Cooling of milk in an automatic milking system

The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein

• the step of determining a cooling need for milk stored or to be stored in said milk storage tank includes the establishment of an expected temperature of the milk stored or to be stored in the milk store tank at the end of the step of cooling said bottom portion of said milk storage tank in consecutive periods;
• the temperature of the milk is established at the end of the step of cooling said bottom portion of said milk storage tank in consecutive periods;
• and
• the method for cooling milk as claimed in any of the preceding claims is repeated, wherein the duration of each period of cooling and/or non-cooling is based also on any difference between said expected and established temperatures.

An arrangement for cooling milk in an automatic milking system, said milking system comprising a milking robot (1) for milking animals, such as cows;

• a milk flow meter (2) for measuring an amount of milk extracted by said milking robot;
• a milk storage tank (5) connected to the milking robot for storing milk extracted by the milking robot;
• and a cooling device (7) for cooling milk stored or to be stored in said milk storage tank by cooling a bottom portion (14) of said milk storage tank, characterized in that said arrangement comprises:
• a sensor (15) for measuring a quantity indicative of a temperature of an inner surface area (16) of the bottom portion of the milk storage tank;
• and
• a controller (17) for determining a cooling need for milk stored or to be stored in said milk storage tank based on said measured amount of milk;
• and for controlling said cooling device to cool said bottom portion of said milk storage tank in consecutive periods, such that each period of cooling (τ1, τ3) is followed by a respective period of non-cooling (τ2, τ4), wherein the duration of each period of cooling and/or non-cooling is based on said measured quantity indicative of the inner surface area temperature, and said determined cooling need.