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I must confess. Before we started milking our own goats, I had never had goat’s milk.
Risky? Perhaps.
I guess there was that chance that I would absolutely despise the taste of it and then be forced to halt all dairy goat operations. But, I like to live on the edge.
After hearing multiple people passionately explain why they thought goat’s milk was utterly disgusting, I started to get a little nervous… Then the day of reckoning came.
I milked ol’ Cinnamon and brought her milk into the house. After carefully filtering it, I placed it in a glass jar and put it into the back of the refrigerator.
Once it had thoroughly chilled, I poured a teeny tiny bit into a glass. It looked normal. I smelled it. Nothing. My husband and I stared at it for a minute and then I cautiously took a sip.
It tasted like…
milk.
No goaty taste. No bitter taste. Just. Milk.
It’s rich and creamy, but most whole, raw milk is. So I’m left wondering why goat’s milk gets such a bad rap…?
Although I’ve never tried it, my suspicion is that the pasteurized stuff you buy in the grocery store must have a goaty taste to it, which might be part of the reason people are so scared of it.
Also, I have heard different breeds have different tasting milk. Toggenburgs, for example, are said to have a stronger tasting milk, which is why they are preferred for certain types of cheesemaking. And, sometimes your goats’ diet will play a part in the taste of the milk. We fed an alfalfa/grass mix all summer, but they also grazed on some weeds. I could never tell a difference in my milk, but perhaps if they had gotten into a stronger tasting weed, I would have noticed.
However, my one caveat is this: I have read many books and websites saying that having a buck around will affect the taste of your milk. I didn’t really believe it, so I had to test the theory. And, they were definitely telling the truth. It’s not so evident in super fresh milk, but if you let it sit in your refrigerator for a few days, you will be able to smell it. And, I made yogurt one day and it had a “bucky” aftertaste. Not recommended.
Fortunately, we are only borrowing the buck for about a month, so the taste should clear up sometime after he leaves!
So if you are nervous, I encourage you to find someone with a home dairy and do some taste-testing! I think you will be pleasantly surprised!
Have you ever tried fresh goat milk? What were your experiences?
About Jill Winger
Your mention of weeds affecting the taste of the milk made me think of Napoleon Dynamite, where he’s testing cow milk.
“This tastes like the cow got into an onion patch”.
Oh the bucky taste is no myth! It will certainly make your milk less than tasty. Poor bucks, they spend all that time building up their seductive cologne, and us poor humans just can’t seem to appreciate it!
I’ve never been able to understand the whole “eww goat’s milk” thing. One animal’s udder is much the same as another’s udder if you ask me. I’ve always prefered goat’s milk for taste and for the fact that it doesn’t have to undergo the dangerous process of homogenization. (If you’ve never studied what homogenization does to milk, you should check it out. Scary.)
As for pasturized store goat’s milk, no it’s not goaty. Not usually. I’ve bought it a few times, and it’s fine. It’s just not as good as farm fresh of course.
I still have yet to try store bought goat’s milk… Don’t really see the need to, though, with all this fresh milk hanging around!
And yes, I’m pretty brave when it comes to food, but I don’t care for “bucky” milk at all!
I’ve had both store bought and fresh. Store bought does have more of a “goat” taste to it I think. We love fresh! We started using it because our oldest son does not do well with cows milk, and have had no problems with our goats!
A main factor for taste of the milk is what the goats eat. Just like cows….. duh
I had always heard that goat’s milk taste funny, also. I am new to goats so just tried the tounge test with a drop the first time. I was surprised it tasted like normal milk. Now I drink it and make cheese from it. Yummy!
My goats do not eat alfalfa, just grass hay and goat chow. The stinky billy is in with the girls all the time. Still, no bad taste to the milk. They are Nigerian Dwarfs. Do you think the breed make a difference rather than the feed?
I’ve heard that different breeds have different tasting milk- like Toggenburgs for example. But I think it’s interesting that you still have good tasting milk, even with your billy in. What a nice surprise!
I LOVE raw goat’s milk! In my opinion, its better than cow’s milk.
I just found your blog. I love it. We started our journey with goats in September. My experience sounds a little like yours. I have always heard about the funny taste of goat’s milk. Unfortunately, we visited a distant relative that let us try her goat’s milk. I didn’t like it. It had a very grassy after-taste. With that being said, when my husband and I started looking into small livestock to for a small pasture that we have, we were divided. He wanted goats. I wanted sheep. After doing a lot of research (about sheep!), I talked with my local feed store owner about the costs of vaccinations and food for the sheep. She encouraged me to look into goats because they are easier to care for, more fun, and have (as my husband says) better personalities. So, I decided to give them a try. I jumped head first into them by getting 2 Nigerian Dwarfs. I picked them because of their size, reputation for good milk production, and high milk fat content. At first, we were just going to get myotonic (fainting) goats for fun, but then we noticed that our daughter was having a hard time digesting store-bought cow’s milk. We tried her on raw cow’s milk. When that helped. I was sold on the idea of getting milking goats. I knew that their milk could only be better for her. So, without hesitation, we got our goats. Our first milking was interesting. Like you, I was afraid to try the milk. I let my husband try it first. Then my daughters (who, by the way loved it!). Lastly, I tried it. I could not believe how “normal” it tasted! I had a ladies’ night at my home a few weeks ago and placed some out to use with coffee (labeled so no one that did not want to try it would) and everyone loved it! I do want to share a tip that helps us a lot. We have a small pan that we freeze a small layer of water in. I use it every time I milk to put under my milking pail so that the milk is instantly cooled. It really helped to remove any grassy aftertaste. It also helped to take the bucky taste out of it. We had a buck for a month at the beginning, too. What a way to jump into the world of goats!
I just came across your website. I was reminded of my childhood. I was raised on goats milk ( and goat meat). I haven’t had any in quite some time, but I remember well that I didn’t like cows milk when we were visiting other people, so it must taste different. I don’t know what kind of goats they were, of the ones I remember two were white and one was black and white with floppy ears and “dewlaps”(?), she was also smaller than the others. We children enjoyed the goats, especially the kids. They are very curious and will follow a person around, lip clothing. nose into whatever you are doing. They will also eat lots of odd things. My Dad would often stake them out, I suppose to “mow” the grass and they occasionally got a hold of things they were not supposed to be eating. Well anyway, good luck with your goats, and enjoy them.
I’ve never has fresh goat’s milk – but I have had fresh goat
I would surely be willing to try, if I ever have the opportunity.
~ Dana
I just found your site today. We are just getting ready to begin our goat adventure. My daughter showed our neighbor’s goats last year for 4H, and now she wants to raise her own. We’ve already got rabbits and chickens, and we raise hogs for meat every spring, so why not? They almost have the goat pen ready, and as soon as the little babies are old enough, they will be here!
How exciting Chantel! Sounds like you have quite the little homestead going on! Keep up the great work!
having raised goats for most of my high school years goat milk is great. However if your goat gets into the weeds you will have an off flavor to the milk we just fed our goats good hay and sweet rolled oats as a treat during milking times.
Yes, I’ve heard that about the weeds. Although mine eat a lot of weeds and it doesn’t seem to affect the milk. My weeds must not be as potent.
Wait!!! Will the mild taste “bucky yucky” even if he is in the adjacent pasture? Newbie here and I knew they couldn’t be kept together but our buck is living “next door”. I may have to make other arrangements. Rats. *slapping forehead*
arghhh! MILK, not mild.
Hmmm… I guess it depends if the pastures are touching. I think it also depends if the female is “aware” that he is in the area…
Our goat’s milk tastes fine. Some browse (pasture food) does affect it’s taste, like sage. But it always tastes like fresh, clean milk. I have read that having a buck in season will affect the taste, as ‘does’ (females) are excited by the unpleasant antics of the bucks, and physically relish in the scents. It eventually flavors the milk. We don’t keep a buck, but when we do, he will be housed in seperate, isolated quarters.
We have goats and our sons loved the milk until one day the containers were mixed up. They got a half gallon of older milk. Now we can not get them to drink it at all. But we still have our goats. Really enjoying your website.
My daughter started keeping Nigerian goats for the milk and I really laughed at your description of your first taste of the milk because I was the same! I am a true blue milk lover and when I was younger my 5 brothers and sisters always made me try the milk to see if it was going sour. I could always tell first so I figure I am a good judge of milk. My daughters goat milk is the best I have ever had. When we try to get goat milk virgins to try it I am always amused at their reluctance and then surprise!
Hi!
Your blog is great! Thank you! I want a milk goat so bad! I am nervous about the sheer quantity of milk and also I work 12 hour days which with drive time I leave at 6:15 and get home between 8-830, which puts twice a day milkings looking pretty undesirable. What do you do with all that milk? I would definitely make yogurt! And use it in our coffee!
Thanks Hayley- with your work schedule, it would be a little more challenging to milk, but it could be done. One option would be to leave the kids with the doe for 12 hours at a time– that way you’d only have to milk 1x per day (that is what I usually did). You can make yogurt, soft cheeses, mozzarella, buttermilk, and more! I used to think the goats gave a lot of milk, until I got a milk cow… Then the goat quantity looked very manageable.
I am decided, I am taking the goat plunge this spring, hubbs has to tweak a few fences first and we need to set up a shelter. Whats your best advice for where to set up my future milking stand. You know as well as I do barns aren’t exactly spotless places, especially when there is almost daily horse and calf traffic in them.
Hi Hayley,
I have my stand in our barn, although it’s in the area where we keep our hay/supplies, and not where the animals live. I guess my advice is just to do the best with what you have! A hard surface like wood or cement is nice, since it minimizes a bit of the dust/debris, but not everyone has that luxury. Best of luck in your goat adventures!
I’ve read that once it’s heated up past a certain temperature, then it will taste goaty. We’re getting 2 oberhasli goats soon that are both due in April. I’ve been drinking raw goat milk for over 3 years and love it! I can’t wait until we have our own milk:) Thanks so much for sharing so much information.
I found you website today when I was doing more research on birthing and baby goats. You see my Alpine(Thia) just gave birth to two female kids. I love your site and will continue to refer to it. We got Thia when she was 9 months old and when she was 11 months we were given a buck who we named Joey. He is a French Alpine and what a stud, you know, like Joey from “Friends”. Well my problem seems to be that he is also part of the family now and we would like to milk Thia. They have been together from conception and now I am trying to keep them apart , but how far is far enough. For now I maybe doing cheese and not drinking it. Any thoughts? Thanks Mark
Jill, just a follow up on my last post. Again your site helped as Thia had one of her nipples get engorged and I had to milk that side three times until the the kids started to nurse on it. Thanks Again to your web site as I read the six things you learned and shortened my learning curve.
Yay– this makes me so happy! I’m so glad you are finding the blog helpful.
So, my theory on people who don’t like Goats milk is that they have tried the canned stuff which, is disgusting. I got into Goats Milk because I have severe digestive disease and had read where Goats Milk is more digestible. So, I didn’t want to buy a quart and have it wasted if I didn’t like it so I bought a can. Bad Move on my part. It was horrible. Then I was introduced to Goats Milk Cheese which is wonderful. So, I wound up contacting a local Goat Dairy and getting normal pasturized milk from them. It was much much better and I quite like it. I have not tried raw as of yet, though since I am a baby homesteader I am going to concentrate on the garden first.
That is my guess, too. I’ve heard the canned stuff is nasty!
Hi, I have recently quit my job to stay home with my small children. We are on our way to starting a small hobby farm. We have plans for our chickens, ducks and rabbit, but I would love to get a goat! I am interested in the milking, but I have a couple of questions. We live in Northern Minnesota and it gets very cold here (like -50 degrees). Does this affect milking? Also you mentioned the first time you tried the milk you carefully filtered it – do you filter it everytime you milk or did you do that because you were being causious? I have lots of questions and am just beginning my search for answers. I love your website and can’t wait to read more! KarLynn
Hi KarLynn,
The temps shouldn’t affect the milking too much. You might find the goats possibly not producing as much during a cold snap, but they should be ok.
I always filter my milk before drinking to remove any hair or bits of debris. I use a reusable coffee filter, but you can buy special milk strainers.
Cooling, cooling & cooling: Goat’s milk going “goaty” (or not) is all about cooling! We have several French Alpines, so we did some experimenting. If you get the milk cooled to 36 degrees F (standard refrigerators keep things at 35-37…a cheap fridge thermometer is your best friend here) within ONE HOUR of removing the milk from the goat, it will not taste goaty. (As others have mentioned, buck-nearness negates anything else you can do on this subject.) I’ve converted numerous “I Hate Goat Milk” club members to freely drinking it by ensuring it is quickly and properly cooled. Goat milk tastes no different from cow milk IF it is properly cooled. This is the downfall of a lot of store-bought goat milk- cow milk doesn’t go “Cow-y” if improperly processed, but goat milk does not allow that kind of lenience. Cool your milk as fast as you can once it leaves the goat!
One advantageous way of doing this: Drop one of those blue pseudo-ice packs in the bottom of your milking pail. This helps cool the milk far faster, and gives you a big head start when it comes to cooling if you have more than two goats. Just as with food, though, remember that your milk doesn’t magically drop to 36: It comes out of the goat at around 103, so it has a ways to go before it hits Non-Goaty-Land. Putting milk on the lower shelves will cool it faster- and DON’T put it in the door! Fridge doors are warmer than anywhere else in the fridge, and get more exposure to heat from opening than anywhere else in the fridge. Also remember that a full fridge is colder than a near-empty one (yes, you forfeit the look of “clean” shelves, but it’s a lot more energy efficient to have the fridge filled), so keeping your fridge filled means faster cooling of warm goat milk.
Yes– I agree about the rapid cooling. I’ve never had a problem as long as I got my milk in the house right away. however, I had heard some folks say that they suspect the breed of goat might have something to do with the taste– regardless of the temp.