Anyone make their own yogurt?

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Alphaville
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Alphaville »

@Peanut

try also 1 tablespoon inuculation and start checking at 4 hours, then every 2 thereafter

eta: don’t inoculate till the temp goes down to at least 46 or 45C.

Polp
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Polp »

So here is my next batch: https://imgur.com/C8Xy3AZ

It was a lot thicker. This time I did the following:
  • Bring the milk close to a boil and cool it down
  • Use a bit of the old cultures and some new ones
  • Leave it in the oven at about 30-40°C for 6h
Kind of a bad design of experiment since I changed several factors at a time in only one trial ;) However, the result is nice for me. The yoghurts tastes very mild!

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Alphaville
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Alphaville »

👆 nice, very nice! congrats...

keep it going, add some wild beasts, you’ll have yogurt forever

now if you want to make it interesting you can begin straining to separate the yogurt cheese from the whey... but don’t throw away the whey (i use it to drink as lemonade or cook rice).

just need a fine sieve or cheese cloth...

Peanut
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Peanut »

I forgot to mention the conclusion to my project, which was kinda what I both feared and wanted. DH took over the project and has been making yogurt weekly. It's just rolled into his bread/granola/beans prep. He has been using a stove heating method. I felt bad to give him more work, but it's nice not to be buying the plastic containers anymore. On the other hand I do not like the yogurt itself as much as Stonyfield et al as it's not as sweet. But kids do not seem to register any difference and they mostly eat it. I am also not sure if it has as much probiotics or whatever good stuff. Is there any way to know?

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Alphaville
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Alphaville »

haha, it’s all good. yogurt shouldn’t be sweet anyway. and the more sour, the more probiotics, that’s how you know. to verify: get a drop under the microscope. you can always add fruit or honey if you must have sweet.

Peanut
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Peanut »

Ah! I will be more sanguine about the sourness then. Yes I typically add strawberry jam or a homemade blueberry sauce to the yogurt. Microscopic confirmation would be a fun science lesson for the kids.

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Alphaville
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Alphaville »

just made a new gallon batch on the instapot with fresh milk

this time i used the boiling function in the afternoon, let it cool for... 6 hours?

then before going to sleep milk was still warm from the boil, i seeded 1\4 cup fresh siggy and set pot to yogurt temp

after 9 hours it’s supercoagulated and supercustardy thanks to denatured proteins and strong culture

my ongoing culture was kept alive with powdered milk and acquired an odd flavor in the process, i suspect from the soy lecithin added to powdered milk (without lecithin the powder would not dissolve well since it’s full fat milk and it needs an emulsifier). i don’t think it was unworkable but figured it would be nicer to start with a fresh substrate.

the plan is now to put the whole gallon in a bucket, mix it with rolled oats and blueberries, and eat throughout the week as an all-in-one summery concoction—no further cooking required and it should be cold and tasty.

i have another gallon of fresh milk which i plan to ferment unboiled and rebottle for beverage purposes. unboiled it’s more liquid as you all know.

speaking of beverages, i haven’t been able to find local kefir grains, and i fear the commercial varieties... a lot of bad reviews on those.... so no kefir for me yet.



eta: i tasted the 9h yogurt and it was not tart enough for my taste so i’m letting it rip a full 12h.

tsch
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by tsch »

If you decide to go with a commercial kefir grain, you might check out New England Cheesemaking Supply Company:
https://cheesemaking.com/pages/search-r ... fir+grains

I don't make kefir myself, but I really like their yogurt cultures, and I feel like they've earned my trust on quality. (All the tools I've gotten from them are top-notch, too.)

They sell the Yogotherm system, which I really like. It's basically a yogurt container that fits snug inside a custom styrofoam cooler. You don't need that if you have an Instapot (you don't need it at all, of course, as others have pointed out there are various DIY options). I just love using it...no cord, no little jars, no uncertainty on temperature, no transferring yogurt from one container to another for storage. I eventually ordered an extra pail so I could start a new batch before emptying and washing the current batch.

I would love to figure out how to do a household-size non-electric cheese cave some day, but it will probably have to wait until I'm not a renter, if at all.

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Alphaville
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Alphaville »

tsch wrote:
Sat Jun 06, 2020 1:01 pm
New England Cheesemaking Supply Company:
[...]
Yogotherm system,
[...]
household-size non-electric cheese cave
hey thanks for that! im familiar with that company but was not aware they sold kefir grains.

yogotherm: where does the heat come from, and how does it keep the right temp, and for how long?

cheese cave for cheese making or just to store?

tsch
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by tsch »

Alphaville wrote:
Sat Jun 06, 2020 8:58 pm
yogotherm: where does the heat come from, and how does it keep the right temp, and for how long?
Heat the milk in any pot to 85c/185f, then let it cool to 48c/118f and stir in the culture, then pour it into the bucket.

Edited to add: I just do it overnight. I think I've gone over 12 hours. It just keeps it warm from the styrofoam insulation around the bucket.
Alphaville wrote:
Sat Jun 06, 2020 8:58 pm
cheese cave for cheese making or just to store?
For making. I think it would be something like a root cellar and seasonal for temp, but I haven't thought through it much. I guess dorm and wine fridges are pretty easy to hack for the same thing (and would probably be better for reliable results). Chevre is easy and satisfying without any of that, though.

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Alphaville
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Alphaville »

my yogurt went supersayan today: after 11.5h fermentation (plus the fact that i boiled the milk yesterday afternoon and forgot to inoculate overnight and only added culture this morning) i opened the lid to find this beautiful delicate paneer disc floating atop a massive quantity of whey. caseine and whey separation was *complete*

i hope i don’t die of it :lol:

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Alphaville
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Alphaville »

bigato wrote:
Sun Jun 21, 2020 7:33 pm
They use caseine to induce cancer in lab rats, so there's that :-p
good thing i’m not a rat! :D

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fiby41
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by fiby41 »

Today I ate coconut milk yogurt which is plant-based so vegans/gluten-intolerants/non-dairy people could look into it but I doubt any of them have continued reading up to this point so here is Kurma Dāsa's regular yogurt recipe that was linked in an earlier thread but the page has moved since then:
RM from West Pennant Hills NSW wrote:In the past I have successfully made my own yoghurt, but over the years I have forgotten how much milk to use. I always used a small tub of plain yogurt starter, plus the milk and a tin of carnation evaporated milk. Can you help with those milk quantities please?
Yogurt is an indispensable ingredient in vegetarian cuisine, being nutritious, tasty, and easily digestible.

It is a source of calcium, protein, fat, carbohydrates, phosphorus, vitamin A, the B-complex vitamins, and vitamin D. The lactic acid content of yogurt aids in the digestion of calcium. Yogurt encourages the growth of "friendly" bacteria in the intestines that help destroy harmful strains. And yogurt is quickly assimilated into the body.

Yogurt is made by adding a small amount of 'starter' (which can be either previously prepared homemade yogurt or commercial plain yogurt) to warm milk. Under certain temperature conditions, and after some hours, the live bacteria in the starter will transform the milk into yogurt, which can then be refrigerated and used as needed. If you prefer a slightly thicker, firm yogurt, you can add milk powder at the beginning.

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes,
SETTING TIME: 4 - 10 hours,
YIELD: 4 cups (1 litre).

1/3 cup fresh milk (optional),
1/2 cup full-cream milk powder (optional),
4 cups (1 litre) fresh milk,
3 tablespoons fresh plain yogurt.

If you prefer thicker yogurt, combine the 1/3 cup of milk with the milk powder, whisk until smooth, and set aside.

Bring the milk to the boil in a heavy, 3-litre/quart saucepan, stirring constantly. Remove milk from the heat and whisk in the optional powdered-milk thickener. Transfer the milk into a sterilized container and set aside to cool.

When the temperature of the milk has reached 46°C/115°F, add the yogurt starter and whisk until smooth. The milk temperature should not exceed 44°C/111°F, which is the ideal culturing temperature. If you don't have a thermometer, that ideal temperature is about body heat; splash a little on the back of your hand to check.

Place the container of warm milk in a warm place for 4 - 6 hours. You can place the container inside a sealed plastic bucket of warm water or wrap it in a towel or heavy blanket. The container may also be placed in an oven with the pilot light on, in a preheated electric oven which has been turned off, or in a wide-mouthed thermos flask.

Check the yogurt after 5 hours. It should be thick and firm (it will become thicker after refrigeration). Refrigerate, covered, and use within 3 days. After three days, the yogurt makes an ideal curdling agent for production of Home-made Curd Cheese (Panir).
Image
Note: If your home-made yogurt does not taste as nice as expected or is something other than yogurt, consider the following points:

Over-boiling the milk without proper stirring can cause the milk to scorch or burn. This will give the yogurt an unpleasant taste.

If the milk does not sufficiently cool before you add the starter culture, it will curdle.

If the milk cools too much before adding the starter culture, it will remain milk.

If you do not ensure continuous warmth during incubation, the yogurt might fall to a less-than-desired temperature. Over warming during incubation causes spoilage.

Over-incubation (allowing the milk and yogurt to sit for longer than required) will produce a strong-tasting, tart yogurt.

Non-sterile containers may introduce foreign bacteria into your yogurt, causing bad tastes. Do not disturb the yogurt while it is culturing.

To thicken your yogurt, spoon it into a cloth, place in a collander over a bowl, and allow it to drain for a few hours. It will lose excess moisture and turn into a delicious yogurt cream-cheese, as in the picture above.

plow_2
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by plow_2 »

I make lots of yogurt in my instapot. When it's finished it's runny, strain in fridge with a tea towel over a colander set in a mixing bowl. Then I add whey back into it until it's the consistency that I want. I don't add any flavoring, just plain ol' yogurt.

I've never tried without boiling milk first, I'll have to give it a go. My instapot yogurt setting to "boil" will bring the milk to the desired 180 degrees and turn itself off like clockwork.

my method- add 1/2 to 1 gallon of milk to pot. press yogurt button until reads "boil" and let it go (I stir once in awhile). Once it reaches 180 let cool to 105 to 116 degrees and add yogurt starter and yogurt button again and leave for 8-12 hours. Strain as above and enjoy.

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Alphaville
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Alphaville »

cultured today just 1/2 gallon instead of the usual 1gal.

boiled/cooled the milk this time, this being the first batch of the season i used siggy for starter.

had planned 6h but after 4,5h it looked THICK so i removed it from the heat, saved some for next week, put the rest in the strainer to separate the whey.

only now, eating a bit for dessert, i find out that in spite of thick appearance the taste lacks tartness. boiling had made it thicker prior to full fermentation. next time i will try a 6-8h culture, but might add other strains.

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Lemur
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Lemur »

Cool thread. I've been making my yogurt homemade for a few weeks now since I was gifted an instant pot last Christmas. My instant pot has been life changing for me in 2021; breakfast and dinner have been made in bulk numerous times.

My steps are very similar to @Alphaville on the first page: Add a gallon of full fat milk in instant pot, Add 1/2 cup of yogurt with active culture, whisk, set timer and walk away.

The differences are the end result - I prefer slightly tangier and I have my yogurt on for 16h-24h. I enjoy Yogurt with mixed store-brand granola and rolled oats + sometimes berries. And lately discovered adding Honey takes it to another level...I feel like I get the king of breakfast everyday (though I'm messing with intermittent fasting lately and not eating my first meal until after 1PM).

I need to experiment with different types of yogurt. I usually just mix in the plain store brand kind but I'm trying to get a thicker yogurt without adding sugar. My yogurt tends to be a bit runny ...tastes good though.

Edit: Have not tried boiling the milk first with instant pot setting ...I'm gonna assume you have to let the milk cool down a bit before adding the yogurt though otherwise a high enough temperature would kill off the cultures. But at least through googling around it appears that boiling helps coagulate the milk.

So I'm guessing for instant pot you use the "boil" feature and if it shuts off automatically it will return to incubating temperature...don't have a thermometer though. Perhaps just wait 30 minutes or so. Need to experiment.

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Alphaville
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Alphaville »

hey @lemur! yeah im boiling now because i get better yogurt cheese from the strainer.

cooling times: 1/2 gal takes about 2h to cool from boil to safe temp; 1 gal takes about 8h to cool from boil to safe temp. at this point in technology safe temp must be ascertained manually. i got a cheap thermapen now, works well, but after figuring the times i no longer use it (still useful for other things).

so fermenting 1 gallon i now punch boil before i go to sleep, and inoculate 1/4 cup previous bach in the morning. then punch incubate for 8 hours, collect eventually(no rush). it's pretty tart, so i think i've selected a potent strain. it used to need longer, but no more.

still using the same evolving culture mentioned in my previous post, but added the unspecified "thermophiles" yogurt late october, after the original siggy, just for extra chaos. still going strong!

eta: gallon gets split into [regular yogurt] and [yogurt cheese+whey]. the whey is great for cooking (e.g. @seppia's japancakes), the cheese spreads nicely on bread, with roasted nuts and honey or garlic & herbs, etc.

CS
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by CS »

I've made raw milk yogurt in several locations successfully, except where I am now. There is too much wild yeast. It ruins everything. I just gave up. I'm not going to bother making pasteurized yogurt.

Btw, one location I could get really fresh full fat milk right off the farm. The top two or three inches would end of being yellow with thick fermented cream. I have never tasted anything so good in my life.

I used a crock pot, glass jars and a few towels for insulation. Easy, and worked even when I had to go to work for nine hours. It stayed warm in enough in the water bath until I could turn the crock pot on again. Super cheap too.

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Alphaville
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by Alphaville »

CS wrote:
Mon Feb 15, 2021 8:36 pm
I've made raw milk yogurt in several locations successfully, except where I am now. There is too much wild yeast. It ruins everything. I just gave up.
if you let the yeast rip... maybe you could evolve/develop a scoby???

white belt
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Re: Anyone make their own yogurt?

Post by white belt »

I must know, have you tried making your own whey protein? My understanding is it's just a step further from what you've been doing with yogurt. I saw one video of someone making it from yogurt and another video of someone making it from ricotta cheese.

I think the only additional thing you will need is a food dehydrator to dry it into a powder, but I'm seeing that piece of equipment come up a lot in my homesteading research.

I wonder if it would be economical to do this compared to buying protein powder? I consume large quantities of casein (45 grams) and whey (25 grams) daily, so it might make sense for me. Even with bulk buying the cheapest options, I'm probably spending >$1 a day on just protein powders.

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