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2:00 pm
July 18, 2011
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I've been making yogurt for three years with goat milk with success. However, the past two weeks I have had poor results. The yogurt does not jell right. I use a yogurt machine and White Mountain Yogurt which has live acidophlus. What am I doing wrong? As a side bar I've made homemade Velveta twice and that was very successful and tasty. I make cheese almost every day to use up my milk and give a lot away. At the present I'm milking 5 goats. One would think that with ten grown children there would be a line at my back door waiting for my cheese, most live in town and do not make the trip to the country often and I DO NOT DELIVER!!!!!
Goatgal—–Marjorie
Dance as if no one is watching!!!!!
2:26 pm
November 11, 2010
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Change 1 variable at a time, until you get a different result. Unless your electricity is wonky and not getting the same temp on your yogurt maker (it's electric?), then maybe it's not you, but rather the milk. I would try a different milk source. If that doesn't work, try a different starter. Otherwise, I give.
2:37 pm
February 10, 2009
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Could also be a change in diet of your goats… are they on different pasture these days? (or less pasture due to weather?)
2:40 pm
August 6, 2010
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She milks her own goats, mamajo. I dont' think she is going to trade her girls in for new ones!! 
I vote for a new yogurt maker–bet it is wearing out and not keeping temps up, or getting too hot.
Here is how I make mine–I heat the milk to 190 or so, cool it to 100, and whisk my starter in. Then, I pour it into half gallon jars, and set the jars in a cooler. I pour a gallon or so of 100 degree water in, close the cooler, and take the yogurt out in 8 hours or so. No electricity, except for what I use to heat the water/milk.
2:48 pm
October 31, 2010
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Can you describe for us what you mean by "doesn't gel right"? ie; does it remain liquid? Does it have lumps, etc.
3:47 pm
November 11, 2010
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Haha, no, no, of course, goatgal isn't giving up the goats! Just as a test, you know. BTW, after I get my starter stirred in, I pour it into jars and incubate in my gas oven. If you have an oven with a gas pilot light, you might try that as well. Ever try adding a bit of powdered milk? That can help, too.
4:27 pm
July 18, 2011
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leah'mom My yogurt is liquid when the time is up. You are all so wonderful, I'm so happpy that I found all of you gals. I know I'm not crazy now, no matter what children, friends, family(my sister) and strangers(when they ask what I do all day since I'm retired) say about my addiction and love of doing things from scratch. Having food fresh, knowing where it came from and preparing it yourself is a HIGH I need.
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5:30 pm
May 14, 2005
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Try doing the yogurt longer. I have a yogurt maker now, makes it in the individual cups. I had to fiddle a few times to figure out how many hours to make it perfect. Also, if I add stuff TO the yogurt, like syrup, it takes longer.
4:48 pm
March 30, 2009
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What is the difference in the yogurt from using a crockpot to make it versus a yogurt maker?
7:14 pm
September 20, 2010
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I follow Suzanne's recipe for yogurt making in the crockpot, but I heat my milk on the stove in a pot with the added dry milk powder to the right temp. I turn my crockpot on to low, I pour the milk in a bowl to cool and add the starter yogurt at the right temp, turn off the crockpot and add your milk and yogurt mixture, wrap your crockpot in a towel, I usually make this at night 9 or 10p.m. I let this stand all night and in the morning I have very thick yogurt, I also try to use whole milk Greek Yogurt as the starter and use my raw milk to make this yogurt, I have never had a problem and it turns out very thick. If I want fruit I add it per serving or jam. I am always very careful to be sure the temperatures are correct when I take the milk off the stove and before I add the starter. Sorry I don't use Goat's milk, so I am not sure why it would not work. This is just what I do to make yogurt and I do not have a yogurt maker.
10:58 pm
February 6, 2011
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I vote that it's not getting up to a temp high enough to kill off all the bad bacteria. That's what I found was happening to mine when I researched it. Mine was coming out kinda like slime. Very unappealing! 
Since thenmine has come out perfectly.
11:06 pm
October 31, 2010
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Goatgal…
I'm wondering a couple of things. Assuming your procedure hasn't changed:
-Have you changed feed?
-Have you had to give any antibiotics or other meds to your goats?
-Is it possible that the starter yogurt has changed it manufacturing processes? (Could just be a "weak" batch or a whole change to their formula. This does happen from time-to-time with some dairy processors.)
-Have you checked the temperature in your yogurt when it's in the maker? Sometimes the problem is the maker just getting "worn out" (how do you like that techie term…? Maybe it's more accurate to say "out of calibration"??). Too low a temp. can cause the problem you're having.
And…wish I lived near you…I might line up at your door for a taste of your goat cheese!!! 
And…you're definitely not crazy!!!! We're glad you're here 
! If you wrote it somewhere, I didn't see it….how did you find citr?
11:08 pm
October 31, 2010
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PS: What part of Joplin are you in? I was in Joplin for a semester of college way back in 1976/77 so I lived there for a few months. Hope you escaped the worst of the storms?
Whoops…after I read that better, I see it's TEXAS – NOT MO!!!
4:26 am
November 11, 2010
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Suzanne, can you do a post to tell how to add syrup when making yogurt?
8:26 am
May 14, 2005
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I started working on a post about that a few months ago then never got back to it! I'll try!
3:51 pm
July 18, 2011
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I'm making yogurt in my crock pot right now, I believe it will work for me.. My crockpot has a warm setting and I'm wondering if I could leave it on warm and it would work. I so happy with you gals you have inspired me.. At the present moment, I have cheddar cheese and monterey in my cheese cave… in my frig I have– 1 block of plain queso fresca, 1 block of queso fresca /jalapeno peppers, feta cheese, mozzarella curd cheese, ricotta, chevre, cottage cheese. buttermilk cheese and kelfer. Oh what a life, and people want to know what I do in retirement. Tomorrow I'll cook away.
LOL Goatgal
Dance as if no one is watching!
11:31 am
October 31, 2010
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How did your crock-pot yogurt turn out?
PS: I've been doing mine in an old styrofoam cooler. I heat the milk (up to 2 gal at a time) on the stove in a stainless steel soup pot (the ones I use for cheesemaking). After cooling to correct temp and adding the cultures, I sit the whole pot right inside the cooler which is large enough for the ss pot to set inside upright.
To keep it warm, I put boiling water into 2 half-gal. caning jars and lay them inside the cooler with pot. I usually put a towel rolled between the jars and the pot so they don't touch it and become too warm, then shut the lid.
To monitor temp inside, I put the probe into it from a digital "meat-type" thermometer and put the digital base on top of the cooler so I can read it. If it gets too hot, I can open the lid briefly. If it is cooling down, I just fill another half gal (or 2) with boiling water and trade it for one (or both) from the inside.
This has been my BEST way to make the yogurt as I make a LOT at a time and I don't like it in small jars. (After I make it, I cool it in the fridge, then strain it for the thicker "greek-style" yogurt. I do that all in one batch.)
[If I had a large dehydrator I think I'd try it in there!]
11:53 am
July 18, 2011
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My yogurt did not make using the crockpot in the oven. I think I know what happened, I have an electric oven, I guess I could use the proofing function to keep it warm. Nothing to went waste, I'll make yogurt pops for my Grandchildren who I care for during the week. I will not give up. Thanks for all the help.
Dance as if no one is watching.
12:34 pm
August 1, 2011
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Hi! I use a crock pot too. I heat my crock pot on low, while I prepare the mixture. I add about a 1/4 of a cup of powdered milk for each quart I make. When I'm ready to load the jars in the crock pot, I turn the crock pot off, and line the crock with a medium weight towel then I fold the towel around the jars, and put the lid on the crock. I always make it overnight, so that's about eight hours, hopefully, =) Also, use may not be using enough starter-btw, I've had my yogurt flop too for various reasons, usually when that happens, it didn't have a warm enough environment-it got cold in the house during the night; you can use the same mixture to make a new batch.
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