Homemade Yoghurt

angel404, Sep 26, 5:18am
It never turns out right! Its always runny. I use 1 litre raw milk and the mad millie yoghurt starter as per her instructions. But it never sets. I try and keep it at 42deg as much as possible but im not always around to monitor it. Would an electric yoghurt maker be better!
vmax2, Sep 26, 5:46am
Hi angel.My recipe is heat it to 85 C and hold it for 2 minutes.Then cool it to 43 C.Add 1./2 tsp of starter i.e. yoghurt from previous batch or a good yoghurt like clearwaters.
Problems can arise if the yoghurt does not reach 85 C, or if it gets too cold.Are you storing your yoghurt in a chilly bin!I tried putting mine in the hot water cupboard but the temp fluctuated in there too much.It took probably 2 days before it set in there.Chilly bin is usually a no fail method for me.I couldn't get lovely thick yoghurt in winter.I put it down to what the cows are eating and the fact that we were getting milk from friesian cows.Are you cows jersey or friesian!Someone told me recently that they have more success in getting thick yoghurt when they add more cream.Certainly when I make cream yoghurt it is a lot thicker than straight milk yoghurt.So maybe the cream holds it together more!It's all about trial and error.Keep experimenting and try leaving the yoghurt to ferment for a longer period.12 - 24 hours is optimal.
angel404, Sep 26, 5:49am
I dont heat it to 85degrees - i was hoping to not pasteurize it. But maybe its the only way to go! I put it in my easy-yo incubator (or my mad millie one). but its really hard to keep the constant temp! The cows are fresian. Might add some extra milk powder maybe!
angel404, Sep 26, 5:49am
Oh and i keep it there for 12-24 hours.
vmax2, Sep 26, 7:22am
Hold the milk powder angel - not healthy.When milk powder is createdit creates free glutamic acid - msg.Add in a bottle of cream though if you want to.Cream that you buy in shops isn't as affected by the pasteurisation process.I was buying cream over the winter while our cows were dry.So from what you have said I would say that it is because you don't take it to 85 C that is the problem.Buzzy also thought it would be a good idea to have 'raw' yoghurt and also found that it was quite runny.The friesian cows could also be a problem.I always think that when we pasteurise it at home that we do it a lot gentler and so the milk won't be as dead.Your then adding good bugs to that.If you start off with pasteurised milk and then pasteurise it again (as I used to do when using Farm House milk) to make yoghurt then it's real dead.
angel404, Sep 26, 7:26am
Thanks vmax - yeah the thought of using milk powder doesnt excite me at all. ill try heating it to 85 first and see what happens!
homeschoolmum, Sep 27, 10:05pm
if you want unheated homemade yogurt get the caspian sea yogurt starter.You just add this to your raw milk and leave on the counter for 12 hours.it is quite thick and maple syrup can be added at the end if it is too tart.My family all like this.
buzzy110, Sep 28, 12:16am
Thank you for that suggestion. Can you tell me where you get your culture from. I quite like the sound of it, a lot.

In the meantime angel404, for some reason you do have to heat it to a high temperature and hold it. It breaks down the protein and helps the culture towork better, thus providing a smooth and thicker texture in the finished product. As vmax has explained I did the experiment. In fact I've done it twice. Once I didn't add calcium chloride and one with calcium chloride and each time the lower temp just doesn't work even though I have a Fromagerie that holds 1½ litres of milk at a steady temperature (about 30-35dC) throughout the entire process. I realise I should be culturing at a slightly higher temperature but mine comes out thick and delicious at the lower temperature so I'm happy.

Just to put your mind at rest, I know that the enzymes in the milk are killed off during high heat but the culture basically does the job of the enzymes when they breakdown and digest the lactose and make the proteins, especially the casein, more digestible. One thing I would add is to try and bring the milk back to the lower temperature asap as it is the length of time at high heat that makes the most difference. I transfer my heated and held milk into the pre-frozen glass fermenting bowl and put that into a bowl filled with water and ice. And then I watch the temperature gauge like a hawk.

I now have a homemade electric proofing box and am going to experiment with that this weekend. I want to do bulk yogurt (3½litres) in individual ½ size Agee jars.
vmax2, Sep 28, 1:45am
Tell me more about the caspian sea yoghurt.What is the flavour like!Is it like kefir or yoghurt or a flavour all of its own!Do you have any of the starter for sale!
buzzy110, Sep 28, 6:21am
Bump for us who are interested in learning more about Caspian Sea Yoghurt.
angel404, Sep 28, 9:27am
Thanks buzzy and vmax ill do that this weekend and hopefully it turns out thicker!
Id love to know more about the caspian sea yoghurt as well.on a different note im making soap this weekend! eeeek!
vmax2, Sep 28, 10:18am
Good luck with that angel.When we learn a new skill it does seem overwhelming and then you wonder what you were worrying about once you've mastered it.
vmax2, Sep 28, 11:16pm
Bumping for homeschoolmum to tell us more about caspian sea yoghurt.
davidt4, Sep 29, 12:07am
I recall that there was much discussion about Caspian Sea yoghurt here a few years ago - at that stage someone was selling the starter.As I remember, the yoghurt didn't appeal to many people because it has a stringy gloopy texture.I certainly wasn't inspired to make it.
eljayv, Sep 30, 2:06am
At certain times of year milk does not make yoghurt as thick as at other times. Irang milk company and was told it had something to do with the cows being supplement fed during the months with less grass available.If you add some powdered milk to your mixit will tend to givea thicker consistency to your yoghurt
antoniab, Sep 30, 2:19am
You know I saw on that 'whats in our food' programme yesterday that mothers milk has huge amounts of MSG in it! lol I always avoid the stuff like the plague but Im not so sure about the naturally occuring stuff now
homeschoolmum, Sep 30, 3:42am
sorry I missed this .been busy with sick kids.I brought it from a website .It was sent from the North Island.Use the word waterkefir then add the usual .co.nz

Hope you can find it.Can't post the link here as not allowed
homeschoolmum, Sep 30, 3:43am
Let me know if you find it.They sell kefir ,kamboucha and this yogurt starter.I also got my water kefir there.
homeschoolmum, Sep 30, 3:50am
Mine is not stringy.I leave it overnight( or all day if I do it in the morning) and it seems quite thick BUT I amusing raw jersey milk so this may make a big difference.
The flavour is more tart than when you heat the milk and do it that way( I do it both ways ).Soem of my kids prefer the heated way but are willing to eat both.Add a bit of maple syrup if it is too tart,this is what we do.
homeschoolmum, Sep 30, 6:45am
Bump for buzzy110
homeschoolmum, Oct 1, 3:33am
bump again for those who wanted to know about caspian yogurt
angel404, Oct 1, 8:04am
I found the website so might buy some CSY someday soon and see for myself whats its like :)
vmax2, Oct 1, 10:00pm
Let us know how it goes angel.Will be interested.I did some reading on it and it seems if you don't use it all the time it can change and die.I need something that I can occasionally forget about as I have lots of things on the go - sauerkraut, kombucha, water kefir, milk kefir, yoghurt and cheese.It's just another thing I'd have to keep an eye on.But if it's easy and tasty I'm all for it.
angel404, Oct 2, 5:45am
Ha vmax im the same - i need these things to be forgiving coz i quite often forget about them when im going through a phase of something new and exciting!