When you read the "how to" instructions, remember they weren't written for people living in the tropics.

It's a lot hotter here, bacteria grows quickly at our room temperatures.

No need for any heating in the process.

As long as the temperature is at least in the low 30's it should work. But if you like your yogurt thicker then heating the milk to about 85 C or 185 F will change the structure of the milk proteins and make for a thicker yogurt. Then holding it at about 110 F -115 F will also help make it thicker. It will also have less whey floating about. Some people don't like whey. Also, that higher temperature will kill a lot of bacteria that might compete with the kind that make yogurt.

All that said, I prefer yogurt made the way you do. I think it has more flavors. Probably safest to open a fresh container of milk to minimize bacterial competition.

That's actually an old wife's tale. Thickness is mainly dependent on starter bacteria.

Try it with two fermentations at the same time, you will see no difference.

Parsturized milk from an unopened container contains no bacteria (that's what pasteurizing is for, killing the bacteria), heating it won't do anything, apart from waste your time.

I actually wonder if the "heating' fallacy isn't spread by yoghurt manufacturers in an attempt to discourage people from making their own.

When you read the "how to" instructions, remember they weren't written for people living in the tropics.

It's a lot hotter here, bacteria grows quickly at our room temperatures.

No need for any heating in the process.

As long as the temperature is at least in the low 30's it should work. But if you like your yogurt thicker then heating the milk to about 85 C or 185 F will change the structure of the milk proteins and make for a thicker yogurt. Then holding it at about 110 F -115 F will also help make it thicker. It will also have less whey floating about. Some people don't like whey. Also, that higher temperature will kill a lot of bacteria that might compete with the kind that make yogurt.

All that said, I prefer yogurt made the way you do. I think it has more flavors. Probably safest to open a fresh container of milk to minimize bacterial competition.

That's actually an old wife's tale. Thickness is mainly dependent on starter bacteria.

Try it with two fermentations at the same time, you will see no difference.

Parsturized milk from an unopened container contains no bacteria (that's what pasteurizing is for, killing the bacteria), heating it won't do anything, apart from waste your time.

I actually wonder if the "heating' fallacy isn't spread by yoghurt manufacturers in an attempt to discourage people from making their own.

i'll give it a shot and report back

To the fellow who doesn't Underrstand why 'low fat'.........2 words. ... Heart disease ..

To the fellow who doesn't Underrstand why 'low fat'.........2 words. ... Heart disease ..

The latest studies dispute that theory.

No link found between saturated fat and heart disease

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/sarah-knapton/10703970/No-link-found-between-saturated-fat-and-heart-disease.html

To the fellow who doesn't Underrstand why 'low fat'.........2 words. ... Heart disease ..

There's also an excellent article in the wall street journal summarizing the history of very dubious science behind this belief:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303678404579533760760481486

Excellent indeed. It seems that we have all been brainwashed for decades.

The Questionable Link Between Saturated Fat and Heart Disease
Are butter, cheese and steak really bad for you? The dubious science behind the anti-fat crusade

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303678404579533760760481486

Butter and cheese are just too expensive in Thailand to use in everyday cooking.

Butter 90bht for 225gm, Palm oil margarine 45bht for 1000gm ...... butter is 10x the price of margarine.

Any baked product will be made from margarine, And you really can't tell the difference.

Any baked product will be made from margarine, And you really can't tell the difference.

Speak for yourself.