APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING A CREAM OR MILK SUBSTANCE, AND A RELATED METHOD

A filter (50), for use in butter-making, comprises a hollow housing (51) supporting therein a filter screen (52) that at least partly surrounds (i) at least one rotatable auger conveyor (56) extending longitudinally along the interior of the housing (51), the housing (51) being capable of receiving a primary buttermilk fraction within its interior such that on operation of the auger conveyor buttermilk passes through the filter screen to create a filtered buttermilk fraction; and butter forming part of the primary buttermilk fraction is entrained by the auger conveyor (56) and moved longitudinally along the housing (51) to (ii) one or more butter outlet (61) via which it exits the housing (51). The filter further includes (iii) one or more buttermilk outlet (58) to which in use of the filter the filtered buttermilk fraction passes after passing through the filter screen; and (iv) a normally closed, selectively openable valve (59) that is connected to the housing (51) and that when open permits flow of buttermilk within the housing (51) for flushing butter from the auger conveyor (56) and/or the filter screen (52).