Anyone use Yogurt Makers?

[badger]

if you want thicker yogurt, the instrction booklet said to boil the milk first (then cool to room temp). And it works, I use 2% and it comes out like full fat yogurt.

[Becky]

Mixing in powdered milk works really well to make thicker yogurt. Something about increasing the concentration of solids... I suppose that you could reduce the milk volume by heating and achieve the same thing.

[WindingRoad]

Oooooooh yeah! It turned out thicker and creamier this time! Quite awesome, thanks for all the tips!

[Becky]

Any suggestions for how to make bigger batches? I've been using a half-gallon of milk in my removable crockpot liner, and incubating it in a cooler with some hot water bottles. The problem is that DH and I chow down those ~8 cups of yogurt in less than a week.

I'm looking for ideas on other containers to use (several mason jars, maybe?) and more importantly, a way to incubate bigger batches so that I can make up a gallon of milk at a time. I've considered buying a bigger cooler....

What are other folks doing? Thanks for your help!

[Blueberry]

No specific ideas for you - I end up making 2 batches over the weekend (have trouble finding time during the week to have time to boil, cool and then incubate without staying up too late). 4 quart mason jars should do the trick for you (and I really prefer glass for yogurt - though I'm using plastic for now). Any way to make a 2nd batch mid-week?

CA

[Becky]

No specific ideas for you - I end up making 2 batches over the weekend (have trouble finding time during the week to have time to boil, cool and then incubate without staying up too late). 4 quart mason jars should do the trick for you (and I really prefer glass for yogurt - though I'm using plastic for now). Any way to make a 2nd batch mid-week?

CA

Sounds like you and I are in the same boat. I don't have much time to babysit yogurt temps unless I stay up too late.

Maybe I'm buying a second cooler tonight. But that would mean a second thermometer too (Yeah, I'm a control freak about things like this).

[ZenSojourner]

Mixing in powdered milk works really well to make thicker yogurt. Something about increasing the concentration of solids... I suppose that you could reduce the milk volume by heating and achieve the same thing.

I do this when I'm making paneer, a soft cheese. If I have to use grocery store milk, they've stripped a lot of the milk solids out in the processing. The powdered milk helps to replace some of that.

Of course, if I can get 5% fat unpasteurized unhomogenized Jersey Milk, I don't need to do that, but I can't get it here.

Oh how I miss Young's Jersey Dairy!

[OakLeaf]

Young's Jersey Dairy!

Mmmmmmmmm. I don't even like dairy products, but what a great place.

[ZenSojourner]

Yeah, if I ever get a chance to do a bit of traveling sometime, I'm heading up there with all the coolers that will fit in my trunk.

[malkin]

I use a double boiler for the scald.
When the milk reaches temp, I set the top of the double boiler in an ice bath and forget about it for a little while. The next time I think about it, it is usually down to inoculation temperature.

If I do this before bed, it can culture happily overnight. In the morning, it is done, but not cool (bleh), so it needs a little fridge time before I'll eat it.

None of the steps require my complete attention.

[Blueberry]

My yogurt maker is really quick. When I'm re-culturing off a relatively fresh batch, usually 2 hours or so...

Still...I rarely have that much time in the evenings...