Welcome to the forum!
. As I don't make yoghurt I'm of no help to you with that. Yoghurt seems so complicated once you've gotten used to making kefir. Have you ever made kefir using what are known as "kefir grains"? ( weird term since they are not grains but actually little colonies that look like rubbery pieces of cauliflower). Homemade kefir is very different than store-bought kefir and tastes quite like yoghurt but it's a zillion times easier to make and has more probiotic action.
Most kefir directions have you put your kefir grains in a jar, add the amount of milk that they can kefir in 24 hours and leave on the counter until the next day, then strain out the kefir grains and repeat in a fresh sterilized bottle. Realizing that kefir was made by nomads without a dishwasher to sterilize bottles, etc, and being what you could either call lazy or extremely busy, I decided to assume there was an easier way so here's what I do:
I rarely wash my jar since I believe this was originally made in animal skin containers by peoples who poured out what they needed and then added the morning milking to the skin for the next day's kefir. Each morning I pour out what I need (onto my granola) and then add more milk. it sits on the counter unless I have so many kefir grains that they are turning it into kefir too fast at that temp in which case it goes into the fridge partway through the day. (and then I eat a few kefir grains to get it back into balance). When I end up with too much kefir I make kefir cheese using the same technique one uses to make yoghurt cheese: ladle or pour it into tight-grained unbleached cotton muslin and hang to drain. it's delicious plain, with fruit or blended with savory herbs and SO good for you!
Once in a while, or every day if I need to up my kefir production, I strain out the kefir grains and bottle the plain kefir and start fresh with the grains and milk in a clean jar. (I do not sterilize because it's not necessary but I do wash my jars with hot soapy water just like the rest of the dishes.)
kefir can be thick or thin, mild and creamy or tart with a bite. it's all about the ratio of milk to kefir grains and length of time before straining or using. All the results are edible and tasty and the kefir grains are colonies of 34 micro-organisms so kefir is extremely health giving.
No equipment needed, no temperature monitoring, so easy to make that you don't need to make a big batch...just a bit everyday in that easy "kefir rhythm". kefir grains are usually available from someone locally or you can order them through the mail but make sure you are getting real kefir grains, not a powder that will make only a batch or two. You cannot get kefir grains from store bought kefir or make it by adding kefir.....you really need those little kefir grains.
Hope I haven't bored you!
. -Kathrin