Freeze Drying Your Own Milk

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Gap on October 22, 2012 at 12:01am

Would love to hear how the freeze drying process goes Tom and then how the milk(?) chocolate tastes.

 

Do you have any info on how freeze dried could be expected to influence the fat contained in the dried milk? I've read spray-dried milk powder "binds" more of the fat than roller-dried milk, so I'm just wondering how freeze dried milk would compare?

Permalink Reply by Tom on October 22, 2012 at 1:24am

I don't have any specific info but I would assume that lyophilising, if it goes well, should provide the milk powder with a huge surface area so would expect it to be able to 'bind' more of the fats. I would also expect this stuff to be very hydroscopic and I will have to use it ASAP in chocolate making otherwise it would become gummy and not grind in. Might need to use some nitrogen or argon to pack it in on the way home, or vacuum seal it?

Permalink Reply by Nat on October 22, 2012 at 6:27am

Hi Tom,

What kind of freeze dryer/lyophilizer do you have at work? Is it a lab piece or something used in the food industry? Any ideas on cost?

If you had a tall mountain, you could freeze dry naturally like the Incas do with their chuño potatoes, frozen at night in the extreme cold and smashed in the day to virtually sublime the ice to vapor, so in a few days, it's practically freeze dried mashed potatoes! ;-)

-Nat

____________________________

Nat Bletter, PhD

Chocolate Flavormeister

Madre Chocolate

http://madrechocolate.com   

Permalink Reply by Tom on October 22, 2012 at 4:06pm

Hi Nat,
The freeze dryer is a Christ http://www.martinchrist.de/index.php?id=99&L=1 this is the model, it has 4kg capacity. Not specifically food grade though it is stainless steel and you can use food grade containers within the vacuum chamber so it doesnt contact the dryer at all. Cost is about 30k new but there are probably cheaper options. It would certainly be a useful bit of kit for chocolate making, not just milk powder but any food flavouring to add to chocolate. I have been tinkering with the idea of using freeze dried rasberries ground direct into choc, i think you can buy freeze dried rasberry powder but not exotics you would have access to.

That is interesting about the Incas, why did they bother to do that, other than it is very cool.

Tom

Permalink Reply by Tom on October 22, 2012 at 4:10pm

Oh, Gap, yes my idea initially is to compare shop bought milk powder with freeze dried in my milk chocolate, hoping the flavour will be amazing! Then its rasberries.

Permalink Reply by Gap on October 22, 2012 at 4:56pm

Tom - freeze dried raspberries works well in chocolate (surprisingly good in milk chocolate as well!!).

 

Out of interest, where are you sourcing your milk powders at the moment? I've just started making chocolate at home and am experimenting with milk powders at the moment. I'm pretty sure Coles isn't stocking my optimal choice, but I'm not sure where to try next (given I don't have my personal freeze-drying machine at work :-) )

Permalink Reply by Gap on October 22, 2012 at 6:48pm

I've just read another of your posts on the forum Tom where you say the Coles/Woolies powdered milk is from Fontera and one of the best on the market (admittedly, your comment was written in Nov 2010). Do you know if this is still the case? Maybe Coles is my optimal choice after all.

Permalink Reply by Tom on October 22, 2012 at 8:26pm

I am not sure if that is up to date as I have not checked the fact recently, but I haven't noticed a difference over those years, I am very happy with the Coles and Woolies milk powders. I found it very difficult to find small amounts of any Aussie made milk powders when I was starting out, but in my ringing around and talking to people one of the guys I spoke to at Golden Dairies told me about Fontera supplying Coles and Woolies and recommended I use that until I needed larger quantities. I did know who Haighs use but have forgotten, I will try and remember.

Permalink Reply by Tom on October 22, 2012 at 8:28pm

Tatura, thats who Haigh's use.

Permalink Reply by Gap on October 22, 2012 at 11:14pm

Thanks for that Tom - I guess I'll stick with Coles for now.

Permalink Reply by Tom on October 22, 2012 at 11:43pm

Good on you for getting into making chocolate from scratch too, very satisfying and enlightening.