RE: Brix readings of fresh milk

[Guest guest]

> Brix readings of fresh milk

>

>

>What do you consider hi, lo, etc? When do you sample. Immediately?

>with or w/o cream?I'd think it would change daily. Dennis Kemnitz

20 is the highest brix reading for milk recorded, that I've heard of.

Store-bought milk typically comes in around 10. 15 is good, anything close

to 20 is superb. This is from the collective wisdom of the experienced brix

meter users on the brixtalk list. I think I posted here about one farmer in

Brazil who was able to bring his 20 cows' milk brix up from 16 to 18 when he

improved his soil fertility and added several new grasses to his pasture. He

said that the store-bought milk in Brazil is around 10-12 brix.

It should be full-fat milk. I think higher butterfat milk probably has

higher readings, although I'm not certain. I've gotten almost the same

reading from 3.5% and 5% butterfat milk, so could be wrong.

It doesn't seem to matter when you take the reading. The Brazilian farmer

typically takes his readings at milking, but said he's put it in the 'fridge

for 4-5 days and the milk starts getting acidic, but the readings don't

fall. I don't see why they would anyways - the dissolved solids aren't going

anywhere. It may change a little during rainy season, but not significant

changes, at least according to the Brazilian farmer who tested his at

several stages. He also said it drops a few points after the calf is 3

months old.

One of the brixtalk members said his neighbor brought up the brix of his

herd using a product called flora-stim. He said the herd ran to that pasture

with flora-stim on it and wouldn't touch the other pastures. I'm not sure

what's in it, but if you're interested in it you can call a guy named

Darrow, who I think is a distributor. 814-664-8800. I don't know

anything about the product so am not endorsing it. There are other folks

working on bringing up milk brix with other soil building techniques that

also work.

Suze Fisher

Lapdog Design, Inc.

Web Design & Development

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3shjg

Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leader, Mid Coast Maine

http://www.westonaprice.org

----------------------------

“The diet-heart idea (the idea that saturated fats and cholesterol cause

heart disease) is the greatest scientific deception of our times.” --

Mann, MD, former Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at Vanderbilt

University, Tennessee; heart disease researcher.

The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics

<http://www.thincs.org>

----------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

---Thanks Suze for all the info. I'll test our milk soon. hopefully

this same refractometer for testing plant leaves and watermelons will

work. Dennis Kemnitz

In , " Suze Fisher " <s.fisher22@v...>

wrote:

>

> > Brix readings of fresh milk

> >

> >

> >What do you consider hi, lo, etc? When do you sample. Immediately?

> >with or w/o cream?I'd think it would change daily. Dennis Kemnitz

>

> 20 is the highest brix reading for milk recorded, that I've heard

of.

> Store-bought milk typically comes in around 10. 15 is good,

anything close

> to 20 is superb. This is from the collective wisdom of the

experienced brix

> meter users on the brixtalk list. I think I posted here about one

farmer in

> Brazil who was able to bring his 20 cows' milk brix up from 16 to

18 when he

> improved his soil fertility and added several new grasses to his

pasture. He

> said that the store-bought milk in Brazil is around 10-12 brix.

>

> It should be full-fat milk. I think higher butterfat milk probably

has

> higher readings, although I'm not certain. I've gotten almost the

same

> reading from 3.5% and 5% butterfat milk, so could be wrong.

>

> It doesn't seem to matter when you take the reading. The Brazilian

farmer

> typically takes his readings at milking, but said he's put it in

the 'fridge

> for 4-5 days and the milk starts getting acidic, but the readings

don't

> fall. I don't see why they would anyways - the dissolved solids

aren't going

> anywhere. It may change a little during rainy season, but not

significant

> changes, at least according to the Brazilian farmer who tested his

at

> several stages. He also said it drops a few points after the calf

is 3

> months old.

>

> One of the brixtalk members said his neighbor brought up the brix

of his

> herd using a product called flora-stim. He said the herd ran to

that pasture

> with flora-stim on it and wouldn't touch the other pastures. I'm

not sure

> what's in it, but if you're interested in it you can call a guy

named

> Darrow, who I think is a distributor. 814-664-8800. I

don't know

> anything about the product so am not endorsing it. There are other

folks

> working on bringing up milk brix with other soil building

techniques that

> also work.

>

>

> Suze Fisher

> Lapdog Design, Inc.

> Web Design & Development

> http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3shjg

> Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leader, Mid Coast Maine

> http://www.westonaprice.org

>

> ----------------------------

> " The diet-heart idea (the idea that saturated fats and cholesterol

cause

> heart disease) is the greatest scientific deception of our times. " -

-

> Mann, MD, former Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at

Vanderbilt

> University, Tennessee; heart disease researcher.

>

> The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics

> <http://www.thincs.org>

> ----------------------------

> >