John's Yogurt Making #11 - Yogurt Machine Method, With Tapioca Flour

[Cheese Head]

This batch using Salton Brand Model YM-9 Electric Yogurt Making Machine and standard Yogurt Recipe using store bought US made Abali Brand plain Yogurt from local Eastern Mediterranean store as starter culture:

RECORDS

• Sep 6, 2009, 8:15PM: Fillled clear plastic after market container with store bought pasteurized homogenized 1% cow's milk from jug in fridge to 1 litre level. Placed in wall type microwave, zapped for 5 minutes & 30 seconds to re-pasteurize milk, covered to avoid skin forming and placed in freezer to cool.
• Sep 6, 2009, 9:00AM: After 40 minutes, temp cooled to 115 F/45 C. In bowl, mixed 2 fluid ounces of Abali yogurt and 2 Tablespoons (1 fluid ounce, 15 ml) of Tapioca Flour/Starch, (note, no normal milk powder as using whole milk). Trickled in 2 cups warm milk while whisking continuously to maximize dilution. Trickled cultured-Tapioca'd milk into container of milk while whisking in steadily. Placed in yogurt machine, put lid loosly on container and cover on machine, plugged machine in, and set reminder dial to 9 when started fermentation.
• Sep 7, 2009, 6:00AM: Unplugged machine, sealed lid on yogurt, and placed in fridge to set.

NOTES

• Sep 10, 2009: Eat some of yogurt, not thick, should have added powdered milk, also, bottom of container was very thick, settling?

[makkonen]

Curious to hear about this one. I'm sure there's a good additive to make a smooth/creamy/thick homemade yogurt that acts like the storebought stuff. Starch/pectin/soluble fiber/something. I recently tried low-methoxyl pectin (Pomona's Universal Pectin). It gels in the presence of calcium, so it seemed like it was made for producing a thick, smooth yogurt.

I don't know if I used too much (3 tsp:1 gallon milk), or fermented too long (~4 hours in a 110* oven), but it ended up grainy, and too thick, and wouldn't dissolve on the tongue, and would break apart into semi-hard lumps instead of a smooth curd and whey.

So, I'm back to my standby -- making 2 gallons at a time, and then straining off the whey, blending, and ending with just shy of 4 quarts of lovely Greek style yogurt. Always smooth, always thick, and it's oddly satisfying to make for $4.50 what it'd cost me about $30+ to buy in the store.

Anyway, I hope your starch thickened attempt comes through. Question: It doesn't need to be heated to boiling to gel?

And have you noticed any differences in quality between microwaved and stove-simmered milk? I recall hearing horror stories about how the microwave harms the proteins, etc... but I'm more than willing to believe that's some sort of luddite scare tactic.

[Cheese Head]

mako, I just made another batch after which re-read your post.

Thanks for the info on your results with low-methoxyl pectin. I get grainy yogurt if I don't stir my culture enough.

Good thoughts, maybe Tapioca Flour does need to be boiled like Corn Starch, I don't know, plus how would I do that without killing the yogurt culture? I'll have to think.

I've only ever microwaved my milk, never direct heated, so don't know the difference. Assume you are heating yours as 2 gallons is too much to microwave?

[DeejayDebi]

I've never used the microwave for yogurt. Do you just nuke it to get the high heat?

[cmharris6002]

Good thoughts, maybe Tapioca Flour does need to be boiled like Corn Starch, I don't know, plus how would I do that without killing the yogurt culture? I'll have to think.

In my experience it doese have to be cooked to get the best texture. I add the tapioca flour to the hot milk mixture and stir continuously until temp reaches 180 again. It will be thickend but not as thick as when fully set.

[Cheese Head]

Thanks Christy, will try that method of adding Tapioca Flour in next batch!

[cmharris6002]

I hope it works out for you John. I wanted to mention that often I stop short of 180F, like maybe 170F. Once it starts to thicken you run the risk of scorching so be careful...

[Sailor Con Queso]

Just to be clear. That's 2 tablespoons of Tapioca Starch for a litre of milk. Right? So, that would convert to around 8 tablespoons a gallon.

Don't want to end up with concrete.

[Cheese Head]

Sailor, correct, I'm using that dosage rate based on Christy's Yogurt Recipe which uses Tapioca Flour.