Yoghurt has set, but not quite thick enough... any tips for thickening?

[Quirk]

I have made a couple of batches now and although it has set, it is just not quite thick enough for my liking.

Anyone have any ideas on what I can do to improve the thickening aspect?

Thanks in advance

[cathy79]

What recipe are you using?  There are a few floating around.

I have been making Valerie's yoghurt for about 6 months now, and it is fantastic.  And thick right from the beginning, and no milk powder.  So very natural.  And not as tart as the bought varieties, so my kids love it.

[Quirk]

Yes, we are using Valeries recipe too, but it is still a bit runny. Should I leave it to set longer? Last time I left it for 6 hours.

[cathy79]

I've let it set for over 8 hours (rather than get up in the middle of the night) and I don't think it get's any thicker.  So I'm not really sure now.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

What are you using for your starter Quirk?  I find Jalna organic pot set yoghurt quite good.  Remember you can always strain your yoghurt a little if it isn't to your liking.  Straining through a clean tea towel in the rice basket works well. 

[Quirk]

Using the Jalna pot set yoghurt as a starter.

It might not be thicker enough, but it is still delicious, so I can't complain too much!

[Thermomixer]

Try heating it to 90 degrees for about 15 minutes - this results in changes to the protein molecules that help make it set better.  Check this study  http://www.medicinalfoodnews.com/vol01/issue5/kalab.htm

[Quirk]

Brilliant article, thanks! Will definitely try this tip on the next batch I make.

[Depome]

Disclaimer: haven't read ^that^ article

Isn't it the cultures that thicken the yoghurt? Heating to 90degrees will kill the cultures which need body temp for optimal growth. I always thought the solution was to heat it to 37degrees again and let it cool down again, or do that with a bit more yoghurt 'starter' added (more existing yoghurt).

[Thermomixer]

Heat the milk first and then let it cool to 40 or 37 degrees before adding the culture.

[cathy79]

Would using more starter make it thicker?

[Depome]

I would've thought so.

Another issue is that with bought yoghurt we are relying on the integrity of the transporters and supermarket too. That product has to be kept below 4 degrees for it to contain live cultures.

[meganjane]

That's an important point Depome. The last lot I made went 'off'. I discovered that our local store's yoghurt wasn't as fresh as it should be....

[gertbysea]

One easy way to thicken the yoghurt is to put it into a strainer lined with chux put a weight on top and drain off some liquid.


I use the recipe in the EDC and have never had a failure.

Gretch

[andiesenji]

As Thermomixer mentioned.  It is very important to heat the milk to the point where the casienate proteins "unwind" which then allows them to readily combine with the yogurt culture organisms.

I've been preparing yogurt (and several types of cheeses) for close to fifty years and this is the only way to guarantee consistent results and produce a product that will keep far longer (at least two weeks) than yogurt developed without sufficient pre-heating.  It should be firm enough to resist collapse at refrigerator temperatures without requiring draining.  That is, you should be able to scoop out some of the yogurt and the scooped out depression should remain, but will fill with whey.  If the yogurt itself fills in the space, that is a sign that the culture has not properly developed. 

You can get a yogurt culture to develop without this process but the product will be fragile, will not keep well and often has an unpleasant texture and little or no flavor.