Yoghurt incubation at home

November 1, 2009 4:15 PM

Please help make yoghurt at home now that all the light bulbs have gone

For the last few months I’ve been making large amounts of yoghurt in 2 litre glass jars. I’ve been incubating for a full 24 hours to ensure that all the lactose is converted into lactic acid. I’ve also been using UHT shelf stable milk and not bothering to heat it up to near boiling before adding the culture. I just pour the carton of milk into the jar, add in some starter culture and keep the jars in a box with a light bulb for 24 hours. It works like a treat.
However, due to the recent phase out of incandescent light bulbs in Australia, I can’t get my home made incubator up to the right temperature with one or two fluorescent light bulbs. Plus, I would like to start using goat’s milk or other varieties of fresh milk and don’t like the thought of fussing about with saucepans full of large quantities of near boiling milk on the stove top.
What I would love, is some type of vessel that allows me to heat up a glass jar full of milk to 180F (85C), then bring it down to 100F (38C) then maintain it at 100-110F (38-43C) for 24 hours without danger of burning the house down. I’ve looked for heat pads and beer brewing belt heaters and haven’t found anything that I think I could use.
A simple yoghurt maker is my plan B. There are not many models available in Australia and they don’t have much thermostat control, and they mostly use strange little plastic containers. Ideally I’d like to be able to stick to glass jars.
I'd be prepared to spend up to $200 maybe if I could buy/build the 'ultimate yoghurt solution'.
Thanks in advance.

posted by bingoes to food & drink (17 comments total)

Oh, FFS. Send me your address via MetaMail and the wattage bulbs you want and I'll send you a few gratis.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 4:23 PM on November 1 [2 favorites has favorites]

Is a method like this something you'd be willing to try out?
posted by bigmusic at 4:23 PM on November 1

I would have sworn that first line was an awkward euphemism. I mean, sure, lets! But what's this doing on AskMefi?

More inside, indeed.

As for a real answer: will a crock pot (we also call them "slow cookers" hereabouts) not do the trick for you? They're designed to keep food at low but non-hazardous temperatures for prolonged periods, but I don't know particular brands will or won't support the temperatures you're asking for.
posted by mhoye at 4:25 PM on November 1

Buy a halogen lamp instead, if you need that much control. They get blisteringly hot, far hotter than incandescents, so you'll only need one, and maybe a bigger box.

Or you could buy an incubator, though they can get pricey.

I understand where you're coming from, though. I tried making yoghurt last year, and it was pretty shit after the second batch, every time (the starter, as it were, getting weaker and weaker). I didn't blame it on temp variations at the time, but maybe I should have.
posted by smoke at 4:29 PM on November 1

If you have $200 to spend, you could probably get a sous-vide temperature controller and hook it up to some sort of cheap crock pot.
posted by kickingtheground at 4:32 PM on November 1

Get halogen bulbs. Also, there are some halogen bulbs in 'normal' bulb enclosures. Run about ~35W for a 50-60W equiv, I've seen them at bunnings and foodland (though I'm sure you can get 'em anywhere). I have a pile of 60W incandescent if you want (bayonet fittings). I can send 'em to you!
posted by defcom1 at 4:42 PM on November 1

Do you have a gas oven? We do, and the pilot light keeps it at a warm enough temperature that we use it for just this purpose regularly (although we do the boil on the stove first).
posted by dr. boludo at 4:49 PM on November 1

What you need is a ceramic reptile heater. The same amount of heat, none of the light, and they even screw into standard light-bulb sockets (at least, standard North American ones.) Pricier than light bulbs, of course, but doable as long as you don't need too many of them.
posted by Johnny Assay at 5:09 PM on November 1

I read a blog where the owner makes yogurt using a cooler filled with hot water. She does the boil on the stove first, too.
posted by CathyG at 6:15 PM on November 1

Yogurt is one of the countless things you can make on top of an espresso machine.
posted by foodgeek at 7:07 PM on November 1

Big pot (30 liters I think). Bring up to 180-200ish farenheit (bubbles are forming, top of milk is frothy, turn the heat down quick, or you'll boil over). Let it cool to 110-120 degrees, takes about 2 hours, maybe more. Dump in your yogurt culture. Cover. Wrap the whole thing in the biggest ugliest comforter you have.

You don't need to do it for 24 hours, I don't think. Overnight usually seems to leave no yogurt unyogurted. I do 2 gallons at a time this way.
posted by sully75 at 7:29 PM on November 1

Alton Brown recommends an electric blanket, as I recall.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:33 PM on November 1

Is the problem that you are looking for a "one-tool" solution or that heating pads and the like don't have enough temperature control? Because it seems like they would be perfect for the "holding" phase of the process....
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:40 PM on November 1

I inherited (uh, swiped, really) an Excalibur dehydrator from my brother. For yogurt making I pull the shelves out and put jars of milk in. Works perfectly. And it's an excellent dehydrator, so it's good for making a bunch of other things. I'd say get one of those rather than getting a single-purpose yogurt maker.
posted by madmethods at 7:50 PM on November 1

Yes, EasiYo is strange plastic contraption, but it's what I'd certainly recommend. No need to use their overpriced yogurt packets. I use room temperature UHT milk (pre-sterlized), a few scoops of milk powder (for a thicker yogurt) and a bit of starter culture, then leave it to incubate overnight. Extremely simple, and the yogurt's come out perfect every time. Yeah, it's only one liter at a time, but I'm sure you could adapt a glass jar to work in the thing. It's also about the cheapest solution.
posted by Etaoin Shrdlu at 7:54 PM on November 1

In a glass bowl, microwave milk till temp reaches approximately 200 degrees F. Cool to 125 F. Use a candy thermometer to verify temperatures. Stir in culture. Pour into jars, cover with lids, or clean cloth, then place jars into picnic cooler. While milk is heating, boil water in kettle. Place entire kettle in the cooler, to warm the environment. Do not pour water into the cooler, leave it in the kettle. Leave overnight or all day while you are out. Yogurt, mmmm.
posted by woman at 8:26 PM on November 1 [1 favorite has favorites]

oh and the other thing...I don't think you need to hold the temperature at a consistent heat the whole process. It works just fine to let it cool slowly. If you wrap a blanket around a pot, the pot will often times be quite warm bordering on hot 6 hours later. Maybe not a blanket. Maybe the suffocating, king sized comforter your mother bought for you. But still.
posted by sully75 at 5:26 AM on November 2