Farm Churn

[mecoastie]

Picked up an 8 qt Dazey butter churn the other day. Jar is not Dazey but it is definitely not a modern repro. I know hardware stores used to sell spares. Been looking for a good one for a while and this one was dirt cheap. Only issue is someone drilled a hole in the bottom of the jar. Almost looks like they wanted to make a lamp. Will be easy to plug up.

 

[summerthyme]

Cool!

I've gone thoroughly modern with my butter churning. 1 5 gallon bucket with lid, 1 stainless steel whisk fabricated from 1/8" SS rod by my Amish metalsmith neighbor, and 1 Harbor Freight 1/2" electric drill. (I didn't want to wear out the Makita 18 volt battery drill)

I had to get the metalsmith to reinforce the lid with two stainless steel plates... it weighs about 6 pounds now! But I can churn 10 quarts of cream at a time, and if conditions are right (primarily cream temperature), it gives me about 4-5# of butter in under 5 minutes.

Then it takes me an hour to wash it well enough for it to keep! I'd love to figure out a way to automate that somehow.... it's too much for the drill. It ends up being simplist to just break it up and mushing around by hand in multiple changes of cold water.

Summerthyme

 

[mecoastie]

I love the drill idea. Might have to try that on a smaller scale.

 

[summerthyme]

I love the drill idea. Might have to try that on a smaller scale.

My Amish neighbor inspired it... they use a drill press and paint stirrer. I didn't find the paint stirrer to be especially effective, but the drill press would be great- if ours wasn't at the back of the machine shed!

My Jersey-Dexter cross cow gives about a pint of heavy cream per gallon of milk, and we're getting about 2 gallons a day on once a day milking. Her calf gets the rest... and is HUGE! I've put about 30# of butter in the freezer so far, and would like another 20# before she starts slacking off in late fall.

Summerthyme

 

[mecoastie]

I just cracked the jar trying to fix the bottom. So pissed at myself right now!!!!! Now I need to see what I can find to use as a jar.

 

[summerthyme]

Oh, darn! Wanna bet they weakened it when they drilled it? It pisses me off so bad when peopke ruin a functional tool to turn it into sonething "cute" and decorative!

Summerthyme

 

[Marie]

Lehmans has replacement jars

Kidron Store - Lehman's

Live simply with the Lehman's online store. We sell oil lamps, wood cook stoves & more. Non-electric tools & homesteading supplies since 1955.

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