Yoghurt making questions

Talitha

Hi,

I've just bought the Tchibo yoghurt maker and wasn't entirely clear about the instructions.

If I use UHT milk do I need to heat it first? Also it says that the milk and the yoghurt you use as a starter must have EXACTLY the same fat content or the yoghurt will be runny. Is this true or will nearly the same do the trick?

Thanks

Gingham_Ribbon

Thre's a thread here that might be helpful.

thriftlady_2

I'm not familiar with your brand of yogurt maker. Mine is simply a 1 litre container in which you put the yogurt and milk, you then put the container in the yogurt maker which heats the milk up to the right temperature and keeps it at that temp until you switch it off.

I always use UHT milk because you DON'T need to heat it first.The heating process is to kill the bugs that might inhibit the development of the yogging bugs IYSWIM.UHT milk has already had that done to it.The advantage of not having to heat it is that you don't have to wait for it to cool to the right temperature before you start the yogging process - it won't work if the milk is too hot.

I have used yogurt and milk of different fat contents. I generally use whole milk yog and whole milk, but I always add dry skimmed milk powder as it makes it extra thick and creamy (about half a cup to 1 litre of milk).:)

HTH

Penny-Pincher!!

We have the same yogurt maker and NO you DONT have to heat the milk first!

HTH

PP
xx

Ted_Hutchinson

I have a very similar yoghurt maker. I've never tried not heating the milk first so I can't be sure it would work as fast. I do heat the milk up first. I give a litre of uht 3mins in the microwave and then stir in the skim milk powder and starter. I put my pots into the maker to heat while I'm doing the milk. I find it then takes up to 4hrs to yog. Be interesting if the cold starters could say how long their yog takes.

I've never had any bother with using different fat content starter and milk. I always use semiskimmed milk, my partner uses full cream milk. We've often had to use low fat bio yoghurt as a starter and I usually nab one of Beths for my starter and I don't think this is the cause of it going a bit runny sometimes, though of course it may be. I feel the main cause of runnyness is when you use ordinary milk and don't raise it to sterilise temperature and wait for it to cool to yog making temperature.
You can often get away with doing this but if the milk you are using is getting near it's sell by date you can run into runny yog probs.

thriftlady_2

Using cold milk definitely takes longer.I generally set my yogurt up before I go to bed and it's perfect in the morning.

I've always had trouble when I've used fresh milk which I've heated because I've left it overnight and it just gets overcooked and looks horrible. I really must try fresh milk again and allow less time.

thriftlady_2

I think if you use starter from the same batch too many times the yogurt can get progressively runnier and sharper tasting. When it starts doing this it's time to buy new starter.

tootles_2

I have an electric yoggi maker, I use UHT skimmed milk and 2 ozs milk powder in the yoggi maker over night using 2 tablespoons of the previous lot of yoggi as a starter, I never warm it just pour it into the container.

The yogurt is quite thick, but I tip it into a muslin lined strainer and drain the whey off which makes delicious thick greek style yogurt, a friend whose husband was Greek told me that the whey is just the same as the stuff you pay a fortune for in the shops as probitiotc stuff. So I drink a small glass a day........ or use it to make scones with.

Talitha

Thanks everyone,

I'm still using up the last of the shop bought yoghurt I have so I'll give this a try beginning of next week.

snowleopard61

I've never made my own yogurt and am keen to have a go, using an ordinary flask rather than a yogurt maker. Just wanted to be sure of the following first:

1. Having bought some good quality live plain organic yogurt to start it with in the first instance, can you then just keep on using your own home-made yogurt as a starter? (Or is Thriftlady saying you shouldn't do this ad infinitum but periodically buy some and use that?)

2. If you use UHT milk with a flask and not a yogurt-maker, can you just put it in at room temperature?

Thank you.:)

snowleopard61

Having bought some good quality live plain organic yogurt to start it with in the first instance, can you then just keep on using your own home-made yogurt as a starter?

Sorry, by this I mean saving some of each batch for the next, not saving some of the first and keeping it indefinitely!