Farm-Sized Pasteurizer Doubles As A Mixer, Cooler
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The Vat Pasteurizer from Northwestern Tools is a big hit with small cheese and ice cream makers. Its double wall construction makes it ideal for gently heating milk as the jacket water is heated. Later it’s cooled as cold tap water is flushed through the jacket. Still later, the heater in the bottom of the jacket can be used to stabilize milk at desired temperatures. A variable speed mixer motor agitates milk and mixes in added ingredients.
“The immersion heater brings the water to pasteurizing temperature while a separate heater and fan heat the air above the fluid 5 degrees warmer," says Bob Madewell, Northwestern Tools, Inc. "If you set it at 145°, it takes the milk there and holds it, no tweaking or adjusting needed. It doesn't fluctuate more than a tenth of a degree.”
Madewell adds that The Vat is the only one of its size that is 3-A approved to sell in all 50 states. The 3-A rating requires industry and regulator approved handling and cleanability standards be built into the equipment.
The Vat was developed nearly 15 years ago by John Thomeczek, a New Hampshire metal craftsman and engineer. He built and sold a few each year based on word of mouth referrals. Now it’s being manufactured and sold to a much-expanded market. “John built the first one for a group of nuns who needed a regulator-approved small batch pasteurizer for cheese making,” says Madewell. “When John died, his brother, who owns Northwestern Tools, bought the rights to The Vat. We updated it to the latest 3-A standards and began promoting it. Last year we sold out the production run and are expanding production this year Madewell says cheesemakers like being able to pasteurize, cool and stabilize at a desired temperature in the same unit. “They can cool it to 90° and add the cheese cultures through the hatch in the top without transferring.”
Ice cream makers are also finding The Vat ideal for small batches. “It works great for those starting from scratch who have to pasteurize all their ingredients,”says Madewell. “Even those using an already pasteurized commercial mix have to pasteurize again if they add eggs or fresh ingredients such as fruit. Plus flushing tap water through the jacket is a low cost way to cool the mix before transferring it to the ice cream freezer.”
Madewell says the company currently makes a 7 to 15-gal. unit ($15,399) and a 17 to 30-gal. unit ($21,699). They are planning to add a 60-gal. unit this fall.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Northwestern Tools, Inc., 3130 Valleywood Dr., Dayton, Ohio 45429 (ph 800 236-3956; bmadewell@northwesterntools.com; www.thevatpasteurizer.com).
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Farm-Sized Pasteurizer Doubles As A Mixer Cooler DAIRY EQUIPMENT & IDEAS The Vat Pasteurizer from Northwestern Tools is a big hit with small cheese and ice cream makers Its double wall construction makes it ideal for gently heating milk as the jacket water is heated Later it’s cooled as cold tap water is flushed through the jacket Still later the heater in the bottom of the jacket can be used to stabilize milk at desired temperatures A variable speed mixer motor agitates milk and mixes in added ingredients “The immersion heater brings the water to pasteurizing temperature while a separate heater and fan heat the air above the fluid 5 degrees warmer says Bob Madewell Northwestern Tools Inc If you set it at 145° it takes the milk there and holds it no tweaking or adjusting needed It doesn t fluctuate more than a tenth of a degree ” Madewell adds that The Vat is the only one of its size that is 3-A approved to sell in all 50 states The 3-A rating requires industry and regulator approved handling and cleanability standards be built into the equipment The Vat was developed nearly 15 years ago by John Thomeczek a New Hampshire metal craftsman and engineer He built and sold a few each year based on word of mouth referrals Now it’s being manufactured and sold to a much-expanded market “John built the first one for a group of nuns who needed a regulator-approved small batch pasteurizer for cheese making ” says Madewell “When John died his brother who owns Northwestern Tools bought the rights to The Vat We updated it to the latest 3-A standards and began promoting it Last year we sold out the production run and are expanding production this year Madewell says cheesemakers like being able to pasteurize cool and stabilize at a desired temperature in the same unit “They can cool it to 90° and add the cheese cultures through the hatch in the top without transferring ” Ice cream makers are also finding The Vat ideal for small batches “It works great for those starting from scratch who have to pasteurize all their ingredients ”says Madewell “Even those using an already pasteurized commercial mix have to pasteurize again if they add eggs or fresh ingredients such as fruit Plus flushing tap water through the jacket is a low cost way to cool the mix before transferring it to the ice cream freezer ” Madewell says the company currently makes a 7 to 15-gal unit $15 399 and a 17 to 30-gal unit $21 699 They are planning to add a 60-gal unit this fall Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Northwestern Tools Inc 3130 Valleywood Dr Dayton Ohio 45429 ph 800 236-3956; bmadewell@northwesterntools com; www thevatpasteurizer com
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