# making buttermilk starter from raw milk



## MrsMucket (Jul 25, 2014)

I've been trying to make buttermilk starter from raw milk per Dave Fankhauser's website http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/BUTTERMILK.HTM. You start with a cup of raw milk, let it clabber, mix 1/4 cup of the clabber with a cup of fresh milk, repeat a few times.

On my second try now, and mine keeps separating to about 1/3 whey and 2/3 clabber. Does anyone know if this will work as a starter (either just the clabbers or stirred back up)?

Thanks


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## danil54grl (Mar 10, 2014)

What I do to make buttermilk, which it looks like the same here. You have to buy a 'Cultured Buttermilk' from the store. In a quart size jar (I use a Mason Jar) add in 1 cup buttermilk, then pour in your raw milk to the top. Shake up and leave out on a counter at room temp about 24 hours. I shake periodically as I walk by the jars. The buttermilk should be formed and then stick in fridge


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## sweetiepie (Apr 24, 2015)

I make my buttermilk like this. I heat a quart of raw milk to 185 degrees and hold there for 30 minutes, stirring often. Then cool to 77 degrees. Then gently stir in 1/8 tsp freeze dried buttermilk culture or 3/4 cup of buttermilk (either from the store or from your previous batch of buttermilk). Pour into a sterilized jar and place in a warm place over night. Then refrigerate. Buttermilk can be used as a culture for up to one week, then if you still want to use it as a culture you should freeze it. I freeze mine in ice cube trays. Each ice cube is about 2 oz. Just melt before you want to make buttermilk again.


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## melco (May 7, 2006)

Sweetie pie, why do you hear it? Can this be done without doing that?


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## sweetiepie (Apr 24, 2015)

melco said:


> Sweetie pie, why do you hear it? Can this be done without doing that?


Without doing what part? The culture or heating the milk? This is how most of the dairy books tell me to do it. With there own spin of course. 

I don't know of any way to make it with out some kind of culture. I think the heating the milk is to kill unwanted bacteria to keep your culture pure, so if you use that starter culture over and over again it doesn't start to take on off flavors. Sort of like yogurt.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

I make my butter milk when I get a deal on powdered, fresh whole or evaporated that is pre expiration marked down and toss in a cup of cultured butter milk into a 3/4 gallon to allow for working, shake churn it a bit then set it on the counter with the cap loose and covered with a towel to keep it in the dark to allow it to culture for about 16 hours before tight capping it and shake churning it before putting it in the fridge to stop the culturing.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

danil54grl said:


> What I do to make buttermilk, which it looks like the same here. _*You have to buy a 'Cultured Buttermilk' from the store*_. In a quart size jar (I use a Mason Jar) add in 1 cup buttermilk, then pour in your raw milk to the top. Shake up and leave out on a counter at room temp about 24 hours. I shake periodically as I walk by the jars. The buttermilk should be formed and then stick in fridge


That's how I started mine, only I used store-bought milk (no milk critters). When it gets down to about an inch in the quart jar, I pour it into a clean jar, top it with more milk, let it set in in a warm place for 24 hours, then give it a good stir and then pop it into the fridge.

I always keep two quarts going (we use a lot of buttermilk!) and rotate.


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