AHHHH! Why can't I make yogurt?

[ninny]

I have tried two different ways and no luck. They are so runny or sour we cant eat it. The one I tried today smells of burned milk. I'm wasting money. This is not making me happy. This is my fourth try. Could someone please help me?

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Describe what exactly you're doing. Ingredients. Machine (or not). Length of time. Etc.

 

[odd_duck99]

My spouse does the yogurt making here, but I can say that she had better luck with fattier milk. Our nonfat didn't firm up as well as even 1%. Also, the longer it goes, the more sour it gets. Any other advice needs more info.

 

[ORChick]

Making yogurt:

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8060

 

[k15n1]

Just 4 attempts may not be enough to learn how to do it. Make smaller batches until you have the details worked out.

It won't be like store-bought yogurt. Those products must withstand shipping and store for several weeks. Expect it to be a little more fragile. And if it's too sour, add 1 t of jam per cup of yogurt right before you eat it.

Oh, and if you hang it in cheesecloth, you'll have your first home-made cheese!

 

[ninny]

Just 4 attempts may not be enough to learn how to do it. Make smaller batches until you have the details worked out.

It won't be like store-bought yogurt. Those products must withstand shipping and store for several weeks. Expect it to be a little more fragile. And if it's too sour, add 1 t of jam per cup of yogurt right before you eat it.

Oh, and if you hang it in cheesecloth, you'll have your first home-made cheese!

Oh how I wish that would work for me. For the too sour a cup of honey and a quart of strawberries and still no one would touch it. The cheesecloth it's so runny it goes right through.

Heres what i have tried:

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2011/03/17/making-homemade-yogurt/
http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/03/easy-homemade-yogurt.html
and one from hobby farm home

So I think its more like 6 or 7 trys now that I think about it.

Do yogurt makers work?

 

[peteyfoozer]

I have a "Yogourmet" and I like it a lot. You can make 2 qts at a time. I make it every month because I have both milk goats and a Jersey cow. Never had any problem. I buy a live culture yogurt at the store, to use as a culture, then I freeze the rest, and use my own for cultures for quite awhile before they get too weak.

 

[ORChick]

A yogurt maker works just fine, but isn't necessary. If you can't manage yogurt without it, you probably won't manage yogurt with it. If it is too runny/too sour then you are doing something wrong (and/or your expectations are not in line with reality ), and a yogurt maker won't change that. Sometimes yogurt just doesn't happen, even if you do everything right. But if it consistently doesn't turn out then you need to look to your recipe.

 

[Hinotori]

Also remember that the whey separates off homemade yogurt. They add stuff to most the store bought stuff to keep it in. I just stir the whey back in, or drain it off depending on mood. I like homemade jam in mine. Whole milk makes for a bit less sour. You also can let it work for a shorter amount of time, then put it in the fridge. Find what is the best time length for your tastes.

 

[ninny]

Im going to try again soon. What is the shortest amount of time it has to sit out? And do I have to heat up the milk?