The heating stage also denatures the protein lactoglobulin, and can contribute to a thicker end product, no matter what culture you use. Some hold at a higher temp (~195F) for up to 30 minutes for the thickest end result without straining. The higher the temp, the thicker and more custard-like the result. Likewise, fermenting at the lower end of the incubation range also yields a more firm end result by allowing a more stable protein matrix to form (slower formation means more stable matrix).
Thank you! There are so many variables, I wanted to start people off with the method that I have found to be simplest and most reliable. We’re going to be digging into dairy ferments in more depth moving forward. Are you using your yogurt for a particular purpose, or do you just want to make it as thick as possible without needing to strain it?
I do like strained yogurt too, but if I can take a scoop out of the container and leave a nice well defined divot that remains until the next time I get some, I am delighted.
Not sure why you say that yogurt cultures will stop working after a few batches. We started a couple yogurt batches years ago, that have been fine since we began. We continue to use a couple tablespoons from the last batch for the next batch and all is good.
Cultures vary, but in my experience (and many others’) using store-bought yogurt as a starter doesn’t remain effective for very many batches. Glad it worked for you!
i would highly recommend mesophilic (no heat required) cultures: they are generally very robust so can withstand lazy or careless attention (sorry cultures for my busy lifestyle and overwhelming kitchen responsibilities).
I believe that there are mailorder sites for matsoun or matsoni which i have been using continually for over ten years: they have withstood mould invasion, bitterness and a battering and carry on making a delicious, at times fizzy fermented milk product.
another cracker is amasi, the zulu fermented milk, which is generally fermented in a calabash gourd.
What Daniel said, about the initial heating. My usual goal for yogurt is a product similar to Fage, and with holding the milk somewhere in the 185-195 range for ~10 min, and then straining post-incubation, I get that result.
My system for holding things at temp is an electric burner on a heat controller (e.g. Inkbird), a stockpot of water with a canning rack in it, and then just put the product in canning jars loosely lidded. (For yogurt, I use a 3L. Weck jar) The temperature probe goes in the water, and the stock pot lid prevents most of the evaporation from escaping. If what I am making has to go more than 2 days or so, it is usually necessary to top off the water. I never bought into the sous vide thing, so this is what I've got. It's very general-purpose.
I am super-curious about the Bulgarian yogurt culture, because the one thing I dislike about my process is not being able to propagate it indefinitely. But I make yogurt much less frequently than every week. Do you know whether the culture would survive being frozen after each use? Or do I just need to try that and find out? I also have not tried that with the culture I've got, so that might be worth a shot.
I think it can be frozen for longer periods, and keep in mind that the amount you order is good for quite a few batches so you can keep some of that handy for restarting if needed.
One method when ordering cultures is to create a "mother" batch and freeze into cubes, which you then use to refresh your culture, and this can last a long time. You then only need to use your purchased culture to create another mother batch to freeze.
That's a good plan for finishing out the freeze-dried culture I currently have on hand, making it last almost indefinitely. I'm pretty happy with the flavor, and one can vary the intensity of the sour based on how long it is cultured in a warm environment. Then it gets slowly more sour in the refrigerator.
The heating stage also denatures the protein lactoglobulin, and can contribute to a thicker end product, no matter what culture you use. Some hold at a higher temp (~195F) for up to 30 minutes for the thickest end result without straining. The higher the temp, the thicker and more custard-like the result. Likewise, fermenting at the lower end of the incubation range also yields a more firm end result by allowing a more stable protein matrix to form (slower formation means more stable matrix).
Thank you! There are so many variables, I wanted to start people off with the method that I have found to be simplest and most reliable. We’re going to be digging into dairy ferments in more depth moving forward. Are you using your yogurt for a particular purpose, or do you just want to make it as thick as possible without needing to strain it?
I just really like thick yogurt :)
I do like strained yogurt too, but if I can take a scoop out of the container and leave a nice well defined divot that remains until the next time I get some, I am delighted.
I hear that! I like straining it, but only because I'm such a sucker for whey and love having it around.
Not sure why you say that yogurt cultures will stop working after a few batches. We started a couple yogurt batches years ago, that have been fine since we began. We continue to use a couple tablespoons from the last batch for the next batch and all is good.
Cultures vary, but in my experience (and many others’) using store-bought yogurt as a starter doesn’t remain effective for very many batches. Glad it worked for you!
i would highly recommend mesophilic (no heat required) cultures: they are generally very robust so can withstand lazy or careless attention (sorry cultures for my busy lifestyle and overwhelming kitchen responsibilities).
I believe that there are mailorder sites for matsoun or matsoni which i have been using continually for over ten years: they have withstood mould invasion, bitterness and a battering and carry on making a delicious, at times fizzy fermented milk product.
another cracker is amasi, the zulu fermented milk, which is generally fermented in a calabash gourd.
Great info, thank you!
What Daniel said, about the initial heating. My usual goal for yogurt is a product similar to Fage, and with holding the milk somewhere in the 185-195 range for ~10 min, and then straining post-incubation, I get that result.
My system for holding things at temp is an electric burner on a heat controller (e.g. Inkbird), a stockpot of water with a canning rack in it, and then just put the product in canning jars loosely lidded. (For yogurt, I use a 3L. Weck jar) The temperature probe goes in the water, and the stock pot lid prevents most of the evaporation from escaping. If what I am making has to go more than 2 days or so, it is usually necessary to top off the water. I never bought into the sous vide thing, so this is what I've got. It's very general-purpose.
I am super-curious about the Bulgarian yogurt culture, because the one thing I dislike about my process is not being able to propagate it indefinitely. But I make yogurt much less frequently than every week. Do you know whether the culture would survive being frozen after each use? Or do I just need to try that and find out? I also have not tried that with the culture I've got, so that might be worth a shot.
I think it can be frozen for longer periods, and keep in mind that the amount you order is good for quite a few batches so you can keep some of that handy for restarting if needed.
One method when ordering cultures is to create a "mother" batch and freeze into cubes, which you then use to refresh your culture, and this can last a long time. You then only need to use your purchased culture to create another mother batch to freeze.
That's a good plan for finishing out the freeze-dried culture I currently have on hand, making it last almost indefinitely. I'm pretty happy with the flavor, and one can vary the intensity of the sour based on how long it is cultured in a warm environment. Then it gets slowly more sour in the refrigerator.
Yes, freezing ice cubes is a great method.