Please help with yogurt!

[lizmont2000]

Ok, today I failed at attempt #3 of making yogurt.
I have tried Hoegger's recipe and the recipes that came with the yogurt incubator.
It doesn't set up!

Please send hints or recipes!

On a positive note the chevre cheese did come out great!

Thanks in advance,
Liz

[Kasidy]

Get a box of Knox gelatin envelopes and use one per qt or qt and half batch.
Or buy a box of dried milk solids and pour a qtr or third cup of that into your milk.
Or use only Nubian milk and toward the end of the 10 month lactation cycle!
I have heard of folks using Jello instead of plain Knox if they want extra color and flavor.

[mpillow]

Heat 1Q goat milk to 180 degrees F, cool to 110-115 F, take a ladle full of milk and stir into 3oz room temp. yogurt (Dannon Plain) , add culture and milk mix to rest of milk and stir once or twice....pour into Q mason jar with lid, wrap with towel and invert a pot over....6-12 hours later its done.

You can also warm your oven and then turn off and set yogurt in there....

[lizmont2000]

Cool! Thanks!
Liz

[suzyhomemaker09]

Have you seen
http://fiascofarm.com/dairy/yogurt.htm
I love all her information, and if you made chevre I'd imagine you have goats so the site is all about goats.

[americanbulldog]

My yogurt always comes out a bit thin, not firm like it is in the store bought yogurt. Does anyone have any idea why? I have used different cultures and it is always the same.

[debitaber]

add unflavored geliton to it, or add a box of jello, to it, if you want flavored yogurt. and it will set up. home made yogurt, isn't like store bought.
but if you want it that think, add un flaoroed geliton. to it.

[americanbulldog]

Thanks for the advice Debitaber! I have to give that a try. I like the yogurt thin myself, but my other half can't stand it. She always thinks that if it isn't like the store bought yogurt then I did something "wrong".
I like the home made yogurt that is thin, I mix it with fresh fruit in the blender and drink it like a milk shake.
At least now I will be able to make some yogurt the way it "should be".
Thank you! :haha:

[lizmont2000]

What about adding fruit on the bottom?
Is this a good idea? Can I add sugar to sweeten it a little or will the gelatin sweeten it?
Thanks for all the ideas so far!

I LOVE the fiasco-farm site! We have been buying herbals from her for quite awhile and am very satisfied. OT for yogurt, but we also learned how to check all our animal's fecals from info and pics on her site.

Thanks again,
Liz

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

This thread is a little strange being on a homesteading forum It's a little like when I ground wheat, made the best homemade bread for my new husband (late 70's) and he said oh this tastes good why is it so heavy? Well perhaps because it's good for you and not made with white flour and sugar?

Read the labels on the yogurt you are eating from the stores, even the ones from 'healthy' places. Gar gum and the like is the reason it is custard, so yes if you want it thick, jello or gelatin works well.

Yogurt is easy, with healthy stock pasturization of the milk is uncessary. I take fresh milk, warm right from the doe, straing it into a 1 quart jar, using the yogurt culture from cheesemaking.com stir well, I use a lid on my jar and then set the lid ontop of my water heater, put a towel over it to keep it warm. The next morning the yogurt is drank in a smoothy. After the morning milking, I keep about 3 inches of the yogurt in the jar, add fresh milk to the top, and start the process all over. When it won't thicken at all, I add more of the culture, that I store in the freezer. When the grandboys are here, I do use sugary jello, they love the strawberry bannana It also makes really good popcicles.

Hi Liz! Do you still have Shoofly's daughter? Shoofly is now a Champion, finished this weekend up in Wetherford, and scored a 91EEEE on her appraisal in May! Hope her daughter takes after her! Vicki

[lizmont2000]

Hi Liz! Do you still have Shoofly's daughter? Shoofly is now a Champion, finished this weekend up in Wetherford, and scored a 91EEEE on her appraisal in May! Hope her daughter takes after her! Vicki

Hi Vicki!Thanks for the help with yogurt!
Yes, I still have the threesome! Shoofly's dtr is our "Bingo". She is beautiful, healthy, sassy and starting to bag up! She is bred to a buckling we got from Tammy (Dr. Luke's grandson). That is great news about her dam.

We will be at the Brenham show in a couple of weeks (if I can figure out where to go!). I won't be bringing her, but we will be there with others.

Thanks for the note,
Liz

[debitaber]

Vicki, you make yours like I make mine, but, I also have yogurt maker , so I sometimes have yogurt making all over the place, in various ways, and in different stages of making.
I have found with my daughter in law, that by adding one tablespoon, of un flavored, or one small package of jello, it turns out , more like store bought. and that is what she likes. not saying it is as good for you, as I don't think it is, but makes her happy.
But for me, and mine, I use raw milk, and fresh warm from the does, is the best.
as it is for my coffee as well. , and that i get every morning. just squirt it in, as I am milking. nothing better, or creamier.

[doralee]

I love homemade yogurt!
The only time I have had trouble with the yogurt being to thin is when I have forgotten to add powderd milk to it. just alittle for thickening.
Try this site, makes it easy easy
biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/ Cheese/yogurt_making/YOGURT2000.htm - 21k -
I have made yogurt thick enough that it is more like sour cream, yum!
Also, This site says that if you use gelaten(sp) the yogurt doesnt strain as well for cream cheese.
I love options
Make sure the culture in the yogurt your using for a starter is "active and live" I use mountain high yogurt for my first batch, than use my own yogart for my next batch, If your starter gets tired, it won't set up well, I usually refresh my starter every 4 batches, keeping in mind that each batch gives me 4 quarts, that is very ecological(sp)
With this web page- above, 3 hours and you have your yogart!