Yogurt Making Starter Cultures: What Type & Results?

[Cheese Head]

Webmaster Edit @ March 28, 2009, merged 3 Topics into this 1 as all about Yogurt Making Starter Cultures.
Daughters asking what I want for Christmas and along with Yogurt Making "Machine" I posted in separate thread, I've also asked for some of the Cuisipro brand Yogurt Starter Culture from online store Amazon.com here in USA.

The picture of Cuisipro's Yogurt Starter Culture on Amazon actually reads Rolmex brand, so I went to Cuisipro's website and it also shows Rolmex Brand. So I went to Rolmex's website and it gives the description for the product as containing:

Made of freeze-dried ferments (lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus) which converts lactose into lactic acid that coagulates milk to make yogurt. Lactobacillus acidophilus is also found in our culture to maintain intestinal flora.

Lactobacillus Bulgaricus I think is the same as Lactobacillus Delbrueckii subspecies Bulgaricus, a commonly used in making yogurt

Streptococcus Thermophilus is also commonly used in Yogurt making.

Lactobacillus Acidophilus is also commonly used in Yogurt making.

So looks like routine cultures, nothing exotic, any advice on this subject appreciated!

[Tea]

From Cheeselinks here in Aussie, I can access three different yoghurt cultures.

1.  Type C yoghurt starter;  Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delkreukii subspecies bulgaricus.

2.  Type C aBt Starter;  Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium species, and Streptococcus thermophilus.

3.  Type C aBY Starter;  Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacteriun species, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbruekii subsp. bulgaricus.

So it would appear that the culture that you are looking at is just a normal "run of the mill" yoghurt culture.

Hope this helps.

[Cheese Head]

Thanks Tea, looks like I will have to go to specialty stores once I've used up my Amazon.com supply which I just got for Christmas.

Pictures attached, brand is different than Amazon.com website, just googled it and same company as La Groupe M. Vachon bought Rolmex Intl company in 1997, so same product.

Package says keep refrigerated, good thing they were shipped in winter, no manufactured date on them . Ingredients shows not just cultures and directions say to us both packages to make 2 litres of yogurt!!! But other users on Amazon.com USA sa they are using less amounts.

Will post results as use them . . .

[Tea]

Ok, well my cultures are different.  The packages will set upto 250ltr of milk, and last for a year in the freezer.  Mine are always posted with a freezer packet inside and noted that it is to be stored in a freezer at the post office.
I also use only a few grains or about 1/16th of a teaspoon of culture.

Will be interested in seeing how they work.  Good luck.

[Cheese Head]

My first yogurt making Batches #1 through #6 used very popular Dannon Brand, USA made, "All Natural Yogurt" as starter culture. Culture Ingredients shown in picture, unknown and Lactobacillus Acidophilus.

My results were very good, very similar to the parent as expected, lightly tart, smooth consistancy, but in my opinion, a slightly boring flavor.

[MrsKK]

I've been using a Greek yogurt as my culture and have been really pleased with the flavor of my yogurt.  It isn't as thick as the store-bought (because Greek yogurt has the whey strained out of it), but the flavor is wonderful.

I make about a gallon of yogurt a week.  Using raw milk and a double-boiler method (glass gallon jar on a rack inside a pot of water), I heat my milk to 160 degrees, then cool on the countertop (with a clean dishcloth over it to keep out the floaties).  The hot water from the pot goes into my Coleman personal cooler and the lid gets put back on.  Once the milk temp is down to about 100 degrees, I whisk about 1/2 cup of the milk into 1 cup of yogurt (from previous batch).  The culture then gets whisked thoroughly into the warm milk.

I remove 1 cup of the innoculated milk and put into a clean 1/2 pint canning jar, and snug down a plastic lid really well.  This is my culture for the next batch.

I then add about 1-1/2 cups sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the innoculated milk, again whisking well to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed in.  The lid gets put firmly on the jar and both jars get put into the Coleman cooler.  I allow about 10 hours for the yogurt to set up then put it in the fridge.

[DeejayDebi]

A gallon a week you must have kids! I have just recently learned about greek yogurt from a thread here somewhere. I will have to try that sometime. It looks almost like a cheese it so thick.

[MrsKK]

I do have one daughter at home, but I am the only human eater of yogurt in the house.  We add a couple of spoonsful of yogurt to our cat and dog dishes twice a day.  It has cut down on the amount of commercial food we have to buy and it has really given them nice coats.  I think they are all a lot healthier for it, too.

Yeah, the greek yogurt I bought as a culture was really nice and thick.  Although I make my own yogurt, I bought a quart container of it and ate all but a cup of it in two days.  I'd pass up any dessert, any time (even tiramisu!) for a bowl of good greek yogurt!

[DeejayDebi]

I will have to try this after such glowing recommendations. I watched a video here some place the other night. I will check it again. Thanks.

[Cheese Head]

Bit late in posting this but for starter culture I used a Lebanese Style Yogurt from local Lebanese Store here in Houston TX that is made by California based Karoun Cheese. So far it's my favourite.

[Cheese Head]

Pictures below of a store bought yogurt that I am currently using for my yogurt making starter, it's a "Homemade" Plain Yogurt from large primarily Eastern Mediterranean store here in Houston TX USA called Phoenicia Specialty Foods.

So far, California based Karoun Cheese's Lebanese style yogurt is still my favorite.