Electric yoghurt maker questions

apple_mint

Had a lot of fun going to the car boot this morning ... managed to get a Bel Yoghurt Maker. Absolutely perfect but no instructions. Can't find any on the web ... does anyone have one and could you give me a quick outline as to how to use it? The seller said to use UHT mild and put a little bit of starter in each of the glass jars (6 with little white lids). I don't know how much or how long it should be turned on for.

squeaky

The only thing I could find was the penultimate question on a page in Delia on line, there was no answer posted there but the OP may have been answered by email so you might like to ask her.

To see the page with her post on Click Here

Bossyboots

I have one of these. I think I can remember how to do it, but I'm just going to see if the book is handy.

Edit: Can't find the instructions so will do this from memory. (I haven't used it for a while but am currently feeling ashamed so I am going to dig it out).

To start with, you need a plain active yoghurt as a starter. You put about a teaspoonful into each jar. You then add warm milk. For an extra creamy yoghurt, I used to mix evaporated milk with warm water. It makes a really creamy yoghurt for very little cost. Mix the starter and milk together and put the lids on. Switch on. The time you leave it for depends a bit on how you like your yoghurt so it will be a bit of trial and error. I think we used to do six hours. If I remember correctly, 8 hours gives you a set yoghurt.

You then use some of your freshly made yoghurt as your starter for the next batch.

I stopped using mine because we were not getting through the yoghurt but in fact we are now eating quite a lot again so I think I will give it another go.

apple_mint

Thank you Squeaky ... it seems a shame that Bel appear to have gone out of business. I suspect they would have started to have some quite good sales now.

Thank you Bossyboots! I knew someone would have a Bel yoghurt maker somewhere on MSE :j You are a star

I'll try this. My efforts with a flask have been very hit and miss so I wanted something a bit more reliable as I am using more and more yoghurt (in desserts and in general cooking). I know yoghurt is cheap in the supermarkets but I wanted to have a bit of control over what goes into it :cool:

ChocClare

Apple_Mint::j


Let me know how you get on! I just dug out my old Bel yoghurt maker from the back of a cupboard the other day and put it back again because I can't find the instruction book too (don't remember that it was that substantial to start with...) so I'd be really grateful to know your experiences!

Thanks very much
ChocClare

apprentice_tycoon

UHT is the easiest milk to use (if you use pasturised you have to heat it to almost boiling point first)

use 2 teasp of bought live yogurt to start off a batch, mix 1&1/2 pints of milk to this yogurt, mix really well. Add 2 tabspoons of dried milk if you want it thicker (or strain it through muslin when it's done)
pour into the glasses to 1/4" from the top

put the caps on and place them on the base of machine, cover with the lid

the timing depends on how hot the milk was -

8 hours if straight from the fridge
6 hours if room temp
4 hours if heated to 43 degrees (hot but not painful)

Magentasue

The instructions above look about right to me. I used to have one of these and found it easier to make it up in a jug (about a pint and a half or a litre carton of UHT milk and a tablespoon or two of live yogurt from memory) and then fill the cartons. I remember eight hours but might be wrong on that.

Anyway, there have been threads about yogurt making on here before and I seem to remember Ted Hutchinson saying he had a yogurt maker similar to yours. Might have been someone else but I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you PMd him.

squeaky

Magentasue wrote:

The instructions above look about right to me. I used to have one of these and found it easier to make it up in a jug (about a pint and a half or a litre carton of UHT milk and a tablespoon or two of live yogurt from memory) and then fill the cartons. I remember eight hours but might be wrong on that.

There are two threads that might be of some help...

Yoghurt Recipes

Yoghurt Maker

apple_mint

The yoghurt maker has been on since 3.45 pm using bossyboots instructions. I put greek yogurt in 3 of the jars as starters and the other 3 I have used some of the yoghurt I made in a flask a couple of days ago. My yoghurt instantly curdled but I kept going :rolleyes: The greek yoghurt starter looked OK so that is probably going to work better. Thank you bossyboots, I felt more comfortable starting this having your instructions.

I used ordinary milk ... so perhaps it won't work as well. I took a sneaky look 10 minutes ago (probably shouldn't have!). They both still look a thin so I'll keep it going for a couple more hours.

Apprentice_tycoon ...thank you for the instructions. I have some UHT milk ...I'll get a new starter tomorrow and have another go using your instructions. It's really good of you to go to all the trouble of posting from the leaflet.

Magentasue ... I think I'll give your advice a go and mix it all in one.

Squeaky ... thank you for the research. The other posts were very useful and I'm going to keep on trying until I get it right! :cool:

Chococlare ... I'll keep posting to let you know how it's going

Bossyboots

Thanks squeaky. I bought yoghurt this weekend but that gives me time to persuade hubby to pull out the dishwasher so I can get behind the cupboard and get my yoghurt maker out.

apprentice_tycoon

Hello apple_mint.

You may be unlucky if it is just ordinary milk, the instructions say

'Pastreurised milks have been treated to 71 degrees for 15 seconds and cooled. Some harmful bacteria may remain so these milks need to be brought to boiling point then cooled to below 50 degrees before adding to the yogurt starter'

That's why UHT is easier - laziness comes in to it as well as far as I'm concerned!