The goal throughout this time is to keep the yogurt at a fairly consistent temperature of about 110 F the optimal temperature for the bacteria to do its thing. The goal is to keep a constant temperature between 110-115F.
Allow the yogurt bacteria to incubate.
Best temperature to incubate yogurt. During this process the live cultures incubate thickening the milk into curd. The goal throughout this time is to keep the yogurt at a fairly consistent temperature of about 110 F the optimal temperature for the bacteria to do its thing. So I tried that with my latest batch.
The sliminess seems to have gone and it is nice and firm though I feel there is a slight fragility to the texture. One crucial variable is the incubation technique. Similar to hens sitting on eggs you must find a way to keep your yogurt babies warm and cozy for an extended period.
Temperatures between 100-110 F are ideal and stimulate the bacteria to reproduce faster than mosquitoes in my wooded backyard. Too hot and they die. The Folding Proofer has a temperature range from 70º F to 195º F.
While you dont want to raise the temperature all the way to 195º F your yogurt cultures will be cooked you can set it to the temperature on the yogurt starter instructions to create a cozy and consistent temperature for yogurt to culture. Therefore to make nice thick yogurt you must incubate it maintaining it in a temperature range between 110 and 115F43 and 46C. Incubation strategies the most challenging aspect of making yogurt and some other ferments are covered in chapter 3.
Tips for incubating your homemade yogurt. There are many different methods for incubating cultured milk and none is wrong as long as it works for you. The goal is to keep a constant temperature between 110-115F.
Below are some techniques Ive heard people try over the years with mixed results. The yogurt will be smoother and more stable less likely to leak whey when it sets at a temperature below 104 ºF 40 ºC. Being able to turn down the temperature during culturing is a key benefit of using the Proofer a benefit which allows the smoothest best texture to form see texture comparison in photo of spoons below.
As the warmed milk is combined with the yogurt starter the bacteria begin to feast on the lactose in the milk and produce lactic acid and the culture proliferates and spreads throughout the milk. The longer the culturing process goes on the longer the culture has time to multiply thereby increasing the amount of bacteria and acids in the yogurt while decreasing the lactose content of the milk. I heat it up to 185F cool it to 110F or so add my starter and then let it ferment at 110F for about 12 hours.
Then I pour it out strain it a little bit whisk it together and let it cool over night. It produces the thickest creamiest most delicious yogurt I have ever eaten. A folding proofer works well to maintain the right temperature to develop yogurt culture.
The temperature in a folding proofer has the option to be set between 21 degrees Celsius and 90 degrees Celsius. While you need to keep the cultures warm in winter it is imperative to keep it cool in summers. Yogurt cultures work best at 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Keep the milkyogurt warm Keep the milkyogurt warm around 110 degrees 43 C for 4-7 hours. You want to maintain this temperature reasonably well. The opportunity to.
The best way to cut rigid insulation. This incubator will keep your yogurt culture in the right temperature range over the 10 hours or so that it takes to become yogurt. The fresh goats milk yogurt that I made in my incubator was delicious.
Pour 12 gallon of milk int a large heavy bottomed sauce pot. For vanilla yogurt add 1T. Vanilla extract and 12 c.
Maple syrup honey or sucanat. Heat milk to 180 degrees or until it bubbles and forms a sking. Start checking the temperature after about a half-hour in the fridge.
When your milk reaches 115 degrees pull it from the refrigerator. Using a clean ladle remove about one cup of milk to a measuring cup. Add a few tablespoons of your store-bought yogurt or yogurt starter to it and stir until dissolved.
Incubate the yogurt containers holding the temperature between 105-122 degrees Fahrenheit 41-49 degrees Celsius and do not disturb them. Incubation temperature too high or too low. The temperature must be 108F to 112F for yogurt bacteria to grow properly.
Too high a temperature inactivates bacteria. Too low a temperature prohibits growthInhibitor substances such as detergent from dishes. When making yogurt the target temperature range is around 185 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit.
The milk is kept in that temperature range anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. Allow the yogurt bacteria to incubate. Keep the yogurt warm and still to encourage bacterial growth while keeping the temperature as close to 100ºF 38ºC as possible.
Top illustration by Tina Mailhot-Roberge. Which is why Im so excited that the Greatist team has decided to explore the world of DIY yoghurt-making and share it with Lifehacker.