Homemade Yogurt

I have lactose intolerance. I'll encounter flatulence, bloated stomach, and stomach cramps and pains after dairy product consumption. I used the Yogurt in replacement to whipped cream in my cooking. Yogurt breakfast for my start of the day.

This is a sharing of my success in making the basic plain Yogurt at home in my 2nd attempt and subsequently still successful. I did some research and found Martha Stewart's Homemade Yogurt with videos and very easy steps to follow. But then again, here's a method that I have used. I do wish to apologize beforehand if it happens to be the same method to any your posts.



Yogurt Ingredients

Homemade YOGURT Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes



Ingredients:

• Full Cream / Low Fat Milk of your choice
• Plain Low Fat Yogurt (with live active culture)



End Result: Yogurt Consistency.
Slight runny due to low fat milk used.

 Directions:

1. Pour milk in 1 pint mason jar. Preferably milk in room temperature.
2. Place the filled mason jar in microwave uncovered.
3. Set microwave to high power for 4 minutes to 5 minutes and press start to heat up the milk in jar.
4. Once done, check that the milk is heated up to 180degF / 80degC.
5. Let the milk cool down to about 131degF / 55degC.
6. Gently whisk some of the milk to the yogurt to combine.
7. Then add to the milk and stir gently to mix the yogurt into the milk in mason jar.
8. Wrap a towel around the mason jar and over to cover the mouth without the lid.
9. Place the jar in a warm place (i put mine into the microwave as i was afraid of spilling it) 
10. Allow to stand for the next 5 hours to 8 hours undisturbed.
11. After the standing time, it should yield a thick consistency of a custard.
12. Place the lid for the mason jar and store in fridge (1 to 2 weeks)
13. Remember to keep a batch of yogurt for the next starter use.

Note:

Results from my unsuccessful attempt:

Same ingredients used. I used Pyrex bowl in double boiler to heat up the milk instead of microwave. Same temperature control. Kept it in thermal pot for the warmth. The end result, yogurt is still runny and watery like milk after 8 hours and still has the yogurt smell and taste.
Reasons could be the bacteria in yogurt may have already been dead or the temperature is wrong for all that I know of. I did suspect that the cooling down rate between the bowl (faster) vs the mason jar (slower) due to the exposed surface area. Why not use the mason jar in the 1st attempt right? Well my mason jar was bought after the 1st attempt.