Need suggestions for straining yogurt

[JWK]

I'm making yogurt at home now, a gallon at a time. We really like the greek style yogurt and I recently heard that it's just a matter of straining out some whey.

I don't want to invest in a bouillon strainer right now. Can anyone recommend some techniques they use for straining yogurt? There must be some kind of cloth that is well suited for this. I also don't want a huge mess and lose a lot of yogurt as waste.

Thanks for any help!

[Alice In TX/MO]

Get the GOOD cheesecloth from www.cheesemaking.com

http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/p/...ing-Molds.html

Use it folded so you have two layers of cheesecloth in a stainless steel or good quality plastic (very clean) colander.

I drain a quart at a time that way.

Edited to add:
I just found this one, too:
http://www.homesteadersupply.com/ind...7c6809fee83f39

If you are a winemaker, you can use your draining bags.

If you are realllllllly desperate, and you have an old thin sheet that you are willing to sacrifice it, wash it with fragrance free soap and no fabric softener. Cut it in whatever size you need. You will be able to make several draining cloths.

[luvrulz]

I have a 6 inch screen strainer and I line that with some old clean sheet material that I ripped up into little squares and I use that to strain yogurt. It's also how I make yogurt cheese....

[gone-a-milkin]

'Sheer' curtains will work too.

[ronron]

Coffee filter lined strainer overnight.

[Pelenaka]

Second 100% cotton sheeting - hard to find now but white pillow cases that are pure cotton work great. I scored some that had actually never been used @ a yard sale a few years back.
I make greek style yogurt using powdered low fat milk as the thickener so there's little whey to actually strain out. You can also use plain gelatin but powdered milk give added protein.
We like our yogurt pudding thick.

~~ pelenaka ~~
http://thirtyfivebyninety.blogspot.c...or-yogurt.html

[Alice In TX/MO]

The trick for thick yogurt (mine is goat milk) is heating the milk to 180 - 185 prior to cooling and culturing. It alters the protein chain and allows the yogurt to set up better.

I still strain some for Greek style.

[Belfrybat]

I strain a quart at a time with a strainer lined with a coffee filter and strain for just 2 hours. That makes it nice and thick but not to the point of yo-cheese. I use the strained whey to make lemonade as it is full of nutrients. As others have mentioned, cotton sheeting works fine. I don't worry about whether it is 100% cotton, but do stay away from the newer microfiber junk. The back of an old cotton/poly shirt would also work fine.
Oh, and ditto on heating the milk enough first. My purchased cow's milk sets up better after being heated and then cooled.

[jlrbhjmnc]

I strain mine in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. It sits in the fridge overnight. At first I thought the strainer would let too much through but it works fine. It can handle about 1.5 quarts at a time.

[chewie]

sheer curtains here too. cheap at a thrift store, and due to the material i find them waaay easier to clean up than cotton sheeting. i think they drain faster too.

[crunchy_mama]

I used a plain cotton dish towel w/ a big pasta strainer that fit over a bowl and it always worked fine for me. I always had better luck w/ heating the raw milk more as well. With doing it at lower temps I had a lot more when straining.

[JWK]

Yes, I found that heating to 180 to 185 for five minutes is the ticket for me for well set yogurt. Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I'll try this next week.

[Mulegirl]

Look for hop-straining bags at brewing supply stores--they come in different fineness, and we've had good results using them to drain even delicate cheese curds.

Drained yogurt is definitely worth a little fuss . . . it is wonderful stuff.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Follow up question

Do you chill the yogurt before draining?

[jlrbhjmnc]

I do chill my yogurt before straining. Make it. Chill it overnight. Put it in strainer, chill it all day or overnight, depending on when I get to it.

[PrettyPaisley]

May I ask?

When I strain my yogurt longer I get something like cream cheese. How to I get it to be more like Greek yogurt?

[Pelenaka]

Originally Posted by PrettyPaisley

May I ask?

When I strain my yogurt longer I get something like cream cheese. How to I get it to be more like Greek yogurt?

Add a thickner such as powdered nonfat dry milk or gelatin. I can stand a spoon up in my yogurt.


~~ pelenaka ~~

[Alice In TX/MO]

NEVER add a thickener. ICK. Nasty. Misses up the taste and then it's not real yogurt any more.

Just don't drain it as long, PrettyPaisley. The moisture in the result is determined by the length of draining time.

[paintlady]

I line a colander with cheesecloth and drain it that way. I don't understand why Green yogurt is so expensive as to me it is just thicker than regular yogurt.

[myheaven]

I use a clean never used mans hankercheif. You can get a pack of 10 new white hankies at walmart for 5.00