.
The cleaning should start with rinsing with warm water (>40C) to melt the
fat still inside the centre of the bowl, followed by lye, a second rinsing, acid
and the final rinsing and cooling. See our general recommendation for
concentrations, temperatures and duration of lye and acid cleaning.

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