Home-made yogurt help please...

paulamathers · Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 9:41 pm Post subject: Home-made yogurt help please...

I recently brought a yogurt maker, and i think it's great Smile

I really love yogurt. The first time I made yogurt, it was fine, but the second time, it went a bit weird. I used 1/2 a cup of my first yogurt - as recommended by the manufacturer, but the end result was a bit stringy. I brought some cheese cloth to strain the curds, but on my first attempt of straining it, everything passed through the cloth! I took another, larger piece of cheese cloth and folded it several times, then strained the yogurt, and just the curds were removed this time. I left it until nothing more was dripping down, then transferred the yogurt to a separate bowl. It is still stringy and no where near as thick as id like it to be. What am I doing wrong?????
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Kate · Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 8:12 am Post subject:

The yogurt you used might have turned. If my last batch is over a week old,I buy a small container of plain yogurt as a new starter,

I've never had the problem you have. Always make sure the starter yogurt is well blended into the milk and don't move the yogurt maker around while it's on.
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paulamathers · Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 6:05 pm Post subject:

thanks, i'll try again
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paulamathers · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:13 pm Post subject:

I made it again, and was left with a lot of curd, so I drained the curd through a cheese cloth. Then i stirred the yogurt well and put in the fridge whilst i was at work. When i got home it was lovely and thick. I have no idea why the first time it was perfect, and now I get curd! But once it's drained, it's lovely Smile

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guido · Site Admin Joined: Oct 18, 2004 Posts: 381 Location: Italy

I'd try to change the brand of the milk.
also try a different yougurt as starter.
If still doesn't work, I'd sterilize the containers and try again.
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paulamathers · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 8:30 pm Post subject:

we only have 2 brands of milk here - normal or Cravendale (Cravendale is the same, just lasts longer). I'll try different yogurt, and if that doesnt work, ill try different starter yogurt. Thanks.
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guido · Site Admin Joined: Oct 18, 2004 Posts: 381 Location: Italy

Do not use the one that last longer: UHT process kills most of the batceria and lactobacillus. Those are the one supposed to convert milk in yogurt.....
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paulamathers · Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:24 pm Post subject:

Cravendale isn't UHT, it's fresh milk that has something done so it lasts about 3 weeks in the fridge. I haven't had chance to buy any yogurt yet, but when I do, i'll let everyone know how it turns out Smile

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paulamathers · Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 9:18 pm Post subject:

OK, the stuff I thought was curds isn't. Kate said it's Whey. Kate's advice, and also that everywhere else said not to leave the yogurt for as long. Rather than 10-12 hours, try leaving it a bit less. I did. I left it for the minimum of 4 hours needed to make the bacteria which produce yogurt. I also used the same brand of yogurt as I used the very first time I made yogurt. I still got half a pot of whey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I filtered it out through a coffee strainer, and there was absolutely loads of it! My yogurt is lovely and thick though, but I have no idea why I'm getting the whey Sad

it seems to waste half of the pot of yogurt.
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Kate · Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 8:05 am Post subject:

I know what you mean about the amount of whey. I made yogurt yesterday and put it through coffee filters. I turned six 6 oz pots into 3 pots of thick creamy yogurt. I add frozen berries and end up with about 2 1/2 cups of yogurt.

It is still a mystery why you get so much whey.
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