Thread: Does anyone make their own yoghurt?

I also made my own yesterday. I love it!!!!!! I strained it overnight but didn't get the expected cheese. It is utterly gorgeous though. I'm making a double batch now. Will try making the cheese again tonight. Is there anything else I should be doing other than straining for a long time?

Originally Posted by locket

I also made my own yesterday. I love it!!!!!! I strained it overnight but didn't get the expected cheese. It is utterly gorgeous though. I'm making a double batch now. Will try making the cheese again tonight. Is there anything else I should be doing other than straining for a long time?

I think I left mine to drain overnight in the fridge but I also squeezed some of the whey out by hand.

I use a cotton handkerchief in my colander so when the yoghurt had drained quite a bit of the whey, I gathered the corners of the hanky together, twisted it and gave it a bit of a squeeze to extract more whey.

You could put some kind of weight on the top of it when it gets thicker to get more moisture out.

I did see on a YouTube vid that someone filled a sandwich/freezer bag with water and used that as a weight.

I attempted to make yog in the slow cooker this week and it didn't work.
I used UHT skimmed milk, heated for the 2.5 hours on low, unplugged and left for 3 hours, then added the yog and milk powder, wrapped in a blanket and left for 8 hours and when the time was up I still had milk!
Now my slow cooker is a large one and I noticed that after the 3 hours standing, it wasn't very warm - the outside stainless steel walls were not warm, only the lid seemed a little warm. I wrapped it in a blanket but didn't hold out much hope.
I also used Yeo Valley blue lid as that is the fat free version. I've sinced read that others use the green lid version - but that's not fat free.
So is it worth trying with the green lid version or is the problem my slow cooker? Are your slow cookers still warm after the 3 hours?
Thanks.

I've got a large sc myself RH and mine does get quite warm, even on low. After I've let is cool off for 3 hours, the milk feels luke warm and then I add the milk powder and yoghurt but I use 1 tbsp per liter milk, so for 4 liter of milk I use 4tbsp milk powder and 4tbsp fat free greek yoghurt. Hope this helps. x

Hi Mirjam, I used 1 litre of milk and then 1tbsp yog and 1 tbsp of milk powder so the same ratio as you. Which yog did you use as your starter yog please? I was so disappointed.

The first time I made yoghurt I made a big booboo and added the milk powder and yoghurt staright after the 2.5 hours of warming up. Needless to say, nothing happened. I use 0% greek yoghurt and every time I make a new batch, I use some of the home made yoghurt.

Red Heart, I used the blue, fat-free Yeo Valley, like u for my last batch, it worked just fine. The previous time I used Tesco Healthy Choice probiotic yogurt.
Perhaps your ratios are wrong, it seems very little milk powder and yogurt to be adding. I add 1/4 cup skimmed milk powder and 1/2 cup yogurt for every litre of milk.
The temp of your milk before u add these things should be around 110°F, any hotter and you'll kill the live cultures which will result in no yogurt again.

Red Heart, your ratio is fine, I only use 1 tbs of marvel and 1 tbs of starter yoghurt and it works fine.

It sounds like your slow cooker may be on the blink.

Before you go and buy another one, try again using the green lid Yeo Valley, you will only lose 48p plus the cost of your milk if it doesn't work again opposed to buying a new slow cooker.

If you need to get another sc, this one seems like a good price if they have any left in your area.

Buy Cookworks Round 3.5 Litre Slow Cooker at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for Limited stock Kitchen and laundry.

Red Heart, I used the blue lid Yeo for my first ever batch and it has worked like a dream! Can't believe it! <major achievement award is due> Is really thick already but going to drain it in the fridge for a fromage frais thickness. So excited!

So it wasn't the yogurt. I too can only think that it must be your slow cooker. They are on sale in Tesco at the moment by the way!

Originally Posted by wheesht

Red Heart, I used the blue lid Yeo for my first ever batch and it has worked like a dream! Can't believe it! <major achievement award is due> Is really thick already but going to drain it in the fridge for a fromage frais thickness. So excited!

So it wasn't the yogurt. I too can only think that it must be your slow cooker. They are on sale in Tesco at the moment by the way!

It is really amazing how much whey drains off this if left overnight.

I poured mine off this morning and it filled about one and a half of my Tesco cottage cheese tubs!

Glad that you are liking your yoghurt.



Tesco have a sc on offer at £10 at the minute which isn't bad for a stainless steel one.

Tesco Slow Cooker Sc356 - Groceries - Tesco Groceries





Good luck with your yoghurt making folks, as long as you follow the basic instuctions and use live yoghurt you should get lovely creamy yoghurt.

Hi!
Thanks for your replies.
My slow cooker is fine. It's a 6.5 litre Morphy Richards and is not yet 2 years old. I used it to slow cook a brisket yesterday on low so it is definitely fine.
I am wondering what temp low is on it but cannot find out online and can't find my manual to check.

Pop your milk in the slow cooker, after 2.5 hours take the temp. If it's not up to temp (175°F) keep doing so every 10 mins. Note the time it takes to get to that temp.
Turn your slow cooker off. After 3 hours take the temp, if it's not dropped to 110°F keep taking the temp every 10 mins till it has. Note the time it took. Complete the recipe.
I did this yesterday to enable me to make a bigger batch. It's a bit of a pain but I now know how long to leave things for a nice large batch (plus I have a large batch).
Like ovens, I imagine, slow cookers all differ slightly with temps and you just have to experiment to get things 100%.
It really is worth it, the yogurt is lovely and you get a real satisfaction from making your own stuff. This morning I was straining yogurt, I had a fresh bread cooling made from the whey of yesterday's yogurt (for rest of family) and some Dukan muffins in the oven. I felt like a Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstal, all I needed were a few chickens clucking round my feet.

I'm wondering if a 1 litre volume of liquid in a 6.5 litre slow-cooker maintains its temperature adequately for this process when the cooker's switched off (even if swaddled). It strikes me that it's going to cool too quickly due to the air volume within the cooker.

You might have better luck if you jump in belt & braces and try with five or six litres, Red Heart. Good luck!

Originally Posted by Dub07

I'm wondering if a 1 litre volume of liquid in a 6.5 litre slow-cooker maintains its temperature adequately for this process when the cooker's switched off (even if swaddled). It strikes me that it's going to cool too quickly due to the air volume within the cooker.

You might have better luck if you jump in belt & braces and try with five or six litres, Red Heart. Good luck!

I made it with 1litre milk in a 6.5L slow cooker and it turned out absolutely fine. Is very odd.