74 



SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK CONDENSING 



Fig. 23. 



Vacuum pan with milk 

 trap 



Courtesy of Arthur Harris & Co. 



If the pipe through which the milk enters the pan is turned 

 down and its end is carried to near the bottom of the pan, so as to 



avoid the formation of excessive 

 milk spray, if the pan is operated 

 carefully and if the milk is kept at 

 a reasonably low level, there is very 

 little danger of milk being carried 

 over into the condenser in quantities 

 sufficient to be of any consequence. 

 Under these conditions the installa- 

 tion of a special milk trap between 

 the pan and the condenser for the 

 purpose of collecting the escaping 

 milk spray and carrying it back to 

 the pan is, therefore, an unnecessary 

 expense. 



If the pan is small in comparison to the amount of milk to be 

 condensed, and if it is forced beyond its intended capacity so that 

 the milk boils up high, there usually is considerable loss of milk, as 

 indicated by the foaminess and milky color of the exhaust of the 

 vacuum pump. In such cases the mechanical loss of an average 

 size batch may amount to several hundred pounds of milk. In 

 order to not lose this milk, a milk-trap or catch-all may be installed 

 between the pan and the condenser. The vapors loaded with the 

 milk spray enter the trap near the top. The spray drops to the bot- 

 tom of the trap, while the vapors are drawn over into the condenser, 

 where they are condensed as usual. This trap may be constructed 

 of sufficient size so as to serve as a reservoir to collect all the milk 

 that is carried over, and at the conclusion of the process the con- 

 tents of the trap are drawn from the bottom and are condensed with 

 the next batch ; or the bottom of the trap may be connected with the 

 pan so that the milk thus carried over flows back into the pan auto- 

 matically. In this case a small trap only is necessary. 



It should be understood that the milk trap is only a remedy and 

 not a preventive. Where the capacity of the pan is in proportion 

 to the amount of milk to be condensed, as it should be, and where 

 the pan is operated properly, the trap is unnecessary. The trap is 

 an additional piece of apparatus to be kept clean. Unless it is so 

 constructed that access can be had to all parts of its interior and 



