Homemade yogurt

toddmoore83 · July 2013

Hi all,
I am wanting to make some yogurt. I have seen many ways to do it. crock pot, stove top, and overnight in the oven. Have any of you made it? If so, which way did you use, and how did you make it, and what was the outcome?

toutmonpossible · July 2013

I made it many years ago, using a yogurt maker. The results were usually fine. Occasionally it was watery and the taste wasn't always consistent. Ultimately, I found it easier to buy it. If I had it to do over again I'd probably buy starter from a company instead of using yogurt from the store.

ThatSoundsHard · July 2013

I make it any time I see milk that's about to go on clearance at the grocery store. You do it on the stove top and then in the oven with the light on over night. It works quite well. Although, I do recommend lining a strainer with a cheese cloth and draining some of the extra whey out- just pour the yogurt into the cheese cloth lined strainer and set it on a bowl or something else to catch the liquid in the fridge for a bit (I usually leave it 4+ hours and make a greek yogurt).

I've also tried it with almond milk and soy milk. Neither of those actually thicken without an added agent like tapioca or agar powder and you end up with a weird yogurt soup. I blended my first botched attempt with fruit and made yogurt drinks. Long story short home made yogurt is awesome and easy. There's a lot of waiting around though.

Shadowcub · July 2013

I made it last week and need am making more today!

1 gallon of milk in a 6 quart crockpot. (Adjust to your needs and size of crock pot.)

* Heat to 180°F on high.

* Turn off and crack lid to cool to 115°F.

* Whisk in starter (I used a 6 oz container from the store last time. 1c from my last batch this time. Could also use commercial starter.)

* Close lid & wrap in blankets over night.

Presto! It's yogurt. Either pour off any surface whey or whisk it in. For Greek-Style there's just one more step.

* Strain yogurt to desired consistency. (Last time I lined a colander with paper towels and placed over a pot in the fridge, but the paper towels were hard to separate from the yogurt so this time I'm using overlapping coffee filters.)

The whey has most of the remaining lactose (sugar), btw. So the more whey you pour/strain off, the more tart, but more protein per volume, it will be. Out of my gallon, I drained off a total of about 1.5 quarts, or nearly a 1/3 by volume! But a single packet of artificial sweetener adjusted the taste to my liking!

PS: if you haven't already, read the "Makin' Yogurt" thread. Towards the end I posted a detailed summary of my first attempt at doing this. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1013648-makin-yogurt

kelseyhere · July 2013

I make it home on a stovetop and then use this little yogurt maker device I got as a gift to let it set (the device is basically an incubator, keeps the yogurt slightly warm for 10-12 hours until thick). It is pretty easy, takes about an hour to do all the prep. Honestly though, it doesn't save me any money. I ultimately decided it was easier (and cheaper) to keep buying yogurt.

2shoes123 · July 2013

I make yogurt by:
1. heating the milk in the microwave until it reaches 180-185 degrees.
2. Let milk sit until it reaches 115 degrees.
3. Then mix in about a half cup of plain yogurt.
4. Place in bowl with lid and place in the oven with the light on for 6-8 hours or place in container then in a cooler filled with hot water for 6-8 hours.

Alwayssohungry · July 2013

I made it last week and need am making more today!

1 gallon of milk in a 6 quart crockpot. (Adjust to your needs and size of crock pot.)

* Heat to 180°F on high.

* Turn off and crack lid to cool to 115°F.

* Whisk in starter (I used a 6 oz container from the store last time. 1c from my last batch this time. Could also use commercial starter.)

* Close lid & wrap in blankets over night.

Presto! It's yogurt. Either pour off any surface whey or whisk it in. For Greek-Style there's just one more step.

* Strain yogurt to desired consistency. (Last time I lined a colander with paper towels and placed over a pot in the fridge, but the paper towels were hard to separate from the yogurt so this time I'm using overlapping coffee filters.)

The whey has most of the remaining lactose (sugar), btw. So the more whey you pour/strain off, the more tart, but more protein per volume, it will be. Out of my gallon, I drained off a total of about 1.5 quarts, or nearly a 1/3 by volume! But a single packet of artificial sweetener adjusted the taste to my liking!

PS: if you haven't already, read the "Makin' Yogurt" thread. Towards the end I posted a detailed summary of my first attempt at doing this. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1013648-makin-yogurt

Being lactose intolerant I use Lac-Taid for mine...and I always strain it and use it as sour cream too.

I also used a yogurt maker with several little cups. I used it so much I burned it out (twice a week for two years) I am planning on getting another one that holds a larger amount. I also use either Activia or a organic buffalo yogurt as a starter, I never used an 'official' starter.

lithezebra · July 2013

Yogurt is easy! I use the temperature guidelines on this page: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/yogurt.html

To keep noxious bacteria from ruining my yogurt...

....I make it in mason jars, which I clean and boil just ahead of making yogurt.
....I use a yogurt culture that contains Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, because I know they like to grow at about 110 degrees F.
....I incubate the yogurt at 110 degrees F in a cooler full of warm water, because it maintains the temperature very well, and a lot of things that would wreck the yogurt, and/or be unhealthy for human consumption, won't grow at that temperature.

cmeiron · July 2013

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/cmeirun/view/homemade-yogurt-crockpot-version-539483 = my take on it:

Homemade yogurt

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