# Runny Yogurt



## CarolynRenee (Jan 30, 2008)

I've made about five batches of yogurt in the past year, and every time I end up straining it through cheesecloth in the fridge just to get it to be thick enough.

I've made batches heating up to 180 degrees (pasteurizing it) and also at 120degrees using fresh, homegrown goat milk and Dannon plain yogurt as a starter. I put the new yogurt mixture into quart jars and into a cooler that has 120degree water in it, close the lid & let sit overnight.

Am I doing something wrong, or is homemade yogurt always more runny than storebought?


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I have been waiting for someone to answer - I have this trouble too. I use a yogurt starter. I have had much better results with powdered milk. I also have a yogurt maker, but it still turns out more runny than I would like. Hope someone has some idea for both of us.


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## CarolynRenee (Jan 30, 2008)

I've follow Fankhauser's recipe (http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese.html) to the "T", and still can't get to look like he does in his pictures. He does, however, say that if you want it a bit thicker to add 4 Tbsp. of powdered milk at the beginning. I guess I'll try that next time.

Also, the last time I attempted to make the yogurt, I added a cup & a half of starter (opposed to the normal 1 cup) hoping that more good culture would help it along, but I still got the same results.


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## goatsareus (Jun 23, 2007)

I'm making yogurt as I type..here's what I do

heat one quart of milk to 180*F

boil a pot of water and sterilize a measuring spoon and measuring cup and the container to hold the milk/yogurt

cool milk to 115*F

measure out one heaping tablespoon of yogurt into the sterilized measuring cup with the measuring spoon, stir in a few tablespoons of cooled milk and stir. Then dump this yogurt/milk mixture into the cooled milk and stir. I also add some maple syrup and some homemade vanilla. Pour into the sterilized jar, place in yogurt maker. Incubate about 8 hours. Carefully remove the yogurt from the maker and place in the frig and leave for at least 6 hours to thoroughly chill. My yogurt is thick enough to stand up in a heap on a spoon. It is not liquid at all. Do not stir or jar the yogurt, that will loosen it.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

thanks, Goatsareus
I will do it just like to suggested. I didn't think to let it cool before worrying about it.


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## Zookeeper (Sep 7, 2006)

I have made yogurt with both goat milk and Jersey milk, making them both by the same methods, and I have yet to get goat milk yogurt that is NOT runny, but the Jersey yogurt is great every time. I'm not sure why.


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## MariaAZ (Jun 5, 2007)

I had a quart of half&half wasting away in the fridge, so I decided to make yogurt by adding some leftover milk (maybe a cup or so) and using a live culture greek-style yogurt as the starter. The stuff turned out incredibly thick; just like greek-style. It wasn't the yogurt I used as the culture, as I tried it with regular milk in the past and got runny yogurt. I've made several batches since then, using half&half and they all came out really thick. I thought it was the increased fat content. Maybe that's why the Jersey yogurt turns out too?


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## Zookeeper (Sep 7, 2006)

MariaAZ said:


> I had a quart of half&half wasting away in the fridge, so I decided to make yogurt by adding some leftover milk (maybe a cup or so) and using a live culture greek-style yogurt as the starter. The stuff turned out incredibly thick; just like greek-style. It wasn't the yogurt I used as the culture, as I tried it with regular milk in the past and got runny yogurt. I've made several batches since then, using half&half and they all came out really thick. I thought it was the increased fat content. Maybe that's why the Jersey yogurt turns out too?


Yeah, that's what I'm thinkin' too...


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I made yogurt last week. I use powdered milk for it - the non-instant kind. I mixed it a bit thicker than usual and used the yogurt starter. I have a yogurt maker. I left it on for 12 hours - I have very nice, thick yogurt this time - especially AFTER I left in the fridge over night.

Thanks for the help!


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## homebodies (Jul 8, 2008)

Proof that Dannon has no live cultures!
I tried it too and no luck.
I use a dehydrated yugurt culture called Yogourmet.
I add a little powdered milk to make it thicker.


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## NewlandNubians (Jul 10, 2003)

Try the bulgarian yogurt culture. New England Cheesemaking sells it. When it is done culturing it is semi thick but really thickens up when refrigerated. An added bonus - sometimes after freezing and thawing it'll separate out a bit of whey on top and you can pour that off carefully. Additionally I find it's much sweeter than regular yogurt. I can't stand regular yogurt but love the bulgarian.


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## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

Zookeeper said:


> I have made yogurt with both goat milk and Jersey milk, making them both by the same methods, and I have yet to get goat milk yogurt that is NOT runny, but the Jersey yogurt is great every time. I'm not sure why.


Zookeeper, I have a jersey as well. Do you pretty much follow the method given above? I assume you are using whole raw milk and do not skim the cream?


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

I'm still trying to figure this out because I have the same problem. Is it that it needs more fat, more live cultures, or both?


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## goatsareus (Jun 23, 2007)

Karen said:


> I'm still trying to figure this out because I have the same problem. Is it that it needs more fat, more live cultures, or both?



It does not need more cultures, this is not a case where more is better. Follow your instructions, the instructions I gave above, and try the Bulgarian culture, that is the culture I use too.


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## Zookeeper (Sep 7, 2006)

Mrs. Homesteader said:


> Zookeeper, I have a jersey as well. Do you pretty much follow the method given above? I assume you are using whole raw milk and do not skim the cream?


I make between a half-gallon and a gallon at a time. I do use whole raw milk, keep all the yummy cream  I have been heating the milk to the boiling point in the microwave, cause that's just the recipe I found, I haven't done it heating milk to 180. Let cool to about 115. Add yogurt culture...I have used both purchased freeze-dried culture for some batches but when I have yogurt left I use that as the culture for the next batch (about 1/2 c. to a gallon of milk works fine for me). The purchased culture seemed to make a smoother yogurt than using yogurt itself as the culture. Don't know why. Both are good and both are thick. 

I do not have a yogurt maker, I have been putting mine in a cooler and putting a heating pad over the mason jars that I incubate the yogurt in, leave for 8-10 hours.


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