Is It Safe to Drink Milk Left Out for 3 Hours?

[Mk]

Yeah of course it is in your head. But me too.

 

[Moonbear]

Personally I wouldn't drink it. I'm really finicky about my milk. I can taste the difference after a few minutes. It may just be in my head, but if it doesn't taste just right, I won't drink it at all.

I'm like that too. I like my milk ice-cold from the fridge. If it sits out just a few minutes and starts to get warm, it doesn't taste the same to me and I don't like it. But, the funny thing is, if I heat it on the stove, then I like warm milk. So, I'm not sure what it is about the more tepid milk that I don't like. But it's still okay in coffee.

 

[franznietzsche]

I'm like that too. I like my milk ice-cold from the fridge. If it sits out just a few minutes and starts to get warm, it doesn't taste the same to me and I don't like it. But, the funny thing is, if I heat it on the stove, then I like warm milk. So, I'm not sure what it is about the more tepid milk that I don't like. But it's still okay in coffee.

Exactly. Once it warms up at all it tastes different.

 

[Gokul43201]

The right time to drink milk is after it's been kept out just long enough that the CO2 produced by the bacteria causes the jug to inflate like a balloon.

 

[honestrosewater]

Perhaps colder means less evaporation so you don't 'taste' (smell) it as much. If that were true, then I imagine you guys wouldn't swish the milk around in your mouth. True or false?

Of course, even if you don't swish it, I'm not sure how to explain your liking warm/hot milk. Maybe it's just some inbetween taste that you don't like. Hm.

It might also be disgust, which is presumably (over)protecting you from spoiled milk. http://www.people.virginia.edu/~jdh6n/disgustscale.html links to some interesting articles on disgust, which propose that disgust began as revulsion at the prospect of oral incorporation of an offensive object. I like this explanation better. Do you guys feel disgust?

 

[BobG]

I left 1/2 gallon of 1% milk out for nearly three hours. Still felt chilled. Think I should drink it? I really don't want to go out to the store tonight!

Geez, it's been sitting out for over two months now! Just drink it and get it over with!

Uh, , you might need to drink it with a fork.

 

[Math Is Hard]

mmmmm.. save me a slice of milk!