Dairy Product Yield Calculator — Paneer, Ghee & Cheese
Calculate the expected yield of paneer, ghee, butter, and cheese from raw milk based on fat and SNF content. Free online dairy yield calculator.
What is Dairy Product Yield?
Dairy product yield is the quantity of finished product (paneer, ghee, butter, cheese) obtained from a given quantity of raw milk. Yield depends primarily on the fat content and SNF content of the incoming milk.
Accurate yield estimation is critical for:
- Procurement planning — know how much milk to collect
- Cost calculation — determine product cost per kg
- Production efficiency — track actual vs. theoretical yield
- Financial reporting — verify revenue from milk solids
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the total milk quantity in litres or kg
- Enter the fat percentage of the milk
- Enter the SNF percentage of the milk
- Select the target product (paneer, ghee, butter, or cheese)
- Click Calculate to see expected yield
Yield Formulas
Paneer Yield
Paneer is coagulated milk protein. Yield depends on both fat and casein (protein):
Paneer Yield (kg) = Milk (L) × (0.78 × Fat% + 0.43 × SNF%) / 100
Typical yield: 16–20 kg paneer per 100 litres of full cream milk (6% fat)
Ghee Yield
Ghee is anhydrous milk fat. The conversion path is: Milk → Cream → Butter → Ghee
Ghee Yield (kg) = Milk (L) × Fat% × 0.80 / 100
- Fat to cream recovery: ~96–98%
- Cream to butter conversion: ~82–85%
- Butter to ghee conversion: ~80–82%
Typical yield: 4.8–5.2 kg ghee per 100 litres of cow milk at 6% fat
Butter Yield
Butter Yield (kg) = Milk (L) × Fat% × 0.97 / 100
Typical yield: 5.8–6.5 kg butter per 100 litres at 6% fat
Industry Yield Standards
| Product | Milk Type | Typical Yield |
|---|---|---|
| Paneer | Full cream cow milk (6% fat) | 16–18 kg/100L |
| Paneer | Buffalo milk (7.5% fat) | 20–25 kg/100L |
| Ghee | Cow milk (6% fat) | 4.8–5.2 kg/100L |
| Ghee | Buffalo milk (7.5% fat) | 6.0–7.0 kg/100L |
| Butter | Cow cream (35% fat) | 37–40 kg/100L cream |
| Cheddar | Standardized milk (4.5% fat) | 9–11 kg/100L |
Factors Affecting Yield
- Milk freshness: Fresh milk gives higher yield; sour milk causes protein losses
- Coagulation temperature: Optimal temperature for paneer is 70–80°C
- Citric acid concentration: Too little = incomplete coagulation; too much = crumbly texture
- Pressing pressure and time: Affects final moisture content and weight
- Seasonal variation: Winter milk typically has higher fat and SNF
Loss Accounting
Always track yield efficiency against theoretical maximum:
Yield Efficiency (%) = Actual Yield / Theoretical Yield × 100
Losses typically occur in:
- Whey drainage (paneer)
- Residual fat in skim milk (ghee)
- Moisture in butter/ghee
- Equipment surfaces and pipelines