Adding vanilla flavoring to homemade yogurt?

[Rubic]

So I just prepared my first batch of homemade yogurt, and I'm feeling like a badass:

  http://www.amazon.com/Euro-Cuisine-YM80-Yogurt-Maker/dp/B000EX16RY/ (Actually purchased through Target with a 5% Redcard discount.)

Questions for those of you who are ahead of the curve:

• If I want to add vanilla (liquid, alcohol based) to the mix, can it be done as part of the mixin process, or will that mess up the fermentation?
• Ditto adding sucralose sugar substitute?

[Erica/NWEdible]

So I just prepared my first batch of homemade yogurt, and I'm feeling like a badass:

  http://www.amazon.com/Euro-Cuisine-YM80-Yogurt-Maker/dp/B000EX16RY/ (Actually purchased through Target with a 5% Redcard discount.)

Questions for those of you who are ahead of the curve:

• If I want to add vanilla (liquid, alcohol based) to the mix, can it be done as part of the mixin process, or will that mess up the fermentation?
• Ditto adding sucralose sugar substitute?

I would definitely not add vanilla or sucralose before fermentation. The only non-nutrative sweetener I'd be comfortable recommending is Xylitol because I've used that as a non-fermentable sweetener in cidering. There's a big question mark as to if the yogurt cultures can digest sucralose (I honestly don't know) and if they can, what that might do to the yogurt.

If you want, add a few drops of vanilla after fermentation. I like jam or maple syrup, personally. :)

[Rubic]

Good advice, thanks!  (though I'm tempted to experiment with the sucralose)

[Greg]

My spouse makes yogurt, we just add flavor afterwards.  I like vanilla, honey, and maple syrup (not all at once).

[Rubic]

After consuming my first batch, which used greek goat yogurt as a starter base, I've decided I'm pretty happy with the taste of the non-flavored yogurt (at about 12% of the store price), so I'm going to skip the flavorful adulterants for now.  Thanks for the advice! 

[Heckler]

I'm curious - what does that machine you linked to actually do to make yogurt? 

[Heckler]

A quick google tells me it heats to 185F, then cools to 110F, then keeps it warm for 7 hours.  Does anyone have experience with the more mustache approved method of a stovepot with a thermometer?

[Rubic]

I'm curious - what does that machine you linked to actually do to make yogurt?

It just keeps the yogurt at the correct temperature, which provides some possibly un-mustachian convenience.  However compared to buying store-bought yogurt, I'm now paying about $1 for a week's worth of yogurt.  If I hadn't purchased the Euro Cuisine yogurt maker, I probably wouldn't have gotten around to making yogurt at home, just due to the hassle of obtaining the jars, experimentation with stove settings, etc.

I actually purchased the yogurt maker from Target with my Redcard and got a 5% discount.

[Heckler]

For sure, it's a great step above store bought!  I just wanted to know, cuz the wife makes cheese on the stove and I've already sent her a link so she can make me yogurt. 

http://www.makeyourownyogurt.com/make-yogurt/heat-to-185

But no way in hell will we be getting an appliance, no matter what the price. Cheers!

[mtnrider]

A quick google tells me it heats to 185F, then cools to 110F, then keeps it warm for 7 hours.  Does anyone have experience with the more mustache approved method of a stovepot with a thermometer?

Do they actually heat/scald it?  I thought they only kept it warm.

If there's one that scalds the milk, that might be worth it.  15-20 minutes standing over a pot and stirring gets annoying.

[Heckler]

Do they actually heat/scald it?  I thought they only kept it warm.

If there's one that scalds the milk, that might be worth it.  15-20 minutes standing over a pot and stirring gets annoying.

http://www.makeyourownyogurt.com/make-yogurt/create-a-water-jacket

[Spork]

A quick google tells me it heats to 185F, then cools to 110F, then keeps it warm for 7 hours.  Does anyone have experience with the more mustache approved method of a stovepot with a thermometer?

Wifey makes it just by inoculating it with a bit of live culture (from previous batch) and setting it in a warm place.  In our case there is a spot on top of our stove that holds it at about 110 due to a nearby standing pilot light.  I've also seen it done with a slightly warm oven (usually turned on for a few minutes, then off with the oven light on to maintain some heat).

[Rural]

I actually have a nifty ~1970 yogurt maker that works very well. It makes six little individual ceramic jars of yogurt, and there are snap-on lids! I bought it at a thrift store for a dollar for the containers alone and got a bonus yogurt maker/ storage rack with them. Bonus: it's avocado green to go with my Harvest Gold stove.

[mtnrider]

Do they actually heat/scald it?  I thought they only kept it warm.

If there's one that scalds the milk, that might be worth it.  15-20 minutes standing over a pot and stirring gets annoying.

http://www.makeyourownyogurt.com/make-yogurt/create-a-water-jacket

Oh, interesting that they use "scald" as a bad thing.  I think they mean "burn" because they do also say to heat to 185F, which I've always heard of as "scalding" the milk.

Anyway, have you tried the homemade double boiler thingy?  Does it require less stirring?

[Al1961]

Do they actually heat/scald it?  I thought they only kept it warm.

If there's one that scalds the milk, that might be worth it.  15-20 minutes standing over a pot and stirring gets annoying.

http://www.makeyourownyogurt.com/make-yogurt/create-a-water-jacket

Oh, interesting that they use "scald" as a bad thing.  I think they mean "burn" because they do also say to heat to 185F, which I've always heard of as "scalding" the milk.

Anyway, have you tried the homemade double boiler thingy?  Does it require less stirring?

I've used a double boiler, but usually don't bother. It does scald milk quite well, without "scorching", or "burning" on the bottom. With a double boiler, the pot the milk is in can't get hot enough to scorch the milk. Takes longer, though.

I make a pseudo Greek yogurt with skim milk by draining off two cups of whey from a 5 cup batch. I flavor the remaining three cups with vanilla and stevia.

The whey gets used in sourdough bread or pancakes.

Al

[okonomiyaki]

There's a big question mark as to if the yogurt cultures can digest sucralose (I honestly don't know) and if they can, what that might do to the yogurt.

They can't. Sucralose is a synthetic compound and, as such, not easily digested by microorganisms such as the Lactobacili you've got in yogurt. So unless you've got one heck of a GMO starter in your yogurt, sucralose will not be digested. Xylitol may be digested depending on what strains you have in there.

[okonumiyaki]

LOL - another fan of Osaka style pancakes!

[okonomiyaki]

LOL - another fan of Osaka style pancakes!

Which are also super-mustachian in their original incarnation of "just put all the leftovers in and make a pancake. Anything is good as a pancake".

[Rubic]

There's a big question mark as to if the yogurt cultures can digest sucralose (I honestly don't know) and if they can, what that might do to the yogurt.

They can't. Sucralose is a synthetic compound and, as such, not easily digested by microorganisms such as the Lactobacili you've got in yogurt. So unless you've got one heck of a GMO starter in your yogurt, sucralose will not be digested. Xylitol may be digested depending on what strains you have in there.

Data point: I made a batch of yogurt with liquid sucralose and it turned out successful.  For myself, I'm happy with just plain yogurt, but other people don't like it as much.

I also added a packet of vanilla mix which came with the yogurt maker and the combined results were good, though I'm unlikely to pay for the mix.  I'm guessing putting alcohol-based liquid vanilla into the yogurt batch is probably not going to work, but again I'm happy with plain unflavored yogurt.

[Al1961]

*snip*

I'm guessing putting alcohol-based liquid vanilla into the yogurt batch is probably not going to work, but again I'm happy with plain unflavored yogurt.

There is no problem using alcohol-based vanilla. I've been using the same heirloom yogurt culture for about a year (say 100 sequential batches) with no ill effect from using the flavored yogurt as the next batch's starter.

Al

[QueenAlice]

A quick google tells me it heats to 185F, then cools to 110F, then keeps it warm for 7 hours.  Does anyone have experience with the more mustache approved method of a stovepot with a thermometer?

Yes! Heat on the stove top then cool as you said. Then pour the mixture into a few pint jars. Pour boiling water in a few other pint jars, place all the jars in a thermal lunch tote and zip it up. Leave over night. In the morning you have yogurt! You can strain to get thicker yogurt, if you would like.

[Rubic]

*snip*

I'm guessing putting alcohol-based liquid vanilla into the yogurt batch is probably not going to work, but again I'm happy with plain unflavored yogurt.

There is no problem using alcohol-based vanilla. I've been using the same heirloom yogurt culture for about a year (say 100 sequential batches) with no ill effect from using the flavored yogurt as the next batch's starter.

Cool, I'm going to try that on my next batch.  Perhaps 1/2 teaspoon per pint?

[Al1961]

I probably use more than twice that amount. But that's to my taste, you may enjoy a more subtle flavor.

Al