Anyone make their own yogurt?

[bry's-gal]

We've been trying this for awhile now using a yogurt maker. Problem is it always turns out runny. Any tips?

[KungFuPanda]

Add powdered milk to the recipe.

[bry's-gal]

I've tried that. How much powdered milk do you add- maybe I'm not adding enough?

[Jayne J]

You could also try straining it through cheesecloth after it is done. We do that and end up with something like Greek yogurt, which we prefer. Just dump it into a strainer lined with cheesecloth and let it stand an hour or more until you like the consistency.

[milovany]

We make a gallon in our crackpot every couple of weeks. It's always going to be runnier than you can get at the store. The one thing you can do is strain it in cheesecloth for awhile, but that's a pain and then you lose a lot of volume (the way I've done it anyway). You can also try different starter yogurts from the store; some brands seem to thicken up better than others. You can also try adding a packet of gelatin to the yogurt when you add the starter. I tried that for awhile though, and didn't notice a whole lot of difference. We just tell ourselves that real yogurt is runny and the store yogurt is absurdly thick. :p

[Hypatia.]

Straining it through cheesecloth helps mine, and using a Greek or Bulgarian yogurt starter made a nice thick yogurt with cow milk. My goat milk yogurt is always runny.

[saraha]

Keep your milk at 180 degrees for as long as you can, then let it cool to 115. It will be noticably thicker.

[GSOchristie]

My last two batches of crockpot yogurt have been as thick as Stoneyfield's. I left the milk on low for 3 hours, then let it cool to 110 (warm to touch), then added the yogurt started and wrapped the crockpot for 10 hours. I let it cool in the crock, usually outside because it's been so cold. I found the fruit purees I add make it runnier, so I am just pouring them over the top when I serve it.

[skimomma]

I make it weekly and I have learned a couple of tricks over the years. Mine now comes out just as thick as store bought. I can hold the jars upside down and they don't pour out. I have a yogurt maker but I was never able to make it work. Always runny. AND I was irritated by the little cups. I need to make far more than my maker has capacity for. I use quart-sized mason jars and a picnic cooler. I flash-scald the jars and lids with boiling water first. This has made the most difference. The less other bacteria that the yogurt bacteria has to compete with, the better. I heat the milk to 185 then let is cool to 120. I plop about 1/4 cup yogurt in each jar, then pour the cooled milk on top. NO STIRRING. That is another very important tip. Upsetting the yogurt apparently makes it angry..... Put the lids on and stick them in the cooler. I fill the cooler up to the lids with 115 degree tap water (I use a thermometer to make sure) and let sit for 12 hours. That's it. I use skim milk and no powdered milk. I especially like the cooler/mason jar method because I can make as little or as much as I want.

[kubiac]

Make it with half-and-half. Seriously delicious. Maybe not great for the arteries, but dee-licious.

[xixstar]

I have made ours, we use the dehydrator to keep it at proper temp. I made mine with raw milk and was ended up with very runny yogurt because I didn't want to overheat it either - well that was only useful for smoothies. Straining felt like a major waist because a lot of liquid strained out and little was left.

 

So I now make mine at high temps, heating to 180 I believe, and totally solved the issue. Decided I cared more about texture and fermented benefits of yogurt than keeping my raw milk raw. :)

[queenie]

This is what helped me http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2011/06/four-secrets-to-thick-creamy-yogurt-every-time.html

[weddell]

I add about 1/2 cup powdered milk to one quart of regular milk. Also I found using milk with at least some fat helps a lot. If you use skim milk and skim milk powder, it won't ever be creamy. Using at least some fat gives a good texture. Also the longer you incubate the yogurt, the longer the bacteria have to convert the milk and the thicker it will be. If you are only letting it sit 4-6 hours, try 10 hours instead. It should be a lot thicker. The longer it incubates though, the more tart the yogurt will taste.

[Lady Marmalade]

I strain my yogurt because I don't like adding powdered milk. I may end up with less yogurt in the end, but it's beautifully thick AND then I have some gorgeous whey to add to baked goods or make some lacto-fermented goodies with. The best bread I make has 1 cup of homemade whey in it instead of 1 cup of water. It's spectacular. I've also heard that you can add the whey to soups, but I never seem to have enough of it to try that out.

[Dory]

Let the milk cool back down to to 110 from your 180 degrees. Even at 115 it is too runny for us. We get consistently thick yogurt here and I have never added powdered milk. Let it incubate for longer as well, and make sure you have a high fat content. Skim milk makes for poor yogurt. Adding sheep milk or goat milk to it can also make it a little thicker.

[LostSurprise]

The longer you let it establish (the stage where the seed culture has been added and you're keeping it warm to allow the yogurt culture to grow and spread), the thicker it gets. However, the longer you let it establish the more tart it is also.

 

Play around with the timing. You'll find a spot where it works for you.

 

It may always be a bit looser than store yogurt. You can drain it afterward and use the liquid for baking.