The two main ways to pasteurise small quantities of milk, the advantages of HTST pasteurisation and how to combine it with automatic bottling.
If you process a few hundred litres of milk a day you face a choice: pasteurise in a vat or with a continuous-flow pasteuriser? Both work, but time, yields and final product quality differ.
Vat pasteurisation (LTLT)
In slow pasteurisation (LTLT, Low Temperature Long Time) milk is heated to about 63 °C and held for about 30 minutes in a vat. It is simple and suited to batch work, but it takes time, space and labour, and the prolonged heating affects the milk’s characteristics more.
Continuous-flow HTST pasteurisation
In rapid pasteurisation (HTST, High Temperature Short Time) milk flows continuously through an exchanger and is brought to about 72 °C for about 15 seconds, then cooled immediately. The treatment is short, so gentler on the product, and the process is continuous: you handle more milk in less time with less manual intervention.
Heat recovery
Modern HTST plants recover heat: the hot milk leaving gives energy to the cold milk entering. This reduces the energy used for heating and cooling, a concrete saving in running costs even for small productions.
Pasteurising and bottling in a single step
After pasteurisation the milk must be packed without exposing it to contamination. That is why Pasin offers the Evolution 500, an automatic monoblock that pasteurises and bottles milk continuously, from raw milk to the filled bottle, up to 500 litres/hour. It uses HTST pasteurisation, has a small footprint, maximum heat recovery and fully automatic management of the whole process.
For a more flexible set-up, an automatic pasteuriser can be paired with a separate filling machine such as the Easy 500 SB for bottles.
And for yoghurt?
For those who also make yoghurt, Pasin offers a mini yoghurt plant for stirred, natural or fruit yoghurt, with a pasteuriser-incubator-cooler vat and a Rotary 1500 A6 automatic filling machine.
How to choose
If you produce small, irregular batches, a vat may be enough. If volumes grow, if you want to work with less staff or aim for a more consistent product, continuous HTST flow is the more convenient route. Your case should be assessed on daily litres, product and premises: write to us and we will help you work out the right configuration.
Frequently asked questions
How many litres does the Evolution 500 handle?
Up to 500 litres per hour. The Evolution Double is also available in a 300 litres/hour version.
Is HTST-pasteurised milk raw?
No: pasteurised milk has been heat-treated. It is not “raw”, but it keeps better characteristics than longer treatments.
Do I need a chilled-water system?
Cooling is part of the process. For the exact auxiliary plant configuration, contact us with your dairy’s details.
Can I sell pasteurised milk in bottles?
Yes, but you must comply with the health rules and authorisations that apply to your case. Check with your consultant or the local health authority.