I recently bought a yogurt maker, and have used it about a half dozen
times. I'm having a problem reusing one batch of yogurt starter for
the next. The instructions warned me that after a few batches the
starter would get "tired," and I would have to start over with
commercial starter. That would be fine, but the starter is not
lasting for a few batches. The first time I use it the result is
thinner than the original; the second time it's unusable.

I'm following the directions I got, but they're vague. I wonder if
I'm doing something wrong. I put a half cup of each new batch in a
separate clean container, which I store in the fridge next to the
regular container. When I make the next batch I stir in the half cup
just before I put the batch in the yogurt maker.

Any ideas?

"Jonathan Sachs" > wrote in message
...
>I recently bought a yogurt maker, and have used it about a half dozen
> times. I'm having a problem reusing one batch of yogurt starter for
> the next. The instructions warned me that after a few batches the
> starter would get "tired," and I would have to start over with
> commercial starter. That would be fine, but the starter is not
> lasting for a few batches. The first time I use it the result is
> thinner than the original; the second time it's unusable.
>
> I'm following the directions I got, but they're vague. I wonder if
> I'm doing something wrong. I put a half cup of each new batch in a
> separate clean container, which I store in the fridge next to the
> regular container. When I make the next batch I stir in the half cup
> just before I put the batch in the yogurt maker.
>
> Any ideas?

Yes. Others may differ. This is my fool-proof way. (I tried the
half-cup -- forget it; 5 teaspoons total is enough)

Don't bother using your just-made yogurt for a starter.
Buy a good brand of yogurt from the grocery store. Look at the date. It
should last a couple of weeks.

Heat your milk to no higher than 110. Shoot for between 100-110. I do this
in a quart pyrex bowl for 2min30seconds in my microwave.

Into a separate very small bowl, put 2 teaspoons of yogurt and enough milk
to dissolve it.

Pour this mixture back into the 2 qt. heated milk, and stir well.

Put in 3 teaspoons of yogurt into this same very small bowl with enough milk
from the 2 qt. heated milk (that now has a bit of yogurt in it) to dissolve
it.

Pour this back into the 2 qt. heated milk and stir well.

Pour into you yogurt maker.

Mine takes about 8 hours.

Dee wrote on Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:47:46 -0400:


DD> "Jonathan Sachs" > wrote in message
DD> ...
??>> I recently bought a yogurt maker, and have used it about a
??>> half dozen times. I'm having a problem reusing one batch
??>> of yogurt starter for the next. The instructions warned

DD> Yes. Others may differ. This is my fool-proof way. (I
DD> tried the half-cup -- forget it; 5 teaspoons total is
DD> enough)

DD> Don't bother using your just-made yogurt for a starter.
DD> Buy a good brand of yogurt from the grocery store. Look at
DD> the date. It should last a couple of weeks.

Store bought yoghurt is usually un-pasteurized but do check if
you expect success.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Oct 19, 8:02 am, Jonathan Sachs > wrote:
> I recently bought a yogurt maker, and have used it about a half dozen
> times. I'm having a problem reusing one batch of yogurt starter for
> the next. The instructions warned me that after a few batches the
> starter would get "tired," and I would have to start over with
> commercial starter. That would be fine, but the starter is not
> lasting for a few batches. The first time I use it the result is
> thinner than the original; the second time it's unusable.
>
> I'm following the directions I got, but they're vague. I wonder if
> I'm doing something wrong. I put a half cup of each new batch in a
> separate clean container, which I store in the fridge next to the
> regular container. When I make the next batch I stir in the half cup
> just before I put the batch in the yogurt maker.

There are worse things than thin yogurt, like putting crap in it to
thicken it. If you are adding powdered milk, then your yogurt is way
inferior to what you buy at the store.
Powdered milk tastes like crap, and yogurt made from it is crappy
too. Crappy ingredients in = crappy result out. Anyone who says
otherwise is full of crap.

If you are not putting any crappy ingredients into the mix,
congratulations. If you really need to thicken the yogurt, you're far
better off using vegetable gums or gelatin than powdered milk. At
least those don't taste as much like crap.
>
> Any ideas?

--Bryan
http://www.TheBonobos.com

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:47:46 -0400, "Dee Dee" >
wrote:

>Don't bother using your just-made yogurt for a starter.
>Buy a good brand of yogurt from the grocery store. Look at the date. It
>should last a couple of weeks.

That's puzzling to me. It seems self-defeating. I bought the yogurt
maker to avoid having to pay outrageous prices for store-bought
yogurt; it doesn't make sense to have to buy yogurt in order to use
it.

I haven't worked out the numbers, but I would think that doing it that
way would cost at least as much as using commercial starter for each
batch.

On another point, my yogurt maker's instructions said to heat the milk
to just below boiling and let it cool off to about 100°F. You said
you warm it to that temperature, no higher. Why do you do it that
way? Do you have problems with "wild" bacteria?

"Jonathan Sachs" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:47:46 -0400, "Dee Dee" >
> wrote:
>
>>Don't bother using your just-made yogurt for a starter.
>>Buy a good brand of yogurt from the grocery store. Look at the date. It
>>should last a couple of weeks.
>
> That's puzzling to me. It seems self-defeating. I bought the yogurt
> maker to avoid having to pay outrageous prices for store-bought
> yogurt; it doesn't make sense to have to buy yogurt in order to use
> it.
>
> I haven't worked out the numbers, but I would think that doing it that
> way would cost at least as much as using commercial starter for each
> batch.


How often do you plan on making yogurt?

"Jonathan Sachs" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:47:46 -0400, "Dee Dee" >
> wrote:
>
>>Don't bother using your just-made yogurt for a starter.
>>Buy a good brand of yogurt from the grocery store. Look at the date. It
>>should last a couple of weeks.
>
> That's puzzling to me. It seems self-defeating. I bought the yogurt
> maker to avoid having to pay outrageous prices for store-bought
> yogurt; it doesn't make sense to have to buy yogurt in order to use
> it.
>
> I haven't worked out the numbers, but I would think that doing it that
> way would cost at least as much as using commercial starter for each
> batch.
>
> On another point, my yogurt maker's instructions said to heat the milk
> to just below boiling and let it cool off to about 100°F. You said
> you warm it to that temperature, no higher. Why do you do it that
> way? Do you have problems with "wild" bacteria?

"Jonathan Sachs" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:47:46 -0400, "Dee Dee" >
> wrote:
>
>>Don't bother using your just-made yogurt for a starter.
>>Buy a good brand of yogurt from the grocery store. Look at the date. It
>>should last a couple of weeks.
>
> That's puzzling to me. It seems self-defeating. I bought the yogurt
> maker to avoid having to pay outrageous prices for store-bought
> yogurt; it doesn't make sense to have to buy yogurt in order to use
> it.



It works for me, when other methods are too if-fy. Using 5 teaspoons out of
a container of yogurt doesn't seem costly to me to make a quart of yogurt;
if it does fail, then you've lost your milk, too; unless you find another
use for it.

5 teaspoons each time out of the price of a large container of yoghurt - you
do the math. How many teaspoons can you get? A lot.
I probably buy the most pricy of yogurts, and I consider it thrifty.

If you don't use all of the container of yogurt in its date stamp time, eat
it. If your method doesn't work, you've lost the cost of the milk, also.

>
> I haven't worked out the numbers, but I would think that doing it that
> way would cost at least as much as using commercial starter for each
> batch.


I've tried commercial starter. I don't like it; it gives inconsistent
results. And I waste the milk I use if it doesn't work. I want a
tried-and-true method.

>
> On another point, my yogurt maker's instructions said to heat the milk
> to just below boiling and let it cool off to about 100°F. You said
> you warm it to that temperature, no higher. Why do you do it that
> way? Do you have problems with "wild" bacteria?

Perhaps your instructions want you to heat to just below boiling point so
that you will be sure to have pasteurized milk. I believe pasteurized milk
is about 170º. I do it the way I do it because it works. Also I don't
want my milk pasteurized because I use raw milk. But pasteurizing your milk
should not be a concern as you probably are already using pasteurized milk.


I don't know about problems with wild bacteria.

HTH,
Dee Dee

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:52:59 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
> wrote:

>How often do you plan on making yogurt?

When I'm running out. It varies over time. Currently about once a
week.

"Jonathan Sachs" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:52:59 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
> > wrote:
>
>>How often do you plan on making yogurt?
>
> When I'm running out. It varies over time. Currently about once a
> week.

OK. If you don't contaminate the container of store-bought yogurt with a
dirty spoon or gazelle hair, it'll last at least a couple of weeks, probably
longer. What does an 8 oz cup cost, and how many "doses" of starter will it
provide?

To me, the math says that cup of yogurt is economical as a starter.

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:01:46 -0400, "Dee Dee" >
wrote:

>5 teaspoons each time out of the price of a large container of yoghurt - you
>do the math. How many teaspoons can you get? A lot.
>I probably buy the most pricy of yogurts, and I consider it thrifty.

192 teaspoons, which is enough for 38.4 batches, if the yogurt lasts
that long. If it lasts two weeks and I can time everything right,
I'll get to make two batches before I have to throw out any of the
yogurt that I haven't used. If I slip, I'll probably get one batch.
So I'll end up buying commercial yogurt 1/3 to 1/2 of the time.

When I have time I'll do the math and see which would be cheaper, that
technique or using the commercial starter.

Maybe I don't need a whole package of commercial starter to make a
batch. I'll experiment with that.

In article >,
Jonathan Sachs > wrote:

> I recently bought a yogurt maker, and have used it about a half dozen
> times. I'm having a problem reusing one batch of yogurt starter for
> the next. The instructions warned me that after a few batches the
> starter would get "tired," and I would have to start over with
> commercial starter. That would be fine, but the starter is not
> lasting for a few batches. The first time I use it the result is
> thinner than the original; the second time it's unusable.
>
> I'm following the directions I got, but they're vague. I wonder if
> I'm doing something wrong. I put a half cup of each new batch in a
> separate clean container, which I store in the fridge next to the
> regular container. When I make the next batch I stir in the half cup
> just before I put the batch in the yogurt maker.
>
> Any ideas?

Might be your starter.

We used unflavored Dannon "live culture" yogurt.

Worked for us for many, many batches just passaging it over.

But, we did not use a "yogurt maker". We used a one gallon jar and a
styrofoam ice chest full of hot hot tap water.
--
Peace, Om

Remove both _ (underscores) to validate gmail e-mails.

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Steve Rothstein

In article >,
Jonathan Sachs > wrote:

> On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:47:46 -0400, "Dee Dee" >
> wrote:
>
> >Don't bother using your just-made yogurt for a starter.
> >Buy a good brand of yogurt from the grocery store. Look at the date. It
> >should last a couple of weeks.
>
> That's puzzling to me. It seems self-defeating. I bought the yogurt
> maker to avoid having to pay outrageous prices for store-bought
> yogurt; it doesn't make sense to have to buy yogurt in order to use
> it.
>
> I haven't worked out the numbers, but I would think that doing it that
> way would cost at least as much as using commercial starter for each
> batch.
>
> On another point, my yogurt maker's instructions said to heat the milk
> to just below boiling and let it cool off to about 100°F. You said
> you warm it to that temperature, no higher. Why do you do it that
> way? Do you have problems with "wild" bacteria?

Our water heater is set to 120 degrees.
Mom only ever used a double recipe of powdered milk and the live Dannon
culture to start, and 1/2 to 1 cup of the "made" yogurt from then on
with the hottest tap water for the milk, and the surrounding heat source
in a styrofoam ice chest to surround the gallon of milk in a glass jar.
24 hours later, we had a gallon of rich, thick yogurt she then stuck in
the 'frige.

I think that some people make it more complicated than it has to be.

<shrugs>



Worked for us anyway. As always, YMMV...
--
Peace, Om

Remove both _ (underscores) to validate gmail e-mails.

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Steve Rothstein

Jonathan Sachs wrote:
> I recently bought a yogurt maker, and have used it about a half dozen
> times. I'm having a problem reusing one batch of yogurt starter for
> the next. The instructions warned me that after a few batches the
> starter would get "tired," and I would have to start over with
> commercial starter. That would be fine, but the starter is not
> lasting for a few batches. The first time I use it the result is
> thinner than the original; the second time it's unusable.
>
> I'm following the directions I got, but they're vague. I wonder if
> I'm doing something wrong. I put a half cup of each new batch in a
> separate clean container, which I store in the fridge next to the
> regular container. When I make the next batch I stir in the half cup
> just before I put the batch in the yogurt maker.
>
> Any ideas?


I haven't made any yogurt in a couple of months, but I use commercial
"fruit on bottom" yogurt (before stirring it) as a first starter. I
make the yogurt in an insulated 1 liter mug, and when it's about empty I
just fill it up with heated milk and stir, using the leftovers of the
previous batch for a starter. After 4 or 5 generations, I'm usually
tired of yogurt and stop making it for a while.

Scalding the milk and letting it cool to 110° seems to produce a thicker
yogurt. I'm not sure why; probably has to do with denaturing the milk
proteins more than killing any competing bacteria.

Best regards,
Bob

"Jonathan Sachs" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:01:46 -0400, "Dee Dee" >
> wrote:
>
>>5 teaspoons each time out of the price of a large container of yoghurt -
>>you
>>do the math. How many teaspoons can you get? A lot.
>>I probably buy the most pricy of yogurts, and I consider it thrifty.
>
> 192 teaspoons, which is enough for 38.4 batches, if the yogurt lasts
> that long. If it lasts two weeks and I can time everything right,
> I'll get to make two batches before I have to throw out any of the
> yogurt that I haven't used. If I slip, I'll probably get one batch.
> So I'll end up buying commercial yogurt 1/3 to 1/2 of the time.
>
> When I have time I'll do the math and see which would be cheaper, that
> technique or using the commercial starter.
>
> Maybe I don't need a whole package of commercial starter to make a
> batch. I'll experiment with that.

So, buy the 1 cup size of plain yogurt. $0.89 or something like that?

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:55:37 GMT, I wrote:

>When I have time I'll do the math and see which would be cheaper, that
>technique or using the commercial starter.

An 8 oz cup of yogurt costs $0.89 and will start two batches before it
gets old. Cost per batch: $0.45.

A box of starter contains six packets and costs about $3.00. Cost per
batch: $0.50.

It's not enough difference to matter -- unless I find that I can make
yogurt with less than a whole packet of starter, which would make the
starter considerably cheaper.

I did learn something. I never realized that you could buy plain
yogurt in the little cups.

"Jonathan Sachs" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:55:37 GMT, I wrote:
>
>>When I have time I'll do the math and see which would be cheaper, that
>>technique or using the commercial starter.
>
> An 8 oz cup of yogurt costs $0.89 and will start two batches before it
> gets old. Cost per batch: $0.45.
>
> A box of starter contains six packets and costs about $3.00. Cost per
> batch: $0.50.
>
> It's not enough difference to matter -- unless I find that I can make
> yogurt with less than a whole packet of starter, which would make the
> starter considerably cheaper.
>
> I did learn something. I never realized that you could buy plain
> yogurt in the little cups.

??? How old are you? How many years have you shopping for food?

Omelet wrote:

> In article >,
> Jonathan Sachs > wrote:
>
>
>>I recently bought a yogurt maker, and have used it about a half dozen
>>times. I'm having a problem reusing one batch of yogurt starter for
>>the next. The instructions warned me that after a few batches the
>>starter would get "tired," and I would have to start over with
>>commercial starter. That would be fine, but the starter is not
>>lasting for a few batches. The first time I use it the result is
>>thinner than the original; the second time it's unusable.
>>
>>I'm following the directions I got, but they're vague. I wonder if
>>I'm doing something wrong. I put a half cup of each new batch in a
>>separate clean container, which I store in the fridge next to the
>>regular container. When I make the next batch I stir in the half cup
>>just before I put the batch in the yogurt maker.
>>
>>Any ideas?
>
>
> Might be your starter.
>
> We used unflavored Dannon "live culture" yogurt.
>
> Worked for us for many, many batches just passaging it over.
>
> But, we did not use a "yogurt maker". We used a one gallon jar and a
> styrofoam ice chest full of hot hot tap water.

I used unflavored Dannon live culture yogurt and a sterile one gallon
jar, incubated over night in an old fashioned oven with a pilot light
(about 100 degrees). Pour off the water in the morning (or add it to
the dogs' breakfasts) and refrigerate.

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:47:46 -0400, "Dee Dee" >
wrote:

>Buy a good brand of yogurt from the grocery store. Look at the date. It
>should last a couple of weeks.

The "good brand" needs to be gelatin free and "natural".

--
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remove the smiley face first

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 07:40:12 -0700, Bobo Bonobo® >
wrote:

> If you really need to thicken the yogurt, you're far
>better off using vegetable gums or gelatin tha

hahahaha! you're such a kidder

--
See return address to reply by email
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sf wrote:
> On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:47:46 -0400, "Dee Dee" >
> wrote:
>
>> Buy a good brand of yogurt from the grocery store. Look at the date. It
>> should last a couple of weeks.
>
> The "good brand" needs to be gelatin free and "natural".
>


No it doesn't. It just has to have "live cultures" to work.

Bob

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 23:42:33 -0500, zxcvbob >
wrote:

>sf wrote:
>> On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:47:46 -0400, "Dee Dee" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Buy a good brand of yogurt from the grocery store. Look at the date. It
>>> should last a couple of weeks.
>>
>> The "good brand" needs to be gelatin free and "natural".
>>
>
>
>No it doesn't. It just has to have "live cultures" to work.
>
semantics



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See return address to reply by email
remove the smiley face first

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:46:54 GMT, I wrote:

>An 8 oz cup of yogurt costs $0.89 and will start two batches before it
>gets old. Cost per batch: $0.45.
>
>A box of starter contains six packets and costs about $3.00. Cost per
>batch: $0.50.
>
>It's not enough difference to matter -- unless I find that I can make
>yogurt with less than a whole packet of starter, which would make the
>starter considerably cheaper.

I now have made two successful batches, about a week apart, with the
two halves of a packet of starter. That cuts the starter cost to
$0.25.

Next I'm going to see if I can make a batch with 1/3 packet of
starter. This is in the spirit of scientific inquiry -- $0.25/batch
is cheap enough that further economy isn't important.