# Troubleshoot my yogurt!



## whitejerabias (May 6, 2019)

So I've made yogurt a few times and each time slightly different. Always thin. 

Now, this time I decided to strain it through butter muslin as I've heard that can thicken it. But I didn't! So I started with 4qts of thin yogurt and ended up with 1.5qts that is MAYBE ever so slightly thicker, what gives?! 

What do you do to thicken up your goat-gurt? I am using a creamy yogurt strain purchased from the New England Cheesemaking company.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

whitejerabias said:


> So I've made yogurt a few times and each time slightly different. Always thin.
> 
> Now, this time I decided to strain it through butter muslin as I've heard that can thicken it. But I didn't! So I started with 4qts of thin yogurt and ended up with 1.5qts that is MAYBE ever so slightly thicker, what gives?!
> 
> What do you do to thicken up your goat-gurt? I am using a creamy yogurt strain purchased from the New England Cheesemaking company.


I think i saw where you can also add a bit of powdered milk to help it be thicker too. I used the recipe from nec and did like it said but incubated it longer than the first times they give and mine was thicker. It is more tart though.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

The right temp may not be maintaining throughout. You may need to let it go longer. Make sure it isn't disturbed.


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## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

I use that culture as well. I have one of those Greek yogurt strainers that looks like a little tub with a fine mesh insert. Way more expensive than it should be, at $30, but it makes amazing thick yogurt. Then I have a recipe for bread that uses the yogurt whey that's left over and wow is it good!


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

My goat yogurt is always thin until I get into late lactation, by fall I almost don't need to put in my greek strainer, I still do just because I like it thick. Sometimes if I have time I will hold the milk at 180 for half hour stirring constantly to lose a little moisture, that can help, also the powdered milk sometimes helps. I have tried it all! My best is in my instant pot with the yogurt setting and I usually set for 9 hours, then the pot gets covered and in the fridge for 2 - 4 days, then I strain. Later in the fall just 24 in the fridge before straining.


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## cristina-sorina (May 4, 2018)

When I've made mine I preheat the crock pot to high and turn it off just before putting the milk in. I bring up the temperature of the milk to 170 degrees F and then immediately cool to 110 in an ice bath. As soon as it's reached 110 I pour it into the crock pot alone with one cup of yogurt and mix it up really well. Incubate for 10 hours covered with blankets and I don't touch it. 

Then I leave it to strain in the fridge with cheesecloth for 8 hours. It's not Greek yogurt consistency but I'd say more like Yoplait regular yogurt when I'm don't. If I don't do the heating and cooling step it's runny.


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## cristina-sorina (May 4, 2018)

Calistar said:


> I use that culture as well. I have one of those Greek yogurt strainers that looks like a little tub with a fine mesh insert. Way more expensive than it should be, at $30, but it makes amazing thick yogurt. Then I have a recipe for bread that uses the yogurt whey that's left over and wow is it good!


I'd love that bread recipie! I feel bad throwing the whey into the compost pile.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

Can anybody give me their recipe and the supplies they use?


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## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> Can anybody give me their recipe and the supplies they use?


The temp is very important. If your thermometer is off 10 degrees it will flop. Buy another thermometer and check with both. I love thick yogurt, so I tweek it a little. I take 3 tablespoons of water and add 1 drop of rennet. Then I use 1 teaspoon of that water in each batch. The rest I store in the fridge til next batch. Works for me.


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## cristina-sorina (May 4, 2018)

wifeof1 said:


> The temp is very important. If your thermometer is off 10 degrees it will flop. Buy another thermometer and check with both. I love thick yogurt, so I tweek it a little. I take 3 tablespoons of water and add 1 drop of rennet. Then I use 1 teaspoon of that water in each batch. The rest I store in the fridge til next batch. Works for me.


I just made my first batch of Icelandic Skyr and I used a couple drops of rennet, I loved how much thicker it got! I'll have to try the diluted rennet for regular yogurt, I'm sure it will help with making a thicker consistency.


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## whitejerabias (May 6, 2019)

cristina-sorina said:


> I just made my first batch of Icelandic Skyr and I used a couple drops of rennet, I loved how much thicker it got! I'll have to try the diluted rennet for regular yogurt, I'm sure it will help with making a thicker consistency.


Will you please post your recipe or where you found it?! I really want to try skyr.


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## cristina-sorina (May 4, 2018)

Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> Can anybody give me their recipe and the supplies they use?


I've only been making yogurt for a couple of months so I'm still learning. Of all the dairy products I make my kids absolutely love it the most.

Supplies ( make sure everything is as clean/ sterilized as possible)

Stainless steel pot
Stainless steel spoon 
Thermometer 
Colander
Cheesecloth doubled up (I actually use butter muslin)
Crock pot 8 quart
Several towels or an old blanket

1 gallon raw goat milk
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (make sure it says live cultures)

Steps
1. Plug in crock pot on high, let it heat up empty.
2. Heat milk stirring constantly so it doesn't burn to 180 degrees.
3. Place milk in ice bath (I put frozen ice packs in my laundry room sink filled with water) and stir it too cool heated milk to 110 degrees.
4. Turn off crock pot, it should be warm to incubate the yogurt but it should never be on while the milk is in it.
5. In a seperate bowl mix yogurt with some of the milk ( milk that is warmer than 110 degrees could kill your active cultures). If you wanted to add the rennet wifeof1 mentioned you'd do that here. 
6. Pour all the milk into the crock pot that is now turned off. Put the lid on on it and cover it up so it's dark and draft free, don't peek at it until the allotted time has passed.
7. Let it incubate for 8-12 hours, no peeking. The longer it incubates the more tangy your yogurt will come out, my preferred time is 10 hours.
8. After it's finished incubating I strain my yogurt to get a thicker consistency, I double up really fine cheesecloth or use butter muslin and I line a colander with it. Then I place the yogurt inside it and put the colander over a pot so the yogurt drains. I let it sit in the fridge for about 8 hours.

My homemade yogurt is admittedly thinner than the Greek yogurt if I strain it and cool it while it's straining it will thicken up, but don't expect it to be as thick as store bought Greek yogurt, it's more like a yoplait regular yogurt.

When I made Skyr (I only made it once so I'm still fiddling with the recipie) I put 6 drops of rennet in step 5. Then at the end I took the strained yogurt and whipped it up with my mixer. Skyr is much thicker than my homemade yogurt.


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## whitejerabias (May 6, 2019)

Put the milk in a stainless steel pot, bring up to 180 and hold it there for 20mins stirring constantly. Then flash cool it down between 110-120 (the ideal temp for yog is 112). I do the by sticking the pot into a larger pot and running tap water into the larger pot while stirring. Like a reverse double boiler deal. Then culture it wither with a purchased culture or some other yogurt. 

I'm guessing that if I had cooled the yogurt it wouldn't all have strained through. 

I let mine set in a cooler. I pour the cultured milk into glass jars and lay them all in a mini lunch cooler then I run hot tap water over the jars and close it up and leave them overnight.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

wifeof1 said:


> The temp is very important. If your thermometer is off 10 degrees it will flop. Buy another thermometer and check with both. I love thick yogurt, so I tweek it a little. I take 3 tablespoons of water and add 1 drop of rennet. Then I use 1 teaspoon of that water in each batch. The rest I store in the fridge til next batch. Works for me.


I am so gonna try this! My yogurt was good but a bit more tangy than i care for. Nothin that a bit of honey didnt cure. But i dont always want a flavor in mine. I could stop "cookin" it sooner with the rennet yes? For a thicker a bit more sweet yogurt i am thinkin.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Oh, my, what nice breakfasts you serve your families!  But I do prefer the less sour _filmjölk_; I shall see if I can find more info for you:

"_Filmjölk_ has been fermented by bacteria from the kinds (?) _Streptococcus_, _Lactococcus_ (a subdivision (?) of _Streptococcus_) and _Leuconostoc_."

_Keso_ and _kvarg_ are, as far as I know, made with rennet. I once made my own rennet, that was interesting, but nothing you do "just like that"!

Here https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keso there is an old commercial from the time of the First World War.


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Cottage cheese is the American version.


Trollmor said:


> Oh, my, what nice breakfasts you serve your families!  But I do prefer the less sour _filmjölk_; I shall see if I can find more info for you:
> 
> "_Filmjölk_ has been fermented by bacteria from the kinds (?) _Streptococcus_, _Lactococcus_ (a subdivision (?) of _Streptococcus_) and _Leuconostoc_."
> 
> ...


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Dwarf Dad said:


> Cottage cheese is the American version.


Jupp. And it is made with rennet?


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Trollmor said:


> Jupp. And it is made with rennet?


I do not know.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Dwarf Dad said:


> I do not know.


It should be indicated on the label?


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Trollmor said:


> It should be indicated on the label?


I do not like cottage cheese. I can check label when I go to grocery next time.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Dwarf Dad said:


> I do not like cottage cheese. I can check label when I go to grocery next time.


Out of sheer curiousness! 

_(Edit: Added quoted entry because my entry landed on a page top.)_


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## cristina-sorina (May 4, 2018)

My kids love cottage cheese so here's the label. I don't see rennet, but I do see carrageenan, that is a thickening agent made from seaweed.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

cristina-sorina said:


> View attachment 159491
> 
> My kids love cottage cheese so here's the label. I don't see rennet, but I do see carrageenan, that is a thickening agent made from seaweed.


Oh, that is a long list of contents! Let us see what I can find here ...

Hm, this is all I can find: "_Ingredienser
Pastöriserad mjölk och grädde, salt, syrningskultur, ystenzym._"
"Ingredients
Pasteurized milk and cream, salt, acidizing culture, cheesemaking enzyme"

May we guess that the culture is some kind of lactobacilla, and the enzyme is a factory made rennet? But note, how short the list is! This makes the quality higher, and also the price. But we who have made our own, know to appreciate quality! 

But, I AM disappointed, the list should be better than that! Shame on you, Arla®!!


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## cristina-sorina (May 4, 2018)

After really reading that label I think it would behoove me to learn to make my own cottage cheese. If only I didn't have to go to work I'd be a full time homesteader, making cheeses, soaps and lotions...sigh...a girl can dream right?


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

Yes, let us dream of a shop where we can find high quality products!  I shall see next time I am in a grocery shop, what the label really says about Keso.

In the meantime I have learnt that the concept was brought to Sweden from the USA by a Swedish dairy man who visited the States in 1945.


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## MonicaB (Apr 4, 2018)

whitejerabias said:


> So I've made yogurt a few times and each time slightly different. Always thin.
> 
> Now, this time I decided to strain it through butter muslin as I've heard that can thicken it. But I didn't! So I started with 4qts of thin yogurt and ended up with 1.5qts that is MAYBE ever so slightly thicker, what gives?!
> 
> What do you do to thicken up your goat-gurt? I am using a creamy yogurt strain purchased from the New England Cheesemaking company.


I use Type ABY2C from culturesforhealth.com and started with their recipe as a base. I use the yogurt setting on an instant pot (Crock Pot Brand) to make it. The longer you let it go, the tangier and thicker it gets. Mine incubates for 24 hours, then sits covered in the refrigerator for 12, and finally strains through a tea towel for 12. A long process, but oh-so-worth-it! I have thick, creamy, not too tangy yogurt and beautiful whey for smoothies, sauces, soups, etc... or to give to my chickens for a nutritional boost.


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## cbrossard (Oct 4, 2014)

cristina-sorina said:


> When I've made mine I preheat the crock pot to high and turn it off just before putting the milk in. I bring up the temperature of the milk to 170 degrees F and then immediately cool to 110 in an ice bath. As soon as it's reached 110 I pour it into the crock pot alone with one cup of yogurt and mix it up really well. Incubate for 10 hours covered with blankets and I don't touch it.
> 
> Then I leave it to strain in the fridge with cheesecloth for 8 hours. It's not Greek yogurt consistency but I'd say more like Yoplait regular yogurt when I'm don't. If I don't do the heating and cooling step it's runny.


How much milk do you start with? And what kind of yogurt do you use? I want to try this method!


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## cristina-sorina (May 4, 2018)

cbrossard said:


> How much milk do you start with? And what kind of yogurt do you use? I want to try this method!


I've found for my 8 quart crock pot that I can use 1 gallon of goats milk. I use unflavored Greek yogurt that says it has active and live cultures on the package.


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## Trollmor (Aug 19, 2011)

If nothing happens, probably the dairy has had problems, and the bacteria have died ...

Yes, it has happened to me. That was when I learnt to try to get "breeding bacteria" from different sources/dairies. If that is indicated on your packages.


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## Sophie123 (Feb 18, 2019)

I have been experimenting with making yogurt for months! It used to never turn out, always very runny. I finally bought a yogurt maker which has a strainer for greek yogurt with it, and now I can make decent yogurt but not great. I have also experimented by adding citric acid, or rennet, but then it turns out more like cheese. Sometimes it turns out slimy. It always tastes good, so that is not the issue, but the consistency is never exactly what store bought greek yogurt is like. I wonder if that's just not possible with goat milk?

oh and I have tried different starters also, doesn't seem to matter much ( Greek store yogurt, dry yogurt cultures I got online)


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## cbrossard (Oct 4, 2014)

cristina-sorina said:


> I've only been making yogurt for a couple of months so I'm still learning. Of all the dairy products I make my kids absolutely love it the most.
> 
> Supplies ( make sure everything is as clean/ sterilized as possible)
> 
> ...


So, I tried the above method and after the incubation I had lovely thick yogurt just like store-bought! I couldn't believe it! So then I did the straining step (I used a handkerchief in a mesh strainer over a bowl) and the result was a much smaller portion of yogurt that was the consistency of cream cheese! Whoops! Trying angain today, but I will strain for just a couple of hours. FYI I have Nigies.


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## cristina-sorina (May 4, 2018)

cbrossard said:


> So, I tried the above method and after the incubation I had lovely thick yogurt just like store-bought! I couldn't believe it! So then I did the straining step (I used a handkerchief in a mesh strainer over a bowl) and the result was a much smaller portion of yogurt that was the consistency of cream cheese! Whoops! Trying angain today, but I will strain for just a couple of hours. FYI I have Nigies.


Lol, trial and error produces the best yogurt eventually...so glad it worked for you and you like it!


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