Yoghurt Maker

[Steve2UK]

Hi all,

I'm looking to find a yoghurt maker (appliance - not a supplier!) in CM. Ones I have seen before are usually 4-6 jars/cups sitting in a plastic housing that has a low-heat element to maintain the right temperature. For those not familiar with this, the idea is that you use a "starter" live yoghurt with fresh milk and "grow" your own.

Tried Robinson already and will check Central shortly - any thoughts of where to find one? Thanks in advance.

[Crow Boy]

Hi all,

I'm looking to find a yoghurt maker (appliance - not a supplier!) in CM. Ones I have seen before are usually 4-6 jars/cups sitting in a plastic housing that has a low-heat element to maintain the right temperature. For those not familiar with this, the idea is that you use a "starter" live yoghurt with fresh milk and "grow" your own.

Tried Robinson already and will check Central shortly - any thoughts of where to find one? Thanks in advance.

Steve - to make yoghurt you don't really need a special machine. Take fresh full cream milk or mix up a mixture of whole milk powder and water as per the instructions. You will need to put in some sugar. Depending on your personal taste between a tablespoon (2 teaspoons) or two will suffice. This helps to maintain the live yeast culture. Put in a clean - non aluminium - pan and gently heat to "blood heat" temperature. DO NOT allow it to boil or it won't work. I then add a good scoop of LIVE culture plain - unflavoured yoghurt. The Greek style is in my experience the best. Stir the two together and pour the mixture into a wide mouth thermos flask. The plastic ones that are made for soup are the easiest. Seal the cap and leave for about 2 days in room temperature. In Chiang Mai the temp is definitely warm enough to work. After 2 days open the lid - there will be a small amount of gas escape from the CO2 given off by the culture. Stir thoroughly and if it is too thin you may need to add a bit more sugar (one teaspoon) and reseal for another day. Yoghurt is like beer - sounds simple and is easy to make but you need to vary the ingredients a bit to get it "just right" I prefer thicker yoghurt and so add a bit more sugar and leave for three days. Open after second to release the accumulated gas in the flask and to stir the mixture.

Once it is made pour out of the thermos flask and into a clean screw top plastic jar. Add fruit and/honey or whatever and store in the refridgerator. Because it is live culture you need to eat it in less than a week. As you get towards the last third of the set you can start to make the next batch. I find that if you haven't added the fruit to it it seems to work better although it is not a major problem. If you want you can take out a small jar of the stuff and store that in the refridgerator before you add the fruit and stuff and then use that as the starter for the next batch.

I find that the same batch will make about 3-4 new ones after which the culture seems to go off. I then just buy a new tub of yoghurt and start over.

Only problem you will find is when you buy a tub of commercial yoghurt like substance that has been made with gelatine and not live culture and your teeth go into sugar shock at the first taste.

Have fun and enjoy

CB

[p1p]

I made my yogurt maker from an old refrigerator, a few lightbulbs for heat and an electric thermostat that keeps the temperature exactly right. I can make about 50 pots per hour in it.

We always boil the (whole, unpasteurised) milk, allow it to cool to blood heat, mix in the culture then ladle into plastic pots. About 1 hour +- 20 minutes or so and it will have set. No sugar or any other additives. Keeps, refrigerated, for up to a month. The culture I use has been in the family since my Grandmother's time and has a nice rich taste without being too sour, although the longer you allow it to proove/ferment in the "hot box" the more sour it will become. Leave it too long and you get yogurt cheese.

[Austhaied]

I made my yogurt maker from an old refrigerator, a few lightbulbs for heat and an electric thermostat that keeps the temperature exactly right. I can make about 50 pots per hour in it.

We always boil the (whole, unpasteurised) milk, allow it to cool to blood heat, mix in the culture then ladle into plastic pots. About 1 hour +- 20 minutes or so and it will have set. No sugar or any other additives. Keeps, refrigerated, for up to a month. The culture I use has been in the family since my Grandmother's time and has a nice rich taste without being too sour, although the longer you allow it to proove/ferment in the "hot box" the more sour it will become. Leave it too long and you get yogurt cheese.

Are we able to purchase this anywhere ?? Aden perhaps.

[p1p]

Sorry, I haven't made it for sale for a couple of years now.

[Steve2UK]

Thanks to Crow Boy and p1p for the detailed suggestions - though I'm a bit stuck between the two. One the one hand, seems like ambient temperature in CM is warm/steady enough to do the job without the machine - on the other it seems like something is needed to maintain the right steady temperature...... I just hadn't reckoned on doing it on an industrial scale!

I understand the principle of the sugar feeding the yeast culture - just hadn't come across doing it before. I certainly like my yoghurt plain and unsweetened - e.g. like greek or bulgarian. Then I add a good honey and maybe nuts/fruit/jam for variety.

Seems like it's worth experimenting with just nature's temperatures here. Just hope I don't end up brewing a Saddam cocktail...........

One last question - does the milk have to be unpasteurised? Still a tad confused between some of what's in both replies.

[sbk]

If you still want the machine I believe verasu.com sells it for about 1400 baht

[mcgriffith]

Sounds like more than a bit of bother, when they sell live culture Bulgarian yoghurt here (the unsweetened, sour, semi-solid type) in Tops, Rimping, etc. It's really quite reasonable in price.

I like to top with either low-sugar strawberry jam (English) or a little honey...

[realthaideal]

Alot of brew-your-own n grow-your-own people here in town. Both are excellent alchemy given the way modern life often doesn't leave time for these time-consuming but worthy pursuits.

[mcgriffith]

Alot of brew-your-own n grow-your-own people here in town. Both are excellent alchemy given the way modern life often doesn't leave time for these time-consuming but worthy pursuits.

Beavis,

I'll trade some of my brew-your-own for some of your grow-your-own.

Deal?

McG

[Steve2UK]

If you still want the machine I believe verasu.com sells it for about 1400 baht

Thanks, sbk - that's exactly what I had in mind and also Severin is the brand that was recommended to me by someone else who got one on points from Rimping. Would have been good to find a local supplier but this will give me a chance to try out Verasu.

I do buy the Bulgarian yoghurt already - but I like the idea of DIY fine-tuning it - yes...... "excellent alchemy" indeed

[JoshMyPickle]

speaking of yoghurt makers and such, do any of y'all know if the bakery/dairy/appliance supply stores sell whip-cream chargers? i feel a hankering for a few homemade laughs er pastries...

[ricklev]

Rimping by the airport has whip cream chargers. Brought back powerful images of high school parties when I saw them.

[Ulysses G.]

Rimping by the airport has whip cream chargers. Brought back powerful images of high school parties when I saw them.

High School in the fifties with lots of ice cream or the sixties with lots of....?

[mcgriffith]

Rimping by the airport has whip cream chargers. Brought back powerful images of high school parties when I saw them.

High School in the fifties with lots of ice cream or the sixties with lots of....?

I can't particularly remember any of the Sixties.....Probably this will not come as a surprise to those of you who were there...

McG

[chobthum]

Thanks to Crow Boy and p1p for the detailed suggestions - though I'm a bit stuck between the two. One the one hand, seems like ambient temperature in CM is warm/steady enough to do the job without the machine - on the other it seems like something is needed to maintain the right steady temperature...... I just hadn't reckoned on doing it on an industrial scale!

I understand the principle of the sugar feeding the yeast culture - just hadn't come across doing it before. I certainly like my yoghurt plain and unsweetened - e.g. like greek or bulgarian. Then I add a good honey and maybe nuts/fruit/jam for variety.

Seems like it's worth experimenting with just nature's temperatures here. Just hope I don't end up brewing a Saddam cocktail...........

One last question - does the milk have to be unpasteurised? Still a tad confused between some of what's in both replies.

Steve2UK, The milk have to be pasteurised... I am sure that you want your yoghurt with only good culture / no bad bacteria...

I also love the Bulgarian Yoghurt form the RimPing, and still wonder when they will make more flavors in their selections???

[percy2]

I think a lot of people would appreciate it if this were moved to the western food forum..

Good topic.

Cheers

[p1p]

Okay,lets answer a few points here and then move it to the Western Food section.

Firstly, yeast(s) is(are) a contaminant, normally necessitating the destruction of the batch of yogurt being made. They are often shown up by pink spots on the surface of the yogurt. The important culture is a mixture of two bacteria, Streptococcus salivarius thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus. (Streptococcus is related to the bacteria that gives you a sore throat.) It is possible to make yogurt using only one of the two above bacteria, but they have a symbiotic relationship and you realy need both to make a good culture. These bacteria are also somtimes complimented by the addition of one or more of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus acidophilus and/or Lactobacillus casei. (You will note some yogurts being labeled as having Acidophilus.)

The final flavour of your yogurt is a result of the particular mix of bacteria in your culture, the milk you start with, its age and fat content as well as the diet of the cattle, and the temperature and length of time you permit your yogurt to "cook".

I personally prefer to use unpasteurised whole milk, as fresh from the cow as possible. I boil it, which has the effect of semi pasteurising it, I then allow it to cool to the correct temperature and stir in the culture, ladel it into pots and allow to "cook" at an exact temperature until set. Choosing the correct temperature and "cooking time" allows me to make a smooth, creamy flavoured yogurt with very little sourness. Each half degree warmer or minute longer cooking increases the degree of sourness.

Hope this helps.

[jazzbo]

For those of us without a Bulgarian Grandmother, this may have to do... and the saying goes "If you can remember the 60's, you were not there".

[chobthum]

speaking of yoghurt makers and such, do any of y'all know if the bakery/dairy/appliance supply stores sell whip-cream chargers? i feel a hankering for a few homemade laughs er pastries...

I do sugesst you to go to Kitchen Friends, near to Nong Hoi intersection. It's on the Old Chiang mai Lampoon Rd, 200 meters, left side of the street, just after the Caltex Gas Station. They have a lot of cooking and bakery stuff.

The owner is a lovly young thai lady that speaks english and german.

N.C.