Milk Chilling - Overview

Improve milk chilling energy efficiency by up to 21%

Our audits have shown that around 21% of the total energy used on a dairy farm goes into chilling milk.

Milk leaves a cow at approximately 38.6°C and needs cooling to below 7°C within three hours of milking. Until the milk is collected it needs to be kept at the chilled temperature, which is usually below the surrounding ambient conditions. One collection per day is standard.

There are a few ways to reduce the amount of energy you use to chill milk. Immediate savings can be realised by following these simple but effective energy saving tips:

• Insulate refrigeration pipes going to the milk vat.
• Carry out a regular maintenance programme to keep equipment working efficiently - this includes cleaning air condensors and/or replacing filter fans.
• Maintain the correct refrigerant charge.

To make a reduction to your long-term milk chilling operating costs, the best opportunities include:

• Using a pre-cooler.
• Insulating your milk vat.
• Investigating the economics of installing an ice bank or chilled water storage system.