# Goat yogurt



## Carylc2 (Aug 17, 2016)

I've been trying to make yogurt from my goat milk for a bit now but I just can't seem to get the right consistency! Every time I make it it's never as thick as I would like it to be. Its more like a kefir/drinkable yogurt then a spoon eating variety. I've tried filtering it with a fine mesh filter and it just drained through. I think I tried filtering with a cloth and it helped a little but not much. I tried holding the milk at the high heat point for longer and that seemed to help a little too. 
I milk a French alpine, her butterfat is not super high, but I don't think it's that's low either...
Any tips for this amateur yogurt maker?


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

That's pretty normal, I wouldn't expect it to thicken that much more. The stuff you buy at the store often has thickeners added.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Goat yogurt is runnier than store bought yogurt. But there are some tricks to help make it set up a bit firmer:
1. Heat your milk to 185 degrees (F) and hold it there for for 20 minutes. I do this by setting my oven to 185 and popping the pan of milk in there after it has heated to temp on the stovetop. Then you cool your milk to the temp specified on your culture (Mine calls for 112 degrees).
Then incubate for 6 to 12 hours.

I always make my yogurt in the evening and incubate it overnight in a Yogotherm. It's usually perfect by morning.

2. You can add 1/4 dry (powdered) milk to your yogurt before you start cooling it.

3. You can strain it through cheesecloth for a few hours to drain off some of the whey. This will also lower the carbs and increase the protein per serving. ie. make "Greek" yogurt.


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## Carylc2 (Aug 17, 2016)

Thanks, that's good to know! 
When you add powdered milk, is it just powdered cows milk you get at the store?


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

I struggled with yogurt all summer! Now that I am drying up my herd their milk is richer with the late lactation my yogurt is thick! I us an instant pot and do a gallon at a time, after it went through the night I put it in the fridge for at least 24 hours then I put it in my greek yogurt strainer for another 24 and I have to use a spoon to scoop it out! Love it! Thick and yummy just like store greek yogurt without all the additives. I milk one Alpine but the rest are Nubians so richer milk all around but until this fall so many yogurt fails.


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## Carylc2 (Aug 17, 2016)

lovinglife said:


> I struggled with yogurt all summer! Now that I am drying up my herd their milk is richer with the late lactation my yogurt is thick! I us an instant pot and do a gallon at a time, after it went through the night I put it in the fridge for at least 24 hours then I put it in my greek yogurt strainer for another 24 and I have to use a spoon to scoop it out! Love it! Thick and yummy just like store greek yogurt without all the additives. I milk one Alpine but the rest are Nubians so richer milk all around but until this fall so many yogurt fails.


That gives me hope! I'm hoping to add another doe with higher milk fat (Nubian cross maybe?) and see how my cheese and yogurt is affected. What do you use for a Greek yogurt strainer?


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

I haven't had the joy of making goat yogurt yet, but even my thinnest cow milk "fails" ended up super thick with enough straining. I like super crazy thick yogurt. I just use multiple layers of cheese cloth in a colander over a large pot. I can't wait to start getting goat milk to try.


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

I use this..

https://www.amazon.com/Euro-Cuisine-GY50-Greek-Yogurt/dp/B0091XNL0I

If yogurt is too runny it will still just run through it, but if it has set up and is good and cold I carefully spoon it in and back in the fridge until the next day and oh my it is wonderful!


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## RickiRick (Oct 20, 2017)

Hi! I and my little daughter love yogurt from goat milk too. I do it thrice a week. And we always get quite thick consistence. That's why I even don't know, why you have problems with this process. Maybe, the problem can be in your yogurt maker. Do you use this thing, generally? If not, I do recommend you to purchase one good yogurt maker. My neighbour used to prepare it with the help of thermos, but as I advised him to buy a yogurt maker, and he chose a good one, he says, "Now I make best yogurt in the world" If you have a wish to choose a good one, I can even give a tip, how to do it. You can read here https://www.bestadvisor.com/yogurt-makers a very good review of yogurt makers. 
Good luck in preparing delicious yogurt


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## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

Which yogurt maker do you have.


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## RickiRick (Oct 20, 2017)

wifeof1 said:


> Which yogurt maker do you have.


I use Euro Cuisine YM80


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## Carylc2 (Aug 17, 2016)

RickiRick said:


> Hi! I and my little daughter love yogurt from goat milk too. I do it thrice a week. And we always get quite thick consistence. That's why I even don't know, why you have problems with this process. Maybe, the problem can be in your yogurt maker. Do you use this thing, generally? If not, I do recommend you to purchase one good yogurt maker. My neighbour used to prepare it with the help of thermos, but as I advised him to buy a yogurt maker, and he chose a good one, he says, "Now I make best yogurt in the world" If you have a wish to choose a good one, I can even give a tip, how to do it. You can read here https://www.bestadvisor.com/yogurt-makers a very good review of yogurt makers.
> Good luck in preparing delicious yogurt


Thanks for the tip! I'm not using a yogurt maker currently...but maybe now I'll try it. What breed of goats do you milk?


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Carylc2 said:


> Thanks, that's good to know!
> When you add powdered milk, is it just powdered cows milk you get at the store?


Yes. Powdered cow's milk.


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

Butter fat does make a difference in yogurt making I think. Like I said early lactation milk is not as rich as late lactation and really made a huge difference in my yogurt making results.


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## RickiRick (Oct 20, 2017)

Carylc2 said:


> Thanks for the tip! I'm not using a yogurt maker currently...but maybe now I'll try it. What breed of goats do you milk?


Anglo nubian goat


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## purplemountain (Jun 2, 2014)

You do not need a special yogurt only appliance to get thick yogurt. Consistent incubation temperature is the main key. Does your oven have a "proof" setting? An Instapot, rice cooker, an adjustable crockpot or any other cooking machine (including a yogurt machine) that can hold an even temperature between 100-112 F. Heavily insulating in a cooler with water around 112 F can also work. Anything that will hold the temperature around a 100 - 112 degrees the whole time will work. 

Another key is preheating your milk to 185 as said before. This denatures the proteins and helps them to coagulate better. Be sure to cool to below 112 F to not kill your culture. Adding powdered milk is supposed to increase the milk protein level and lead to better coagulation, but I don't like the off taste of most powdered milks or mixing powdered cow milk with my goat milk.

After incubating 4-12 hours depending on the level of tartness desired, I break my 'curd' with a large spoon and let rest for another 30 minutes to an hour. This releases a lot more whey that can be drained off leading to even thicker yogurt.

Another thing to try is your culture. I have good spoonable results with 1 small vanilla Activia + 1 small plain Fage per gallon of milk. It's more culture than is needed, but I would rather just empty the containers. You can save a cup and freeze to use as a culture next time. I get pretty much the same consistency with 1% cow's milk and my Nigerian Dwarf milk. A thick spoonable yogurt. Not as thick as Chobani (has pectin and other thickeners) or others that have gelatin and have a texture more like panna cotta. To get this thickness, strain or add your own thickeners.

While I'm still learning in SO MANY ways, this is one thing that I've got figured out.  Good luck experimenting!


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