Are you making it in the microwave or a pressure cooker?
For me, the best result with the least amount of whry possible comes from three specific steps (also use whole milk for less whey results):
Step 1: WHISK WHISK WHISK. Whisk your milk WHILE it is cooking. This makes a big difference. It adds air pockets which increase volume but also help the liquid evaporate more evenly. You're going to want to whisk at EVERY STEP for the creamiest yeild.
Step 2: HOLD ON HEAT. Let your milk hold on the heat around 180-185. What I mean by this, is once it reaches 180, keep it on your heat element at a low temp and hold it on that heat for about 10- minutes. Doing this helps heat distribute evenly though the whole mixture so that it all cools down the same temp and ultimately gives you a thicker yogurt (continue whisking through this process).
Step 3: WHISK TO COOL. This part is very important because it is the last chance you have to let more water evaporate. Whisk it while you're cooking down to your starter temp.
Lastly, I cook my yogurt for no less than 8 hours (I like a yogurt that tastes like...well...yogurt lol. But cooking it longer also yeild way less whey)
I add store bought yogurt for the starter at 115 degrees.
then i put it in my yogurt cooler, which is made for this, to keep it warm overnight. So much whey, yogurt disappears, the dog enjoys the whey, though.
I'll check the article out, thanks. I used to make yogurt when in Art school, with the recipe from the Whole Earth Catalogue, without a thermometer, worked great!
I just use regular whole milk, but my (20yo) yogurt maker says to heat the milk to 170 degrees. I heat it up in a pyrex with the temp probe in the microwave. Then I add the powdered milk. Cool to 108-112 (I have a handy little spoon with a temp gauge on it) then I add the starter.
So maybe the initial heating isn't hot enough? I have made this with lowfat milk, too, it always turns out. That seems to be the biggest difference.
So it's setting a little, but the yogurt is soft and watery? Could be any number of things, but if you put the starter in while the milk is still at 120 F, that's the upper end of what the bacteria can tolerate. If your thermometer reads low, you might be killing off part of the culture. Try letting the milk drop to 115 or 110 F before adding the starter.
Also, if the temperature drops too low soon after adding the starter you won't get a good set. What are you doing to maintain the temperature once you've added the culture?
Or your starter may be weak.
There was an interesting article about DIY yogurt in the Washington Post a few weeks ago, featuring fermentation guru Sandor Katz, which deals in part with troubleshooting homemade yogurt.
5 Comments
For me, the best result with the least amount of whry possible comes from three specific steps (also use whole milk for less whey results):
Step 1: WHISK WHISK WHISK. Whisk your milk WHILE it is cooking. This makes a big difference. It adds air pockets which increase volume but also help the liquid evaporate more evenly. You're going to want to whisk at EVERY STEP for the creamiest yeild.
Step 2: HOLD ON HEAT. Let your milk hold on the heat around 180-185. What I mean by this, is once it reaches 180, keep it on your heat element at a low temp and hold it on that heat for about 10- minutes. Doing this helps heat distribute evenly though the whole mixture so that it all cools down the same temp and ultimately gives you a thicker yogurt (continue whisking through this process).
Step 3: WHISK TO COOL. This part is very important because it is the last chance you have to let more water evaporate. Whisk it while you're cooking down to your starter temp.
Lastly, I cook my yogurt for no less than 8 hours (I like a yogurt that tastes like...well...yogurt lol. But cooking it longer also yeild way less whey)
I hope you find this helpful!
then i put it in my yogurt cooler, which is made for this, to keep it warm overnight. So much whey, yogurt disappears, the dog enjoys the whey, though.
I'll check the article out, thanks. I used to make yogurt when in Art school, with the recipe from the Whole Earth Catalogue, without a thermometer, worked great!
So maybe the initial heating isn't hot enough? I have made this with lowfat milk, too, it always turns out. That seems to be the biggest difference.
Also, if the temperature drops too low soon after adding the starter you won't get a good set. What are you doing to maintain the temperature once you've added the culture?
Or your starter may be weak.
There was an interesting article about DIY yogurt in the Washington Post a few weeks ago, featuring fermentation guru Sandor Katz, which deals in part with troubleshooting homemade yogurt.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/2014/08/04/65357e8a-1778-11e4-85b6-c1451e622637_story.html