Post by mzgarden on May 26, 2016 21:08:17 GMT
jangirl, I feel your pain or your pain is my pain. Here's what I've done that worked the best so far. I use an Instapot pressure cooker as the incubator, but a crockpot or other option might work.
I don't bring the milk to a boil because every time I do it curdles - the protein separates into little wormy looking blobs. Most people seem to be able to boil milk without it separating the proteins, but not me, even when I heat it really slowly. Anyway, I add 1 cup of powdered milk to 2 quarts of goat milk and heat it gently to where it's steaming but not boiling - thermometer says it's about 145 degrees. Then I take the milk off the burner and let it sit to cool down to about 120 degrees. Then I stir in my starter (2 tsp starter per the 2 quarts milk). I put about 3 inches of water in my Instapot and heat it up to about 125 degrees then turn it off and put the lid on. I pour the mix into jars and place the jars in the pot of water with the lid on and select the yogurt setting for 8 hours. Starter is either left over from previous yogurt or store bought organic plain yogurt with live culture.
When it works, I use this for yogurt and it replaces my store bought sour cream as well. When it doesn't I use it to bake bread and/or I reheat the milk combination and make soft cheese, using vinegar.
It's just not as simple for me as it appears to be for others but I'm not giving up.
I don't bring the milk to a boil because every time I do it curdles - the protein separates into little wormy looking blobs. Most people seem to be able to boil milk without it separating the proteins, but not me, even when I heat it really slowly. Anyway, I add 1 cup of powdered milk to 2 quarts of goat milk and heat it gently to where it's steaming but not boiling - thermometer says it's about 145 degrees. Then I take the milk off the burner and let it sit to cool down to about 120 degrees. Then I stir in my starter (2 tsp starter per the 2 quarts milk). I put about 3 inches of water in my Instapot and heat it up to about 125 degrees then turn it off and put the lid on. I pour the mix into jars and place the jars in the pot of water with the lid on and select the yogurt setting for 8 hours. Starter is either left over from previous yogurt or store bought organic plain yogurt with live culture.
When it works, I use this for yogurt and it replaces my store bought sour cream as well. When it doesn't I use it to bake bread and/or I reheat the milk combination and make soft cheese, using vinegar.
It's just not as simple for me as it appears to be for others but I'm not giving up.