Raw milk yogurt HELP!

[onebuggirl]

I have tried to make yogurt using raw milk twice now ( no powdered milk to thicken it) and both times I have had it not turn into yogurt...it looks more like thick milk. What is going on? I used ogranic store baught yogurt as a starter. It claims to have 6 types of bacteria. So why is it not working? Can I use the "failure" for anything?

 

[miss_thenorth]

I don't know about raw milk per se, but with whole, 2% or other liquid milk, it will not set like you get in the grocery store--it will always tend to be a bit runny, unless of course you add powder milk. Does it smell like yogurt? We tend to drink our yogurt around here. Unless I strain it and make yocheese.

 

[onebuggirl]

I didn't smell it this morning I was so disappointed. I know it won't be as thick as store bought but it is more runny than I have had in the past.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Can you "cook" it for longer? If my yogurt is not thick enough, I leave it in the yogurt make for up to another 12 hours. It will get more sour, but will continue to thicken up. don't give up on it yet.

 

[Wifezilla]

I just strain it. If I don't make it out of cream, it is too runny for me. I just line a strainer with cheese cloth and pour it in. I like it more like cream cheese than yogurt.

I also save the whey for fermenting so nothing goes to waste.

 

[big brown horse]

Are you interested in making kefir yogurt? I use raw cow's milk to make kefir yogurt daily. It turns into a nice thick drinkable yogurt that can be strained or used "as is" in place of plain yogurt, just a bit runnier. The best part: No electricity is needed.

 

[ORChick]

What is your procedure for making it? What I mean is, are you so concerned with the fact that the milk is "raw" that you are not scalding and cooling it before adding the cultures? Yogurt is not made with "raw" milk; it is heated to 185* for a reason - to pasteurize it, to kill off any bacteria which might compete with the yogurt bacteria. I heat my milk always; some people just heat to "culture temp", about 120*. But if starting with raw milk you really should heat it all the way up to 185*.

 

[TanksHill]

I have had the exact opposite problem. My yogurt with reg store bought milk comes out great, nice and firm. When I tried to use raw for yogurt it got all clumpy and weird when I tried to bring it to temp. Not sure what happened to it. maybe spoiled??

How are you making it? With a machine? In a cooler? Maybe not cooling enough before adding starter?

just my .02

gina

 

[onebuggirl]

What is your procedure for making it? What I mean is, are you so concerned with the fact that the milk is "raw" that you are not scalding and cooling it before adding the cultures? Yogurt is not made with "raw" milk; it is heated to 185* for a reason - to pasteurize it, to kill off any bacteria which might compete with the yogurt bacteria. I heat my milk always; some people just heat to "culture temp", about 120*. But if starting with raw milk you really should heat it all the way up to 185*.

Yep I do all that it just for some reason hasn't been coming out.

 

[onebuggirl]

I just strain it. If I don't make it out of cream, it is too runny for me. I just line a strainer with cheese cloth and pour it in. I like it more like cream cheese than yogurt.

I also save the whey for fermenting so nothing goes to waste.

Thanks wifezilla I will strain it and of course I will keep the whey! I look forward to fermenting more stuff!