Lately I’ve been separating cream from a couple gallons of raw milk to make butter with.  I’ve made butter before with the shake-in-a-jar method, and it works pretty well.  But I’ve been told that its really easy to make in a stand mixer.  First I’ll share a video, then I’ll get to my problem.

https://youtu.be/jmin9PBXP_g

Now, here’s the problem:  Supposedly, the butter fat is supposed to start separating in about 3 minutes.  Right!  I can’t get it to separate at all!  After mixing for 45 minutes, I never see any separation at all; and I end up with a substance with the consistency of mayonnaise.

So, maybe some of you can tell me where I’m going wrong?  My cream is fresh, at room temp.  The only way I can get butter out of my buttery whipped cream is to heat it enough to melt the butter fat.  Then I chill it, gather it and work it from there.  But it’s not very good - it’s grainy.  Help!

Use heavy whipping cream as she says in the video not milk and make sure it is cold. Your mixing bowl should be cold as well. 1 quart should get you more than a cup of butter. I have done this several times with store bought whipping cream, should work fine. Blender has to slowly be raised to top speed. It has however always taken longer than the videos say.

Interesting that you suggest cold temps, as all the instruction I’ve come across says to use room temp.  I even asked my dairy people, who make butter in a mixer, and they said that maybe it wasn’t warm enough!

No, I’m not using milk.  I use a cream separator to get cream from raw milk.  I was wondering if the separating process was causing the cream to be resistant to breaking into butter?  I’ve tried going from low speed to high speed, as well as high speed all through the process - it won’t break.  The last two times I’ve gone to old shake the jar routine, and I get butter that way.  I just wish I could do it the lazy man’s way.

Probably should research cream separation. Might be a detail that affects the end result. I know that warm butter melts, it does not harden. So room temp milk seems like it would be soft as well.

First thought was the wires, it breaks down the particles, you need a paddle type setup so it does not break up. I used to do the Jar method too as a Kid

Well Boneman, it turns out you were right on this one.  I separated cream from two gallons of raw milk.  It was pretty cool.  I didn’t temp it, like I should have, but I’m guessing it was in the 75 degree range.  I figured I’d give it a try by shaking.  Well, within about 2 minutes, it was so thick I almost couldn’t shake it.  Somewhere around 4 to 5 minutes and the butter broke!  I was stunned.  I thought I’d be shaking for a half hour or so.  It was beautiful butter, washed quickly.  So, thanks to you for the advice.  It paid off big time.  I could likely make it in the mixer now, but if it’s only going to take 5 minutes, why bother?

I’ve seen instructions to use a jar with a marble in it. Did you do that? Or, just the cream and a good shake?

No, no agitators, I just shook it.

BTW, good to hear you’re checking in occasionally.

I suddenly have this intense interest in butter

I am retiring in a few months. Moving to the “off the grid” cabin: http://www.rickandlynne.com/otg

Then, I will be able to restart my cheese making hobby! And, you’ll hear more from me.

I just got hugely jealous. 10 more years and I can join you.

Rick,
I was just wondering if you have a local source for good raw milk?  As we all know, the key to really good cheese, and butter, is good milk.  I had little success with Holstein milk from a grade A dairy.  But once I switched to Jersey milk, I turned it around and my cheese is terrific.  When that cow went dry, I got some milk from another neighbor who had a Jersey; but that milk was worse than the Holstein milk.  Turns out he wasn’t feeding his cow very well, and it showed in yield as well as quality.

Or, are you going to milk your own?

There is a whipping cream “KONA”, low heat pasterized non-homaginized. Very good for making butter. I have added to the same brand of milk in making cheese as well.

We got some 52% but the cost is prohibitive lol.