When milk freezes. Does the 'water' somehow 'separate' from the fat?

[FrustratedUser]

I know it sounds dumb but I have this milk that is half frozen half liquid and it tastes 'richer' now. (more fatty)

 

[pray4mojo]

The water has a different freezing point.

 

[FrustratedUser]

My thought too but solid frozen milk does not look like it has separated.

 

[NickE]

What happens in that as the water freezes, so everything that is left in solution (sugar, salts, proteins etc.) becomes more concentrated. The fat is not in solution, but since the aqueous phase volume is reduced as water freezes, so the fat makes up a greater proportion of the total liquid phase. This will give some impression of increased richness, but most of what you detect is due to the increased sweetness.

When it's completely frozen, then the emulsified fat is trapped within the ice network, along with the by now highly concentrated aqueous phase. Hence no appearance of separation - the fat is still a disperse phase as it was all along.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: NickE
What happens in that as the water freezes, so everything that is left in solution (sugar, salts, proteins etc.) becomes more concentrated. The fat is not in solution, but since the aqueous phase volume is reduced as water freezes, so the fat makes up a greater proportion of the total liquid phase. This will give some impression of increased richness, but most of what you detect is due to the increased sweetness.

When it's completely frozen, then the emulsified fat is trapped within the ice network, along with the by now highly concentrated aqueous phase. Hence no appearance of separation - the fat is still a disperse phase as it was all along.

Your name isn't Pasteur, is it?

 

[StageLeft]

We use skim and when we thaw it (in the past we used to freeze it), you'd have to let it fully thaw and then shake it. Otherwise you'd be drinking basically water from the top of the carton and a thick nastiness from the bottom.

 

[rh71]

when milk is about 2 weeks bad, it looks like this too... clumps + water. I found this out yesterday while trying to pour it out in the sink...