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This is the one I have. It makes everything very simple.
https://www.amazon.com/Euro-Cuisine-GY50-Greek-Yogurt/dp/B0091XNL0I/
ref=asc_df_B0091XNL0I/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167155690034&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4534850314801109145&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9002475&hvtargid=pla-275399569348&psc=1
After it cools, put it in a strainer for a few hours….whey will separate out and leave you with thicker Greek style yogurt. You can save the whey for smoothies and other uses.
I use commercial sized coffee filters in a drive. They hold about half a gallon of unsteadiness yogurt. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J5PTNHP/ref=syn_sd_onsite_mobileweb_291?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pd_rd_plhdr=t
This is my favorite Bulgarian Yogurt Starter (Makes 8... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WRRP8C6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Very tart and bright tasting. I like it because it's thick even without straining much. Sometimes I make it will half and half if I want something creamier.
I steam a gallon of 2% milk. Let it cool. Pour it back into it's container with a funnel and add one opened Jarrow EPS pill. I put a heating pad in a large plastic bucket on medium and put the milk (open) on top of the heating pad and insulated it with towels, snug in the bucket so it stays warm. In like 12 hours it starts to thicken and is done/fermented. If you leave it too long it will separate and you will have 1/2 lactic acid and almost cheese. Then I put it the top on it and put it in the fridge and when it cools I make fruit smoothies with it. It may be a little clumpy but the blender works that out and you have the most powerful yogurt with 8 strains of bacteria that totally coats your digestive system. I drank a smoothie every morning and before bed and in like 4 months I recolonized my digestive system with the 8 beneficial bacteria strains. You have to be diligent and drink it every day for a few months to kill the bad bacteria and replace it. Now I drink one a couple of times a week. It's like I have a new stomach. The pills alone never were able to colonize in my digestive system. This stuff did. But I drank two smoothies a day for a few months before my digestive problems were solved. That was my experience. No one told me to do this...I sort of figured it out. https://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formulas-Jarro-Dophilus-billion-veggie/dp/B00014DZ98
What kind of kefir are you using? I think the ones in the store are pretty weak. Have you tried growing your own culture? This is the starter that I bought on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Grains-Unleashed-Thomas-Egbert/dp/B007GGRJTG/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?crid=2J1LH6W4L50KS&keywords=kefir&qid=1656637916&sprefix=kefir%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-11
My yogurt game went through the roof when I started using these as a starter. They slide open and you can store them in the fridge for years. Eight strains are better than one. https://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formulas-Jarro-Dophilus-Supports-Intestinal/dp/B0013OUKTS
When I started straining, I just lined a colander with a large piece of tshirt material (I bought a yard of it from a fabric shop). I now have a "greek yogurt" strainer that I line with the same material. This was overkill, but it fits in my fridge to drain overnight, the other setup did not. The greek yogurt strainer worked alone, but didn't strain as well without the cloth and was a pain to clean.
Also, I personally would rather wide mouth quart jars for my storage. Currently I use quart plastic containers (like what you'd get soup in at most Chinese take out restaurants)
I use the Eurocuisine Yogurt Strainer. It works well. I am not associated with them or Amazon.
>would a yogurt strainer like this work or should I line that with extra layers of cheesecloth to prevent the yogurt bleeding out as well?
I haven't done any proper straining, so I can't really say much. Based on the product page it seems to be an alternative to a cheesecloth though.
>I was wondering btw, why most instructions say to bring milk up to specifically 180F and then cool, while others are heating it was past that and holding for longer periods of time?
180°F seems to be the minimum temperature for denaturing the proteins in the milk, so you have to heat it at least that hot. If you get up to 212°F you risk having the milk boil over and making a mess on your stove, or getting burnt milk solids adhered to your pot. I don't mind stirring it and fiddling with the knob to prevent it boiling over, so I just keep it as hot as I can for as long as I'm willing.
>do most people get that froth foam layer on the top when incubating?
It depends how you let it cool. If your milk had foam on the top when it was hot you'll get a surface that looks like that. I skim off the foam and leave the milk undisturbed while it cools because I prefer it forming a skin (most people I know don't seem to like a skin though).
>So what do you mean by diminishing returns?
I mean the bacteria do most of the work early on, then gradually slow down. So you're going to see a much bigger difference incubating 4 hours vs 6 hours than you would with 14 hours vs 16 hours. At some point they'll have consumed pretty much everything and are just going to go dormant or die.
>more sour-tasting and what else? (less cultures? more runny? ruined? etc.)
Just more sour tasting. Maybe more whey separation too, but there seem to be a number of factors that affect that and I don't really understand them.
I actually took the yogurt out after cooling and checked it out - will have a video update later :) For now I'll address your reply (thanks for that btw)
- I tried a spoon after cooling - actually has that pretty sour/mildish-sour taste and consistency of thinner yogurt. I'm thinking of straining it to get rid of the excess liquid and thicken it up a bit - would a yogurt strainer like this work or should I line that with extra layers of cheesecloth to prevent the yogurt bleeding out as well?
- RE: Contamination, water dropping in there, and measuring temperature - very helpful and all sounds good!
- RE: preparing the milk - so you're saying that using the "boil" function on the instantpot should be good even if it does shoot it up to ~200F at some points?Also, I was wondering btw, why most instructions say to bring milk up to specifically 180F and then cool, while others are heating it was past that and holding for longer periods of time?
- Also - do most people get that froth foam layer on the top when incubating? (I'm pretty sure it's from whisking thoroughly - not sure if there's a way to prevent it or remove it properly)
Woah - this is super insightful!
I have been incubating them with the lids off inside the yogurtmaker (it was on the instructions of it and other places ive read - to incubate with yogurtmaker cover on, but jar lids off, and then put the lids on for cooling/storage in the fridge).... I wonder if the plastic dome cover is enough or if I shoul dhave sealed the jars too.
Been using the https://www.amazon.com/Euro-Cuisine-YMX650-Automatic-Digital/dp/B002BQ98EU
Here is a heating pad I've actually used:
I has 3 heating settings... when I put it on medium and wrap a towel around the cooking pot, my yogurt stays about 105 degrees F. Placing a cutting board under helps send heat to your fermentation vessel.