⚙️ Cream separator
Also known as: separator
A centrifuge that separates cream from skimmed milk.
A cream separator is a centrifuge that splits milk into cream and skimmed milk. Inside, a drum with a stack of cone-shaped discs spins fast. As it spins, the heavier skimmed part is thrown to the edge, and the light fat gathers closer to the centre. Cream and skimmed milk leave through different outlets. After a good separator, skimmed milk has only 0.04–0.07% fat left.
At the plant, milk is usually warmed to 55–65 °C before separation, because warm fat separates more easily. Cold separation also exists. It saves energy and slows the growth of bacteria. Modern separators get rid of sediment on their own and are cleaned without taking them apart. Similar cleaning machines (clarifiers) remove small impurities from milk.
Before separators, cream was skimmed by hand: milk was left to stand, and after 12–24 hours the fat rose to the top. The first continuously working centrifugal separator was built by the Swedish engineer Gustaf de Laval in the late 1870s. From 1890, cone-shaped discs began to be put into the drum. There were also small home separators with a handle that was turned by hand.
How it connects to milk
⚙️ Cream separator → for → 🔄 Separation → gives → 🥛 Cream → made from → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Used for
- 🔄 Separation
- Wine and milk
- 🍷 Centrifuge
Frequently asked questions
How does a cream separator work?
The drum spins very fast. The heavy skimmed part of the milk is thrown to the walls, the light fat gathers at the centre, and the two streams leave through different outlets.
What is the difference between a separator and a homogenizer?
A separator takes the fat out of milk, while a homogenizer does the opposite: it breaks the fat into tiny globules so it spreads evenly and does not rise to the top.
History
Sources
- Tetra Pak Dairy Processing Handbook: Centrifugal separators and milk standardization
- Wikipedia: Cream separator
- Wikipedia: Milk