Anyone use Yogurt Makers?

[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...

[GLC1968]

You can also incubate in the oven. Just leave the oven light on with the door closed (no peeking) and it should keep the yogurt warm enough overnight (unless your house is REALLY cold, like ours was this winter).

If you use larger containers, the yogurt will probably take longer unless you add more starter, too.

Ball makes a half-gallon glass jar. Get a 6-pack of those at your local ACE hardware and you can easily do a gallon at a time in glass. (We use these to store our goat's milk).