Click here to download these instructions as a PDF file
(Please note: The instructions are the same for our Viili, Piimä, Filmjölk and Matsoni yogurt starter cultures)
Before you begin:
The culture you receive will contain one teaspoon of dehydrated yogurt starter. Reserve the second ½ teaspoon until you are certain your first batch of yogurt has set properly. Since the dehydrated culture is shelf stable, you can also reserve the second half teaspoon in a cool dry place to be used as a back-up in case your original culture needs to be replaced or if you wish to take an extended break from yogurt making.
If you use raw milk, please take a moment to read the special raw milk instructions before making your first batch.
You will initially make ½ cup of yogurt. Once this first half cup is finished culturing, you will be able to use it as a starter to make up to two quarts of yogurt.
Whenever possible, we recommend using wooden utensils and glass jars (such as canning jars) when working with cultures. Do not store yogurt or yogurt starter in a metal container.
Do not consume any yogurt which smells, looks or tastes unpleasant.
Making the Initial Batch of Yogurt with Pasteurized Milk (raw milk users see additional instructions below):
Stir ½ teaspoon of the dehydrated yogurt starter into ½ cup of milk. Be sure to mix well so the dehydrated starter is fully incorporated into the milk.
Cover the jar with a towel or coffee filter and secure the cover with a rubber band. Do not put a lid on the jar as the starter needs to breathe to culture properly.
Let the mixture culture at room temperature (70-77 degrees) for 24-48 hours. Check the culture every 12 hours or so. It is important to pick a location that is naturally warm (e.g. the kitchen) and out of drafts. Ideally, it should be the warmest location in your home. If your home tends to be cooler than 70 degrees at night, consider leaving the culture in the oven with the pilot light or oven light on. Alternatively, setting the culture on top of a warm piece of electronic equipment (such as a television or cable box) or on a high shelf can also work well. Remember that drafts can affect the culturing process and cause the yogurt not to culture properly.
Once the yogurt is set (doesn’t run up the sides of the jar when tipped), cover the jar with a lid and place the yogurt in the refrigerator for 6 hours to halt the culturing process.
Making Subsequent Batches of Yogurt with Pasteurized Milk (raw milk users see additional instructions below):
Stir one tablespoon of yogurt from your initial batch into one cup of milk. You can make larger batches of yogurt by adhering to the same ratio of 1 tablespoon yogurt to 1 cup of milk (e.g. adding four tablespoons yogurt to a quart of milk will yield a quart of yogurt).
Cover the jar with a towel or coffee filter and secure the cover with a rubber band. Do not put a lid on the jar as the starter needs to breathe to culture properly.
Let the mixture culture at room temperature (70-77 degrees) for 12-18 hours. It is important to pick a location that is naturally warm (e.g. the kitchen) and out of drafts. Ideally, it should be the warmest location in your home. If your home tends to be cooler than 70 degrees at night, consider leaving the culture in the oven with the pilot light or oven light on. Alternatively, setting the culture on top of a warm piece of electronic equipment (such as a television or cable box) or on a high shelf can also work well. Remember that drafts can affect the culturing process and cause the yogurt not to culture properly.
Once the yogurt is set (doesn’t run up the sides of the jar when tipped), cover the jar with a lid and place the yogurt in the refrigerator for 6 hours to halt the culturing process.
When it’s time to make a new batch, place one tablespoon of yogurt from a previous batch in a cup of new milk and start again. Yogurt from batch A is used to make batch B, yogurt from batch B is used to make batch C and so on. To perpetuate the culture, be sure to make a new batch of yogurt at least every seven days. Waiting longer than one week between culturing can weaken and eventually kill the culture.
Directions for Raw Milk Users:
Our cultures are commonly used with raw milk but doing so requires a few extra steps to ensure that a pure starter is maintained. If you do not maintain a pure starter, the bacteria in the raw milk will slowly kill the yogurt starter culture and the starter will not perpetuate.
To make a pure starter, heat ½ cup of milk to a least 160 degrees and then allow it to cool to room temperature (alternatively you could use a ½ cup of pasteurized milk).
Add ½ teaspoon of the dehydrated yogurt starter to this half cup of milk, stir very well. It is important that the dehydrated starter is fully incorporated into the milk.
Cover with a towel or coffee filter and allow to culture at room temperature (70-77 degrees) for 24-48 hours. It is important to pick a location that is naturally warm (e.g. the kitchen) and out of drafts. Ideally, it should be the warmest location in your home. If your home tends to be cooler than 70 degrees at night, consider leaving the culture in the oven with the pilot light or oven light on. Alternatively, setting the culture on top of a warm piece of electronic equipment (such as a television or cable box) or on a high shelf can also work well. Remember that drafts can affect the culturing process and cause the yogurt not to culture properly.
When the yogurt is set (doesn’t run up the sides of the jar), place a lid on the jar and set the yogurt in the refrigerator for 6 hours to finish culturing. This is your pure starter. Be sure to retain at least a tablespoon of the pure starter to make your next batch of pure starter (see step 8).
To make a batch of raw milk yogurt, add one tablespoon (15 g.) of the pure starter for each cup of raw milk. Stir the mixture, cover with a towel or coffee filter and allow the yogurt to set for 12-18 hours. When the yogurt is set (doesn’t run up the sides of the jar), place a lid on the jar and set the yogurt in the refrigerator for 6 hours to halt the culturing process.
Each batch of raw milk yogurt must use the pure starter. Do not try to culture a new batch of yogurt using a previous batch of raw milk yogurt. This will result in a compromised culture and over time your yogurt will no longer culture properly.
Make a new pure starter at least every seven days by heating a cup of milk as directed in step one and mixing in a tablespoon of yogurt from the previous batch of pure starter.
Important Information:
You can make up to a half gallon of yogurt at a time by mixing ½ cup yogurt from a previous batch or pure starter into a half gallon of new milk. Be sure to mix well.
If you are culturing multiple products (e.g. different varieties of yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, Kombucha, etc.) be sure to keep a distance of at least several feet between cultures so they don’t cross-contaminate each other. Over time, cross-contamination will weaken the cultures.
Trouble-shooting:
Whole milk or cream makes the thickest yogurt. Yogurt made with low fat milk is likely to be thin. If a very thick (similar to Greek-style) yogurt is desired, finished yogurt may be strained through cheesecloth and the resulting whey discarded or used in recipes.
Temperature is very important to successful yogurt making (as with any culturing/fermentation task). Drafts from windows, air conditioners, etc. can affect the temperature where the culture is sitting. Warm parts of the house are generally best (e.g. the kitchen). If your house tends to be cooler than 70 degree (consider if the temperature drops at night) then choose a spot that stays warmer. Warm spots often include:
- Inside the oven (with just the pilot light or oven light on),
- On top of the refrigerator,
- On top of a piece of electronic equipment (i.e. television, cable box, etc.)
- Next to a computer,
- On a high shelf
- Inside a cube-shaped dehydrator (such as an Excalibur or Sausage Maker brand) set on a very low setting (under 78 degrees)
If your yogurt doesn’t set (i.e. stays the consistency of milk), take a portion of the non-set yogurt, add it to new milk and repeat the process (even when the yogurt does not set, the culture is typically alive and well). Normally the problem can be attributed to room temperature. If the culture is too cool, it will not set properly but the milk is still retains the culture.
In cooler environments, the yogurt will likely take the entire time period (18/48 hours) to culture. Occasionally it will take bit longer. It’s okay to leave the yogurt to culture a little longer when necessary. Simply keep an eye on it and transfer it to the refrigerator as soon as it’s set.
Be cautious of overly warm temperatures. Temperatures above 78 degrees may cause the yogurt culture to die. If the yogurt mixture separates into curds (on the top) and whey (underneath), this may be a sign that the culture was too warm.
