1.      Elimination of unwanted bacteria.  Obviously, the main bacteria we wish destroyed are pathogens which can make people sick. 
However, pasteurization also eliminates other bacteria which, although not harmful, can interfere with the cheese making process. 
When making cheese, you will introduce special bacteria to ripen the milk, and you do not want competition with naturally occurring
bacteria which can produce off-flavors and otherwise interfere with consistent results.

2.      Elimination of unpleasant “goaty” flavor.  The fats in goat milk are much more delicate than those in cow milk.  They have a
tendency to quickly acquire a “goaty” taste which many Americans find unappealing.  Pasteurization stabilizes these fats and prevents
them from turning “goaty” even if you wait a few days to use the milk for cheese.

Home pasteurization is easy, effective and fast.  Simply bring your milk in from the barn and filter it directly into a stainless steel pot such as
those available in the kitchen section of Fred Meyer.  Put your pot on the stovetop and turn the burner on high.  Unless your milk is from a very
recent freshener, you should not have any trouble with the milk burning.  Place a thermometer in the milk and heat until the thermometer
registers 165°F.  The milk need only stay at this temperature for 15 seconds. 

Now the milk is pasteurized.  That’s all there is to it.

Pasteurization in this fashion DOES NOT affect the nutritional content of the milk.  According to David P. Brown, Senior Extension
Associate at Cornell University, home pasteurization only eliminates Vitamin C in the milk.  Since milk is a poor source of Vitamin C in any case, this
loss is of little consequence.  Learn more about the health benefits of pasteurization.

Of course, you do want to cool the milk as quickly as possible.  As the milk temperature drops, airborne bacteria can be reintroduced. 
I cover my pot with a paper towel and put it in a cooler of cold water.  I then pack refreezable ice packs around the pot. 
When the milk is cooled to around 40°F, I pour it into jars and refrigerate it.