For many reasons, including the "other surprising things added to yoghurt", I prefer not to use commercial yoghurt as a starter for my yoghurt at all.
vmax2,
Jan 13, 12:51am
What do you use buzzy
jcsolgier,
Jan 13, 12:57am
I use gopla - its really cheap ($3 for a liter) plain, unflavoured, really yummy and only contains milk and culture. I eat it till there is only a few spoonfulls left in the bottom of the tub, then add preboiled and cooled milk, give it a stir and put it in a warm place overnight. Works perfectly and you can do it again and again.
morticia,
Jan 13, 1:10am
Where do you buy gopla!
I have no issues with any additives in the plain, unsweetened commercial yoghurt I use as a starter for home made yoghurt. You'll do more damage to your body sucking down poisons going to the shop to buy it than what is contained in the little additives used in it.
jcsolgier,
Jan 13, 2:24am
lol good point! I buy it from pak'n save - and sorry, I spelt it wrong, it's gopala :)
buzzy110,
Jan 13, 2:41am
I use a proper commercial culture. Not cheap but it works out cheaper in the long run. Also I bought one without the bifidus strain in it as that is suspected of causingcandida overgrowth in non-vegetarians - (by no means certain but I like to be sure)
It takes just 2 or 3 of the tiny granules to make 1.5litres of yoghurt from raw milk and I know that, because it isn't weakened from second or repeated uses, my yoghurt has a high culture count.
vmax2,
Jan 13, 2:58am
What cultures are in the yoghurt buzzy, and where do you buy it from!I usually make about 10 litres of yoghurt at a time.We use so much of it, 1 litre would be gone after dinner.Not to mention the yoghurt used for lunch and breakfast and then kids snacks in between.Much better snack than bars, biscuits etc
buzzy110,
Jan 13, 4:29am
All the standard yoghurt and probiotic cultures bar the bifidus. You can buy a commercial starter with bifidus if you want. However, I take it you are aware that not all the cultures in yoghurt actually make yoghurt. Only those that turn milk sour, do that. The others are there simply as probiotics. That is what I was told when I rang a couple of manufacturers to find out if their yoghurts contained bifidusbecause not all labels list the cultures.
buzzy110,
Jan 13, 4:37am
I bought the culture off a TM trader. I have just searched her site but I see she currently doesn't have any for sale which is a pity because finding the culture granules is quite difficult. I rang round all the cheesemaking suppliers but none of them did yoghurt cultures, or no cultures that I wanted anyway.
vmax2,
Jan 13, 4:48am
I take strong probiotics myself.What I know about it is that when all the good and bad bacteria are in balance then bifidus is not a problem.It can actually be of benefit.Used to use cyclops but then read it doesn't have as many cultures in it.Clearwaters has more.I would be interested in reading the research about bifidus being a problem.Will keep my eye out on TM for that yoghurt culture.
millymolly_mtb,
Jan 13, 4:48am
Same, and I've never had a fail :)
uli,
Jan 13, 4:49am
Chr Hansen sells yoghurt starters. That is where I buy mine. Give them a ring - they are in Hamilton and happy to help.
flower-child01,
Jan 13, 10:08am
the Piako batch was too runny, have never had a result like this before, probably due to the fact it is not a straight yoghurt, it has thickeners, cream and honey in it.
skippie1,
Jan 13, 10:21am
vmax, google curiouscook I bought yoghurt culture from her after attending a cheese class.
beaker59,
Jan 13, 10:52am
Put it in the fridge for a while they thicken up a little as you say it wont thicken to the same as the origonal as that is thickened. It goes to what I would describe as a medium thickness yogurt.
vmax2,
Jan 13, 11:25pm
Thanks skippie1, that site looks interesting.
vmax2,
Jan 13, 11:26pm
uli does Chr Hansen have an 0800 phone number!
buzzy110,
Jan 14, 9:15am
I would like to know that as well.
izant,
Jan 18, 3:21am
Thanks for this, have just started a batch following your instructions and will let you know how it turns out.
richard198,
Jan 18, 3:29am
I used to use Yoplait acidophilus as a starter and added milk powder to richen up the end product. You end up with firm set, creamy yoghurt a little like Greek yoghurt. Now I use Gopala Thick and Creamy (Yellow Label)
izant,
Jan 18, 7:02am
I haven't seen Gopala in our supermarket, have used Cyclops this time. Thanks for the tip about the milk powder, I'll do that next time cos I love the heavier-set yoghurts. Spent this afternoon trying to deal with some of the hundreds of lemons we have! So we now have 3 gin and lemon cakes, and lots of lemonade.and I'll do lemon curd at the weekend.
izant,
Jan 18, 6:02pm
Perfection! Made with Farmhouse milk and Cyclops yoghurt, eaten with freshly stewed apricots.what a way to start the day!
uli,
Jan 20, 7:54pm
I don't know - I use their normal number: phone 07 846 7167 fax07 847 3482 web:www.chr-hansen.com
beaker59,
Feb 2, 7:40pm
Well I have been experimenting a bit because your comment is plainly not correct and yet I have have a few runny brews of yogurt as well.
The runny brews are definately when the temperature doesn't get high enough in the milk. Because I use milk from the fridge if it is too cold going in then the hot water isn't enough to get the temp high enough to get a thick yogurt however if I warm the milk to room temp I get that high initial temp and a good thick yogurt.
Yes Piako has thickeners and stabilisers just as they all do Cyclops etc, I have also tried the cyclops and had the exact same result as the Piako, both excellent though have to be sure to get that temperature correct.
sarahb5,
Feb 2, 9:44pm
Well my first attempt I used the soy milk I was given as a free sample and it was gross - came out really, really runny so I strained it and it was the thickness of Greek yoghurt but it tasted so disgusting I threw it away - thank goodness it was free so I didn't feel guilty wasting it like that.I will try again but definitely not with soy milk.
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