Homemade Yogurt

[skilletlicker]

I want to make yogurt. Would like to make it using:
An Instant Pot with a Yogurt function
½ gallon 2% low-fat milk
Starter Culture - Chobani Greek Yogurt Non-Fat Plain

The leftover Chobani came in a 32-ounce container opened about 1 week ago. It is stamped with a sell-by(?) date of Feb 27, 2020.
Ingredients: Nonfat yogurt (cultured pasteurized nonfat milk).
6 live and active cultures: S. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, L. Casei, and L. Rhamnosus.
There are 5.5 ounces remaining.

I've read a lot of blog posts from stay-at-home mom types whose good intentions I don't doubt but not so sure about the depth of their experience or command of the science involved.

Any advice from experienced DC yogurt makers?

 

[GotGarlic]

msmofet makes yogurt in the Instant Pot. She posted her recipe here: https://www.discusscooking.com/foru...t-pot-greek-yogurt-pressure-cooker-98572.html

 

[msmofet]

I now do Cold start yogurt in the Instant Pot now. SO much easier. I will update the thread you posted GG.


https://www.discusscooking.com/forum...ker-98572.html

 

[pepperhead212]

Skillet I make yogurt all the time in the IP, too, and it works great. You do have to heat the milk up to 180° (to do the cold start you need ultra-pasteurized, which you probably won't find in 2%), and I usually add some dry milk powder, to add some body to the yogurt (1/4 c to a half gallon of milk). I always use 4 pint mason jars, and while the milk is cooling, I sterilize them in the microwave - I put them in there empty, while bringing 2 c of water to a boil, and put the 4 lids in the boiling water, when I take it out. Not something I would do for canning, but good enough for this! When the milk is down to 110°, I whisk a little of it into the culture, then I whisk that into the milk. Then pour it into the jars, seal, and process 8 hours in the IP.

 

[skilletlicker]

Thanks, Dave.
I am puzzled because all the recipes I've seen specify using whole fat yogurt as a staring culture. Can you see any reason why the non-fat Chobani with the cultures listed in my first post wouldn't work?

Also, I wonder why you can't use previously homemade yogurt as a starter.

 

[pepperhead212]

I really don't see why a whole milk culture would be necessary. It's not like they have different strains of yogurt in them, and you are using a very small amount, compared to the milk. And I almost always use some of my old yogurt, as the culture - when down to my last jar, I set some aside for the culture, then do something that uses a lot of yogurt to use the rest, like a raita, or pachadi.

Something I forgot to add to the process before: when the milk is up to 180°, I then strain it into another pot - I start in a 3 qt (I don't use the IP for this step), and strain into the 4 qt. one. Dried bits of milk get on the surface when heating up, and this will remove them. And I cool it with the lid on - slower, but the surface doesn't dry out this way. These are things I do without thinking about it, so I didn't even write them down.