# Yogurt incubator



## HillsideWayCSA (Feb 22, 2010)

Ok so today I got my egg incubator in the mail. Which gave me the bright idea, why not use it to incubate my yogurt? I've been pondering it all day trying to think of why it wouldn't be a good idea. But so far I can't think of any reason to not put it to good use since it's not in use otherwise. 

Anyone think of a good reason an egg incubator wouldn't work to incubate yogurt? Maybe I'm missing something even thinking about it. But it just seems logical to me.


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## Navotifarm (Dec 16, 2009)

Well, I suppose you could use your incubator for yogurt but several things immediately came to my mind, the first being, why would you want to? You sUrely paid quite a bit of money for your poultry incubator, much more than you woUld pay for a comparably-sized yogurt incubator which would also have a container or containers which your egg incubator doesn't have since eggs are self container. Assming your new incubator has an egg turner, you don't need it for yogurt. Your egg incubator runs at 98.5 or thereabouts which is really too hot for yogurt. Many people just heat their milk and culture, then simply swaddle it or have it in a thermos without adding further heat. If you have already incubated chicks, you might add something to your yogurt you don't want, like salmonella. Lastly, baby birds are so much more fun than yogurt!


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## HillsideWayCSA (Feb 22, 2010)

I was thinking when it wasn't in use. Since I won't be hatching eggs 365 days a year. Actually I was thinking of this week since I just got it yesterday in the mail and I won't be putting anything in it for a little while. That would make it pay for itself faster. And I can dial the temp down pretty low or pretty high, just a turn of the handle. And it's quite tall inside, tall enough for the pint jars I've been using to store the yogurt in. 

On a side note. All the places I've read about yogurt say to incubate at 100-110. I don't think I've ever seen a 98.5. But either way it's adjustable.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

98.5 is on the low side for yogurt from all I've read. The purchases starter I have says 105-115 for 8 hours. The instructions i have using store bought yogurt for starter has 120 for 4 hours. 

I make my yogurt and put in in sterilized jars so there is no chance of anything getting into the yogurt until I open the jars up. I would not do it with an open container. Once my jars have set I take them out and put them in the fridge for storage. 

I use my dehydrator - I can easily fit quart jars (use wide mouth) and do two gallons at a time. I figure I will have covered the cost of the machine in 6 months as my yogurt costs me about 16 cents a cup (8 oz). I didn't buy it for yogurt, but it is an added plus. 2 gallons lasts me and DH about a week. I had to cut back eating cheese and don't like to drink milk - but I have no problem eating 2 cups of yogurt a day. I'm at a point in my life I need to make sure I'm getting calcuim. I use 1% milk to keep the calories down.


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## HillsideWayCSA (Feb 22, 2010)

The egg incubator worked perfect. The yogurt isn't runny at all, it's nice and thick like you get at the store. I'm excited about this yogurt because I started using yogurt as a substitute for miracle whip and now that it's nice and thick it should be easy to flavor and spread. 

I can only fit pint size jars in the incubator but they fit pretty good. I left it at 100 even, give or take a couple degrees. I started the milk in my crockpot because it heats it to without burning it (I've yet to figure out how to heat it without burning otherwise). So I think I have a winner. Sure I'll have to sterilize the incubator when I use it for eggs but for health reasons since my kids help out with all the farm chores anyways I tend to try to keep everything sanitary. 

Let the yogurt making begin! Ooooh and now I can try to make yogurt cheese. Awesome! That thin yogurt just pours through the cheese cloth like milk (just takes longer). 

Macybaby that food dehydrator looks neat, I've never seen one like it. I use one of those stackable round tray kind so it'd never work for since the trays are only an inch or so tall. But I'll have to keep my eye open for one like you have.


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## Heritagefarm (Feb 21, 2010)

I wouldn't put yogurt in our incubators - they're antiques and smell like hatching chicks all the time!


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## HillsideWayCSA (Feb 22, 2010)

Ew yea I could see how that would be a problem. I just bought mine new so no funky smells just yet.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Yah, I don't think I'd want to use my well used incubators for yogurt, even after I wash them they don't smell too good. 

BTW, I've used my crockpot to make yogurt. First I heat the milk in it, then I turn it off and drape it with a towel overnight, worked pretty well. I found the directions on a website, you'd need them to do it right. I wasn't fully satisfied with the texture every time though.


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## Maggie (May 12, 2002)

I use a heating pad for incubating yogurt. Set the jars on top, cover with an overturned pot, and put a towel over~8 hours later=yogurt. Oh, the temp. is set at low


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