I'm having a problem with my yogurt coming out lumpy. I haven't been able to get a starter of fully fat plain yogurt at the grocery here in town and bought the only plain yogurt they had which is NON fat. I have attempted two batches and they both have come out lumpy. Yuck.

The first batch I used the warm water bath method, so I thought perhaps the temp had varied too much...the second batch I used the heating pad wrap and got the same results. I haven't had a problem with either method in the past. Is it, as I suspect, the non fat yogurt? Thanks!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), December 15, 2000

Answers

Doreen, I don't have an answer, but another question....I made yogurt a few days ago, and it didn't turn out either. I came to the archives and read a bit, and left with the impression that bringing the milk to 180 degrees was not mandatory, and since I used organic milk that was already pastuarized, I skipped that step. My yogurt never set up, and that is the only thing I did different from every other time. Any responses?

-- Cathy in NY (hrnofplnty@yahoo.com), December 15, 2000.

Doreen, you don't need fat in your starter to make yogurt successfully. In order to prevent curdling it's important to make sure the milk is properly cooled (around 110 degrees) when you add the starter, then to stir it in thoroughly, and most of all, DON'T MESS WITH IT while incubating in a warm spot!!! The bacteria that give yogurt a good taste grow best at 110-115 degrees, so maintaining that temp as evenly as possible will give you the shortest incubation period. Higher temp may kill it, and lower temp will mean longer incubation, higher concentration of lactic acid and more sour taste. Good luck with your next batch!

-- Leslie A. (lesliea@home.com), December 15, 2000.

Cathy, since your question hasn't been answered yet, let me just say that I've HEARD that heating the milk to 180 degrees or higher does help to set the yogurt. I've always heated the milk because that was how I learned to do it, so I'm afraid I have no experience to offer on making yogurt without doing that. If your yogurt didn't set at ALL, then I'd also question the starter. Some store-bought yogurts are pasteurised and do not contain live cultures.

Keep in mind that what I said about the effect of initially heating the milk is what I heard, not what I know, but since no one else has said anything I figure it's better than nothing!

-- Leslie A. (lesliea@home.com), December 15, 2000.

It may have cooled down to quick - After I mix in my starter I put the container into a another container with warm water and then cover the whole thing with blankets.

If it is to hot than the yogurt sometimes will come out hard but with a bunch of little lumps (throw it in the blender and they go away!)

If it is a too cold then it gets something like milk mixed in with clumpy yogurt like things (great stuff for a nice yogurt cake!!).

When my yogurt comes out perfect , sometimes I put it in a cheesecloth and let it drain for a couple hours then mix it up with some vanilla and sugar or honey.

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), December 16, 2000.