A Fed Bear Is A Dead Bear: Making Yogurt

I'd been wanting to make yogurt for some time now, mostly because making something instead of buying it is always cooler. I considered buying a yogurt maker, which basically helps with in the incubating phase, but decided it was unnecessary and would just end up taking up precious storage space. Also kitchen gadgets only seems to get used for a short while before they are forgotten in the back of the shelf. I read about a few different methods to keep the yogurt/mixture warm which all seemed rather simple.

First I gather up my all the item I'd need to make yogurt:
Half gallon of milk
Store bought plain yogurt (make sure it says it contains active cultures)
Jars (I bought ball jars mostly for aesthetic reason, anything clean that seals would work)
Kitchen thermometer
Large saucepan
Cooler

First I cleaned and sanitized the equipment.

Then I added the milk to the saucepan and put over heat. Ideally your thermometer would clip to the side it make things easier. My didn't and I managed just fine. I heated the milk to 185°F, stirring occasionally. Basically heat until it is about to boil but do not let it boil! Then I cool it down to 110°-115°. I would recommend filling the sink with cold water and ice to do this quickly. Once it has cool to the appropriate temperature add 2-3 tablespoons of the plain yogurt. Mix it in well.

From there I pour the mixture into the jars and sealed them. I thought about using a heating pad for the incubating phase but I didn't like the idea of having plugged in for 6-7hours. So I to incubate my jar I filled a cooler with hot water and closed the lid. This method worked wonderfully. I occasionally would check the temperature of the water to make sure it was still between 110°-115° and only had to add more hot water once. I checked the yogurt at six hours but it still seemed a bit runny so I gave it another hour and it had thicken up to my liking. I pulled the jars from the cooler and placed them in to the refrigerator. Not only was making the yogurt fun but it tasted great! Since I didn't incubate it long it was far less tart than plain yogurt from the store. I'm excited to keeping making it and experimenting with different methods.