Runny Yogurt

[Chrissy]

So I made yogurt (not the EDC version as it was runnier then this when I made it the first time) and now this one is very very runny.

Recipe was:
1 litre full cream milk
500g good quality yogurt (yes I questioned this but its right according to my consultant)

Milk into bowl 20mins/80/speed 2-3

Cool milk o 37degrees

Add yogurt 5 sec/speed 5. THEN 20mins 37/speed 2-3

Last 3 mins heat thermomserver with boiling water until hot to touch. Empty water out and add yogurt.

Keep in warm place for minimum 5-6 hours. Then in fridge for 12 hours.

I followed this recipe left it in the oven (turned off, to keep it at a constant temp) for 6 hours and it was in the fridge all day and it is mega runny.

What can I do with this? Its too expensive to throw it out as it's got over $4 worth of yogurt in it and is meant to be my starter.

[cathy79]

That sounds very much like this recipe, except it uses 1/4 cup of yoghurt - maybe 50gm - for 2 litres of yoghurt.  500g sounds like way too much.

I'd check out the thread above as there is lots of useful tips and uses for "failed" yoghurt.  I'd tripe check what was in the yogurt you used as a starter as the ingredients are crucial.

But you should be able to get 2 kilos of yoghurt for the price of 2 litres of milk.  I make this about once a week so saves me a fortune.

[achookwoman]

Chrissy,  You could strain it through a chux,   Use the liquid in place of liquid in other dishes.   Does sound like too much starter yogurt.

[hools003]

Chrissy, you could always freeze it in ice blocks and then when frozen put it in a snap lock bag and date and label. We do that sometimes and the kids make frozen fruit yoghurt or smoothies.

[Merlin]

I also was  told you only need about 50g of yoghurt. Before getting my Thermomix, I was making yoghurt with easiyo yoghurt maker. Once I am onto my last packet of culture I will use some of the yoghurt to try and start some yoghurt culture in the thermie. I don't know if anyone else has tried it with this brand of yogurt though.

[foodiepep]

adding more yoghurt as the starter shouldn't matter. Although less starter is more economical.

Even though it says 5-6 hours you need to make sure it is set before you put it in the fridge.

I've never had a yoghurt not set.  Besides using less starter I don't heat the thermoserve.  I also wrap the thermoserve in a thick hand towel just for extra 'thermo' ness.

I don't put it in the fridge until it is set, depending on the weather this time can vary. I often do it over night especially in winter.

[Merlin]

That's true. I leave mine out on the bench for about 12 hours or overnight, whichever the case may be. The yoghurt has always set that way. I don't think I have ever put it in the fridge until after it has set.

[mel81q]

whenever  mine is runny (more often than not) i strain it through a tea towel until it gets to the thickness i want. I would recommend this as it still tastes like yoghurt.

[hools003]

Just a thought, did you use yoghurt with live culture etc? No flavourings?  Think, but not sure, it should be pot set too!

[jsthermie]

I had problems with runny yogurt a couple of times too - used it as a "drinking style yogurt!"

It bugged me a bit and so I even went back to the conventional way of making yogurt as we go through several litres of it a week.
It was whilst doing it this way using my cooking thermometer (you add the yogurt to the milk when it's cooled to 43 degrees) that I had a brain wave - so I tried it in thermie again and when my machine said it was 37 degrees, I checked with my food thermometer and guess what - it was only just under 50 degrees! The 50 degrees light wasn't on as it was no longer 50 degrees but it wasn't 37 degrees either - and my guess is that anything above mid 40 degrees probably has some negative reaction with the bacteria.

So now I'm back to doing it with thermie (just more convenient than the conventional way) but I still use my thermometer to double check temp and I've got beautiful thick yogurt again!

(I also use a good quality organic yogurt as my starter - and only reuse my own yogurt  as a starter a couple of times and then purchase some again)

[faffa_70]

In one of the many yoghurt threads we had the discussion about needing to wait until the 37^o light no longer illuminated as when it was it could be anywhere between 37^o and also 49^o.

If you set the temp to 37^o the TMX will heat to and hold it at 37^o where as if you are waiting for it to cool as soon as it drops below 50^o that light will distinguish but the 37^o will remain illuminated until it is below 37^o.

Clear as mud??!! 
 

[jsthermie]

Ooh - that's clever! Have you done that and does it change the overall consistency? The method I used for the conventional method which was very time consuming but did produce to die for yogurt - stated not to disturb the milk as it cooled so the skin that forms stays in tact - not sure why though.

[Moo2]

I made yoghurt for the first time last night and it was runny too, even though I left it overnight. I ended up straining it through a tea towel but only ended up with 600g from 2L of milk.  Not a good return.  Mind you, I did end up with a beautiful creamy yoghurt which I used in the Indian Cookbook's Chicken in Yoghurt which we all loved.

I hadn't realized you add the yoghurt at 43oC, so I added mine at 37oC. Will try again and add the yoghurt sooner. I will also wrap the thermoserve in a towel as suggested by Foodiepep.