ScoutTN Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Ok, I've done this a few times, but the results were inconsistent. Sometimes nicely thick, other times way too thin. I heated the milk in my 6 qt. enameled cast iron pot, cooled it, mixed in starter and let it sit in my pre-warmed oven with the light on overnight. For the work, it wasn't worth the money to buy good milk (local dairy, grass-fed cows, whole un-homogenized milk). So, if you consistently make your own yogurt, what is your method? I would like to make at least 1/2 gallon at a time. We go through it fast in the warmer months. Thanks! :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 (edited) The best method I've found is the crockpot method, using Fage plain greek yogurt as starter (it has more probiotics than the one she mentions). Edited to add a YouTube video that explains it. This is the video that I learned from. It starts with powdered milk, but I've used powdered, skim, 2%, and whole (whatever was on sale, more fat if I wanted to turn it into frozen yogurt). You can strain it to make true greek yogurt & get really thick. You can mix in sweetener & cocoa in strained yogurt and put it in an ice cream maker for delicious chocolate fro-yo. Edited May 2, 2017 by Katy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 (edited) I've had great success with my instant pot. I tried it with a crock pot before and didn't have as much luck. I think it was a temperature problem. I prefer my yogurt much more than store bought now. I follow the IP directions and use a powdered starter from Amazon if I'm starting fresh. I think those starters give me better results than when I was using store bought for a starter. I'll use some of my own yogurt for starter if I have any and I've gone 4-5 times at least before using more of my powdered stuff. Usually if I don't use starter from my yogurt it's because nobody left me any or I think the yogurt sat in the fridge too long. When I fail, it's usually because I was too loosey goosey with my temperature. I have a thermometer, but it doesn't beep at me when it hits the right temp so sometimes I miss it. I've tried reheating it to get the right temp and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I do a whole gallon at once and it fills 2 store bought tubs, whatever that size is. I have a cheese bag that I use to strain and I've started just leaving it overnight to get really thick yogurt. I can strain for 2 hours and it's pretty good, but overnight is better. I do about 1 hour room temp and the rest in the fridge. I always plan to use the whey for something else but I never do. ETA: I mostly follow these directions: http://www.tidbits-cami.com/2015/09/homemade-yogurt.html but I don't reheat the way she describes in the notes. I also don't add anything to it- no powdered milk, or anything. I sometimes put a vanilla bean in while it strains. It softens my bean and then I can scrape it out for the tubs. Edited May 2, 2017 by Paige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamashark Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 I use my instant pot too - I have to make sure to whisk in the starter yogurt and then I dip off whatever whey I can the next morning, but I've never had a problem with it so long as I ensure that I watch the temp as it cools down and whisk in the starter at about 125 degrees. I make a whole gallon once a week or so! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 (edited) Here's what I do. Heat milk to 190 degrees. I add about 3/4 c dry milk powder to a gallon of milk while it's cooling. I let it cool to 110 degrees (I use a candy thermometer). Then I add about 3 T of plain organic yogurt for my starter. I stick it into quart glass mason jars and stick it in my oven with the light on for 12 hours. The only time I've gotten runny yogurt is when I put the starter in when it was too hot. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited May 2, 2017 by bethben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 I use my vitaclay yogurt setting. Comes out perfect every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 I don't make homemade yogurt anymore, but made it in gallon batches regularly for several years. This is the recipe and method I used, and it came out perfectly almost every time (I think I had 1 or 2 batches fail in several years of doing it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 When I was making it I put quart jars in a cooler with hot water covering them and then put then in the fridge in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted May 3, 2017 Author Share Posted May 3, 2017 Thanks for the ideas! No instant pot here, so I will check out some of these other recipes/methods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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