Hi Kelly,
Karen mentioned using a nylon paint bag when she makes almond milk. I think Pat used a bag, too.
Karen wrote:I've tried a lot of straining methods and coffee filters are way too fine. They clog too quickly. One tip I found searching on the internet was to use paint strainer bags. I found a pack of two at Lowes for about $1-2. They're just fine mesh nylon bags with elastic at the top so I can secure it around the top of a tall container. The mesh size is fine for me for most of the different "milks" I've tried making without clogging to badly. The good thing with it being nylon is that you can squeeze it without changing the mesh size much like some of the cloth bags, so if it does clog, you can do a little coaxing to empty out the current contents without causing a big blowout. On the rare occasion when I want a finer mesh, I'll use the paint strainer bag to do the bulk of the job and then use one of the finer cloth options and they don't clog as quick. I find the paint strainer bags clean up easier too - yes, they're reusable as long as you're only using them for food.
After watching the video, I think this would work
if you don't grind the nuts too finely, which means you'd need more nuts to make an equivalent amount of milk. She doesn't recommend grinding too finely or it will clog the nylon mesh. I grind my nuts for two minutes - longer than she would recommend, and the nuts are very fine afterward.
The method used in the video requires a 1:2 ratio of nuts to water. She used 1 cup of nuts with 2 cups of water. I use a 1:4 ratio of nuts to water, using 1/2 cup of nuts with 2 cups of water, so I probably get the equivalent amount of milk using half the amount of nuts.
It certainly would be easier to use her method because straining is the most time-consuming part. If you're willing to sacrifice the amount of milk you get for more convenient straining, then the bag would probably work well.
I used to squeeze the tulle to get the milk. You could easily do that too without ordering the bag. I'm starting to think that I could do without the pellon because very little pulp ends up in it.
The other consideration is sanitation. My milk begins to sour after a week. The first time it did, I decided to heat the water first and not squeeze the netting by hand - I press it with a wooden spoon instead. I don't think it extends the life of the milk, though, so I may be worrying about the bacteria needlessly.
I'll be interested in what you decide to do and how it works for you.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.