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Author Topic: Yogurt soured but not set?  (Read 5589 times)

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Yogurt soured but not set?
« on: December 16, 2017, 11:04:44 pm »
My Mum taught me how to make yogurt when I was a kid, and I also used to do it regularly as an impoverished student. However, I seem somehow to have lost the knack!

The method I used to use was to mix a tin of evaporated milk with a starter (just a regular small pot of natural yogurt), and then rinse out the tin with boiled but cooled a bit water. I then mixed everything up in a jug, before pouring it into the yogurt maker.

So in the past, I never had a failure, and was able to make it again and again by re-using some of the previous batch as the starter for the next.

That doesn't seem to work any more, for some reason. For instance, the latest batch just soured but didn't set at all (This latest was made by re-using some home-made 'easiyo' plain yogurt as the starter, so it must have been a proper live culture etc).

Any ideas folks?  ???
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Yogurt soured but not set?
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2017, 09:59:36 pm »
Come on people - I'm in need of help here!

I just gave some to my friend, who said "That tatstes as if it's done a long journey across the Mongolian Steppes, in the bottom of a saddle bag. I guess you could survive on it if you had to, but after a day or two you'd soon be wishing it had just killed you quickly".  :roflanim:
« Last Edit: December 17, 2017, 10:01:23 pm by Womble »
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Yogurt soured but not set?
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2017, 11:17:01 pm »
I didn't reply as I couldn't see where you were going wrong.  You used a tried and tested recipe and appeared to use a live culture.
The recipe I used to use to make yogurt was to bring ordinary cow's milk to a near boil, then let it cool to blood temp.  Then stir in Onken natural set yogurt and leave it in the yogurt maker overnight.  I haven't made yogurt for years after my maker ceased to work.
So, the only thing I can suggest is to check your machine is operating properly, at the correct temp.
I wonder a bit about using tinned evap - maybe the recipe has changed for that since you were a student, so there's something different which is preventing the yogurt from setting, or killing the live culture. You could try fresh milk.
Just some ideas, but basically I don't have a clue  :thinking:
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Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Yogurt soured but not set?
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2017, 07:27:41 am »
To be honest I don't have a clue either but fleece wife's suggestion of trying milk rather than evap sounds a good one.
Be interested to know if you find an answer.
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Yogurt soured but not set?
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2017, 07:45:56 am »
OK, I'll try a few different things then, and will report back. Thanks!  :thumbsup:
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Yogurt soured but not set?
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2017, 03:34:57 pm »
I didn't reply as I couldn't see where you were going wrong.  You used a tried and tested recipe and appeared to use a live culture.


Ditto.

I too wondered about the evap.  I always make yoghurt from fresh, unhomogenised milk, and for sure the evap will be homogenised, but I'm pretty sure lots of people make yogurt perfectly successfully from homogenised shop-bought milk using a bought yoghurt as a starter.

I have found in recent years that I get much better results buying a culture from the likes of Goat Nutrition and making my own starter culture.  It seems to go on and on for generations without deteriorating, whereas using a purchased yoghurt as a starter I find it can be becoming a bit gloopy after only one or two generations.  A sachet from GN costs only £3 plus postage, so is well worth the investment in my view.  linky

Which said, of the commercial yoghurts I've used, Yeo Valley, which used to be good now has a high gloop factor after only one generation, Arla Skyr is very good and I have recultured for several generations successfully. 

I don't use a yoghurt maker.  I heat the raw milk on the stove top, usually to about 85C, hold that for about 10 minutes, then cool to 45C in a sink of cold water, stir in the culture (using sterilised utensils, jugs and so on) then decant into sterilised jam jars, filling all but one right to the rim, screw on the sterilised lids, and put in an insulated box along with two or three jam jars full of very hot water, with corrugated cardboard between the jars.  Cover with insulation and leave until the next day.  If the weather is very cold I might refresh the jars full of hot water before bedtime. The one not-completely-full jar is my test-set jar.  I can see whether the mixture has set by tipping this one. ;)

:yum: 

For bigger quantities, I've seen an old chest freezer with an old-fashioned 80W bulb in the lid used.  The 80W bulb in the insulated space provided just the right amount of heat to keep the culture at 40-45C while the bugs do their stuff.  :idea:
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Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Yogurt soured but not set?
« Reply #6 on: December 18, 2017, 07:12:09 pm »

I can second Sally in that Yeo Valley is rubbish to use as a starter... but I haven't made yoghurt in a while as goatsmilk is difficult to get to set, it is usually very runny (and combined with gloopiness not very nice...)


I might try the Skyr though...

farmers wife

  • Joined Jul 2009
  • SE Wales
Re: Yogurt soured but not set?
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2018, 11:05:32 am »

I buy yogurt starter from the Goat Nutrition - open the packet, take out a tiny amount then freeze.  I then pop to freezer take out a tiny amount put back in freezer. It freezes well without it losing its looseness.


There are different types.  I have Yogurt type 1, and various thermophollic.  I use raw milk.  Not sure about evaporated milk its very sweet and not sure the value it brings.


I have had various issues with yogurt and have bought this from Lakeland.  I like it and I haven't got to mess with hot water bottles etc.  I then pop it thought the sieve that comes with it and get a good Greek style. I also put more on longer than recommended - so usually put it on in the morning set it for 12hrs and reset longer again so that's it done the next morning
Lakeland Multi Yogurt and Soft Cheese Maker alt image 1
« Last Edit: February 21, 2018, 11:07:07 am by farmers wife »

Louise Gaunt

  • Joined May 2011
Re: Yogurt soured but not set?
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2018, 06:22:43 pm »
My mate who used to work at Langage Farm in Devon as their yoghurt maker has advised me that after using a starter yoghurt for homemade yoghurt, you can only use your own yogurt as a starter three or four times, as there is likely to be a shift in the ratio of the bacteria, changing the overall thickness and taste of the yoghurt. She did tell me that I can freeze some of a new batch of yoghurt to preserve it as a starter. I haven't tried this yet, as I have just started making yoghurt again. I have a Lakeland electric yoghurt maker with 7 glass jars, which so far has given us really good results.

Perris

  • Joined Mar 2017
  • Gower
Re: Yogurt soured but not set?
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2018, 09:43:27 pm »
I've just started making yogurt using a maker (and following the instructions that came with it), so perhaps I can piggy-back on this thread to seek advice from those more experienced in these things...? My yogurts seem to have set, but as soon as I start spooning the contents of the jar it becomes very liquid. This has happened using Yeo, Fage and a.n.other as starter. What am I doing wrong?

Piggerswiggers

  • Joined Jul 2015
Re: Yogurt soured but not set?
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2018, 06:59:41 am »
Like Farmers wife I have a yogurt maker from Lakeland although mine's a bit more basic without the timer. I use UHT milk because we don't produce our own milk and it means I don't have to scald it first. Full fat seems to work best for me, I have tried skimmed with added milk powder but I didn't like the texture and enjoy the creamier taste. I do culture it for much longer than the recommended 8 hours, sometimes up to 24 if that what fits in with me remembering it's there or getting up etc.. I haven't bought any yogurt for years and haven't found any issues with using some of the previous batch for umpteen generations.
Recently I discovered that you can even use the watery stuff that drains off when you strain it for Greek style yogurt to successfully inoculate the next batch. I even tried freezing this and so far it still seems to work, I'm just too mean to throw it away.

farmers wife

  • Joined Jul 2009
  • SE Wales
Re: Yogurt soured but not set?
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2018, 09:12:04 pm »

I've just started making yogurt using a maker (and following the instructions that came with it), so perhaps I can piggy-back on this thread to seek advice from those more experienced in these things...? My yogurts seem to have set, but as soon as I start spooning the contents of the jar it becomes very liquid. This has happened using Yeo, Fage and a.n.other as starter. What am I doing wrong?


Mine sets with the whey floating.  With my maker I have a fine filter (you can use some cheese cloth) let off some of the whey.  If the yogurt hasn't set enough which is the problem I had with using processed yogurt. Possibly the shop bought isn't great for setting as a greek style.  Also not leaving it long enough but once the temp is too low then it wont keep setting (Problem I had when I was making it with flask/hot water bottle).  Some probiotics are not great for regeneration.  Even though the settings are 10-12hrs sometimes it better 24hrs.  Id recommend buying one pack from Goat Nutrition and freeze the rest and keep some back and use this as a starter.

Louise Gaunt

  • Joined May 2011
Re: Yogurt soured but not set?
« Reply #12 on: March 08, 2018, 07:50:52 am »
Whilst the milk is heating I whisk it every so often with a balloon whisk, then give it a further whisking just after it has boiled. This introduces some air and gives me a thicker, slightly mousse like yoghurt that doesn't go runny when spooned out.

 

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