Anyone use Yogurt Makers?

[badger]

let me get this straight, you use dairy yogurt as a starter for your soy yogurt? I used the packaged starter for my attempt and I figured it curdled because maybe I used one intended for dairy. I could buy a small thing of soy yogurt as my starter, but I don't think I've seen an unflavoured soy yogurt in the stores.

[ZenSojourner]

I had a yoghurt maker years ago, it was a Salton. It worked OK, but I discovered making it in a pan on top of the refrigerator worked just as well.

Unfortunately I've not made yoghurt for probably 15 years so whatever process I was using is lost in the mists of time, but I bet there are dozens of sites on the internet that will describe the process more than adequately. I will say the refrigerator-top yoghurt was better than what came out of the yoghurt maker. The Salton product was OK, but the purely home made stuff was better.

[OakLeaf]

let me get this straight, you use dairy yogurt as a starter for your soy yogurt? I used the packaged starter for my attempt and I figured it curdled because maybe I used one intended for dairy. I could buy a small thing of soy yogurt as my starter, but I don't think I've seen an unflavoured soy yogurt in the stores.

Yes, I've been very successful starting with dairy yogurt. Also with probiotic pills (different culture blend, different flavor and consistency), some of which are non-dairy, if that's an issue for you. I have a whole Excel spreadsheet going - what I started with, what I cultured it with, how long it grew, tartness, firmness and creaminess. Did I mention I'm a total data geek?

Whatever I read recently said that the additives in any storebought yogurt are not enough to make the culture unusable. However, storebought soy yogurt tends to have a pretty short shelf life, and I'd worry about the cultures already being contaminated. I don't think I'd buy soy yogurt to use as a starter.

Also, remember that a lot of the temperature control in the Yogourmet maker comes from the water bath you start with. It IS possible to get it too hot if you start with a water bath that's too hot.

[Grog]

Ah! Refrigerator top! That's so smart.

I'll try that next time.

[WindingRoad]

So I'm in the process of making my first batch of yogurt. I'm 'improvising' since I really don't have the money to spend on a yogurt machine. My oven is an orange box with a heating pad in it. I lined it with a bath towel and I have another to cover the holes in the top of the box. Going to use a quart jar for my first time in case I screw it up I don't waste a half gallon of milk. I have some yogurt left from my Costco yogurt to start the culture with. I just heated my milk under boiling then I'm going to add a half cup of Costco (plain) yogurt and incubate in my homemade oven overnight. I'll keep you all posted if this actually works.

[Blueberry]

So I'm in the process of making my first batch of yogurt. I'm 'improvising' since I really don't have the money to spend on a yogurt machine. My oven is an orange box with a heating pad in it. I lined it with a bath towel and I have another to cover the holes in the top of the box. Going to use a quart jar for my first time in case I screw it up I don't waste a half gallon of milk. I have some yogurt left from my Costco yogurt to start the culture with. I just heated my milk under boiling then I'm going to add a half cup of Costco (plain) yogurt and incubate in my homemade oven overnight. I'll keep you all posted if this actually works.

Make sure you cool it sufficiently (I don't know the range off the top of my head) before adding the yogurt. Too hot will kill the cultures. Otherwise, sounds like a great plan.

[malkin]

For temps I always remember 180 for the high and 108 for the cool.
I know there's a range, but this works for me, unless I get it in mind that it is 80 for the low.

It will be time to stay out of the kitchen if I ever try to heat the milk to 801 degrees.

[OakLeaf]

180 is scalding.

105-115 F or 40-45 C is incubating temp. Much hotter than that will kill the cultures - I've done it.

It's hard to really screw it up. Worst case, you just have a partially cultured or uncultured liquid to put on your cereal.