Homemade Yogurt

Discussion in 'Health & Fitness' started by Michael, Mar 7, 2011.

  1. Michael 歌舞伎 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    20,285
    OK, so I tried to make homemade yogurt - I don't think it worked as well as I had hoped.

    1. I warmed some unhomogenized full-creme milk in a pan to a slight simmer with constant stirring (no milk burned on the pan bottom).
    2. cooled milk to room temp.
    3. stirred in two spoons of fresh yogurt and poured back into the cardboard milk container.
    4. Placed in a yogurt maker (which basically just keeps it warm) for 8 hours.
    5. Put in refrigerator overnight.

    It was somewhat curdled, but, not all that much - still way too soupy (or so I thought). Like 60% milk-soup.

    Any tips or tricks?
    I bought a thermometer but didn't get a chance to use it. As it was a piece of Chinese-made crapola it broke before I even got a chance to use it (just washing it and it broke in the sponge). I guess my next batch I was thinking I'd try keeping the temp monitored, making sure the maker is warm enough, trying a different milk?
     
  2. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  3. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,049
    Why did you put it in fridge?
     
  4. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  5. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

    Messages:
    24,690
    There's no reason to cool the milk to room temperature. Pour it into the yogurt maker at the right temperature for the culture. And you'd be better off with a real yogurt maker that has its own heated containers.

    There's also no rush to refrigerate it. The bacteria will run out of food and the process will halt.

    My wife and I put our groceries on the car's back seat and the yogurt rolled out onto the floor during an emergency stop. Three months later we found it. It tasted just fine.

    Even though you didn't burn the milk you might still have overheated it and killed the bacteria when you added the yogurt. You might also have accidentally purchased commercial yogurt with no (or very little) live culture. Or a brand of milk with too many antibiotics mixed in so it killed the bacteria--domestic livestock are horribly overdosed with antibiotics.
     
  6. Google AdSense Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  7. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    10,296
    Fraggle, that's a very - VERY!! - outdated situation. Yes, it used to be a problem but went out of commercial practice well over 30 years ago. (In the U.S., anyway.)

    There's tons of information available, but here's just one small reference to help bring you up to modern times.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

    http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/wqwm/ebae175_93.html
     
  8. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

    Messages:
    24,690
    I see. So we only get it in meat now, which means dog food is full of it so they have to eat yogurt to replenish their gut bacteria, and their stool kills the bacteria in our soil?
     
  9. chimpkin C'mon, get happy! Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    4,416
    I keep meaning to try making a "yogurt" out of live culture (a store near me sells just the acidophilus) , soy protein, a little xanthan gum and pureed fruit...does anybody know of any reason why that would not work?
     
  10. Michael 歌舞伎 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    20,285
    I suppose the only reason I put it in the refrigerator was because I read if it;'s left for over 8 hours it can get sour. The yogurt you left in your car, surely the bacteria would have been dead at that point?

    Also, how "thick" does it get? Mine was really very soupy. As in, I'm not even sure ANYTHING grew - it may have only had about the two spoons I put in it

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!



    I used plain yogurt that says live cultures.... they even say they use the traditional method and make the yogurt as in "real" yogurt (not just adding the bacteria at the end to meet the requirements for labeling purposes...
     
  11. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,049
    the yoghurt you put in may have been dead, you also need it to stay warm like making bread so the culture will grow. The one i have sits in a hot water bath inside a vacume flask so that it stays warm for 12 hours or more. You leave it over night and then the next morning you put it in the fridge. My suggestion would be to get a comertial "make your own yoghurt" mix for the first one (they sell them at woolworths if your back here, dont know about the US) and then use that as your starter because you know that will be alive
     
  12. lightgigantic Banned Banned

    Messages:
    16,330
    If it curdles the milk is too hot when you add the culture
    If it doesn't form a yogurt consistency it wasn't (consistently) warm enough when you added the culture or you didn't add enough of it.

    However much success you have, it will be apparent before you put it in the fridge (putting it in fridge simply stops it getting more sour - it doesn't help it firm up at all).

    If you want to get a thicker result you can try adding milk powder (most commercial brands do) - in fact you can even make it straight from milk powder - I used to make it in 10L buckets with just milk powder and hot tap water and adding 250-500 ml as a culture and leaving it sit over night in a sealed container (the volume was enough to keep the culture active - if you are doing smaller quantities you will probably have to insulate it with a thick towel or something) - It was only in the cooler months that you had to insulate the bucket with a blanket
     
  13. lightgigantic Banned Banned

    Messages:
    16,330
    Btw use a whisk when you stir in the yogurt - if its not mixed in completely it won't work
     
  14. wynn ˙ Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    15,058
    I would think the fresh fruit will rot, go sour and make the milk sour, at least that.
     
  15. John99 Banned Banned

    Messages:
    22,046
    Try putting some nuts in the yohurt.
     
  16. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    72,825
    I'll tell you what I know about making yoghurt at home.

    1. Use full fat milk - preferably organic so that its texture has not been tampered with. Milk which has been homogenised tends to produce "slimy" yoghurt because the fat globules have all been emulsified and proteins tend to come out of solution or stick to the bottom of the vessel when the milk is heated. I personally prefer raw milk which I get directly from the milkman rather than the packaged variety. You can also use 2% milk if you prefer low fat yoghurt, it will be softer than whole fat yoghurt although you can "hang it" to improve its consistency [if not its texture]. To improve the texture of yoghurt from 2% milk, you can add a quarter cup of organic non fat milk powder to 4 cups of milk [32 ounces] - don't use any other kind, or you will regret it.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!



    2. Heat the milk very well, to boiling point. Let the milk reach boiling point and then lower the flame, not allowing it to boil over [a wooden spoon inserted in the milk can prevent boiling over] and let it stay at boil for a few seconds - about 20-30. Milk that has been boiled well, will give yoghurt of a better texture and consistency than milk which has not been boiled well. After boiling allow the milk to cool to 115 - 105 Fahrenheit [you can use your thermometer or just touch the side of vessel in which you boiled the milk, if its not so hot that you can keep your hand there, its cool enough; do both until you can "feel" the right temperature]

    3. Use a fresh culture if possible. If you know any desis, whine, moan and bitch till they give you a bit of yoghurt culture [don't worry they will be used to it]. The yoghurt from fresh culture is unbeatable

    4. Use dry culture rather than other yoghurts. If you don't know any desis, skip the whole fresh culture notion and dive directly into dry cultures. Yogourmet, for example, makes an excellent dry culture which gives good results at home [based on Indi network gossip]. The best way to use the culture is to dissolve it in some of the milk separately, then add it to the milk at around 115 Fahrenheit and stir it into the solution. For 4 cups of milk, 5g of Yogourmet dissolved in 2 tbs milk is sufficient [check your sachets, they may be 5g or 10g]

    5. After the culture is mixed into the milk, the mixture needs to be kept warm. The best way to do that is to use a thermos flask or insulated casserole or if you have it, a yoghurt maker.

    Once the yoghurt is set - roughly 7-8 hours - you can set aside some for starter culture. You'll notice that after a few months, the starter culture gets less and less effective as the microorganisms plateau in their growth. At about 3 months you can start over with a dry culture.

    When we make yoghurt in India, we set it in an unglazed clay pot, this not only keeps it "cool" but also absorbs a lot of residual moisture making the yoghurt thick and creamy. A good curd is tasty, neither sweet nor sour.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!



    If you feel your yoghurt is too watery for your tastes, you can take a double fold of cheesecloth or muslin cloth, "pour" your yoghurt into it over a colander and drain the moisture for a firmer curd. Don't throw the whey, you can add it to curries or smoothies or even cereal for breakfast.
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2011
  17. Mr MacGillivray Banned Banned

    Messages:
    527
    But the only fresh fatty milk people have access to in a modern western society is human breast milk.
     
  18. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    72,825
  19. S.Ramos Registered Member

    Messages:
    3
    Never know that making yougart at home is that easy . . . !!!
    I surely will try it today and let you know my reviews .
     
  20. Billy T Use Sugar Cane Alcohol car Fuel Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,198
    I made quite good yogurt starting with 2% "long life" boxes of milk plus a small amount of commercial refrigerated yogurt called "Activia"or something like that which claimed to have the live organism. I never brought it a boil but in a few minutes just up to the temperature which was optimum for the organism to grow with constant stirring and then turned the gas flame way down. After the first few batches I knew what flame would just compensate for the heat loss from the metal pot and did not stir more (convection currents probably did some mixing). I forget that "optimum temperature" and have not made any for a few years, as the special yogurt thermometer I had bought broke. I did not search much for a replacement, but just have been buying commercial yogurt.

    As I recall after holding the correct temperature with very low fire under metal pot for about half an hour, I just removed pot from flame and wrapped it with several towels. Hours later I had good yogurt, nearly as firm as the commercial product I now buy.

    I think SAM's unglazed clay pot would be better than my metal one as some vapor would escape into my towels, making the yogurt firmer. I suspect a clay pot would not break over the very low flame I used, but I would need to use the metal pot to quickly get up to the "optimum temperature" and then pour into a clay pot over the low flame.

    An electric yogurt maker would be an easier method still. Do they use unglazed clay pots?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 9, 2011
  21. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    33,264
    For some reason yogurt, to me, tastes like rotten eggs.
     
  22. Billy T Use Sugar Cane Alcohol car Fuel Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,198
    I have statred making it again and learned a trick. My first batch was thin, watery so boiled the liter of long-life skimed (fat free) milk at a simmer for nearly half an hour for second batch. (Use a large shallow pan and there is no problem with milk boil over and also more surface to lose water from.) That worked reasonably well, but last patch, had dry powdered milk added to the roilling boil liter of milk. It came out thick as commercial yogurt and cost less than 25% as much, and only boiled 5 minutes or so during which I stir with long metal spoon.

    I told in last post that I stopped making as my candy themometer broke. Don´t need one now - I use the clock instead. 30 minutes cooling from gas fire off and covered is just right delay before adding the starter yogurt.

    That may vary slightly with pot etc. but to learn best clock delay time for your pot; you want to be sure temperature is less than ~40C (but not too much below). I learned long ago that you can not make firm finger contact with metal at 40C for even 0.5 sec - pain will over ride will; However, you can stand for a second or so to dip the tip of a very clean little finger into the cooling milk when it is cool enough to add the starter.

    My starter yogout is from the refigerator and rapidly stired into ~40C cooling milk with large spoon, which has been flame steralized (or was stiring boiling milk). Then recovered* and placed on double folded end of large bath towel, which quickly fully covers the pot and lid with at least two layers of the towel. After about three hours I can hold finger on the metal at least a second - probably it is about 30 to 35 C and steal a quick look at the yogurt. Three or so more hours it looks about the same and goes to the refrigerator, stored in smaller container I have steam steralized.

    I am still perfecting proceedures but soon will make two liters (plus the poweder milk that would make 0.5 liters more) at a time. It is really no trouble to make - just don´t let it cool too much before adding the starter or add it too soon and kill the "live yogurt bugs."

    Perhas some one has well researched instructions about best temperature to add the starter? Or will search for it and post. Thanks.

    * boiling and simmering milk have the lid covering 90% of pot and becomes "steam steralized" too. I think being very sterile is why you can use last of last batch to start the next many times.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 11, 2012
  23. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,049
    Umm would you like to prove all that? I'm a huge fan of making your own but still
     

Share This Page