Questions, Tips and Tricks!
Consumption
-It is recommended to consume the yogurt and yogurt cream within 7 days of making. Keep refrigerated!
Cleaning
-The top and bottom part of the Yogurt Maker - clean with damp cloth. Not suitable for dishwasher. Do not place in water or under running water.
-The one-litre storage container, container lid and container holder - clean with household detergents. Also suitable for dishwasher.
-After cleaning, dry all components with dry cloth. Clean well before each use!
Yogurt did not set?
-Very important - when leaving your yogurt to set, it should not be disturbed, it cannot be moved or opened.
-Ensure you fill your Yogurt Maker with boiling water not hot water.
-Make sure you use fresh milk and starter yogurt.
-Make sure you use plain, non-flavoured milk and starter yogurt.
-Starter yogurt does not consist of the live cultures, required to set your yogurt, or may not have enough; therefore, add more spoons of yogurt or use alternative starter yogurt; for optimal results, use our Yogurt Starter Culture sachets.
-If you are not using UHT milk, sterilised milk or any other milk, which has been treated at around or over 100 ºC, you will need to follow the method with boiling, to activate the milk, in order for the yogurt to set.
-If you choose to boil the milk, the maximum temperature you should reach is 99 ºC, until noticing small bubbles.
-Ensure the maximum temperature of the milk is 25 ºC before placing into the Yogurt Maker.
-Ensure the container, lid, other equipment and working surfaces are well cleaned.
-If your room temperature is very cold - heat the milk to 40 ºC before adding the starter culture. Also only fill with boiling water up to the top of the hole of the container holder!
-In case of a too low fridge temperature (1 ºC), leave the milk at room temperature for 30 minutes.
-Try alternative milk.
What type of milk to use?
Yogurt texture and taste is not only influenced by the starter culture, but also by the milk. Milk from different animals and different milk pasteurization processes will influence the end result. You can use a variety of milk: whole fat, semi fat, low fat, cow’s milk, goat’s milk and sheep milk. Milk with higher fat percentage will produce thicker yogurt. If you are using low fat milk, you can strain the yogurt after it has set for it to become thicker. Goat`s milk will make thinner yogurt compared to cow`s milk. Sheep milk has more protein making the yogurt thicker and creamier when compared to cow`s milk; it also tastes sweeter. With some brands of soya milk and other non-dairy milk it would be possible to make yogurt. Yogurt will not set if you are using 0% fat milk.
What type of starter yogurt to use?
Use plain yogurt, preferably non-flavored Greek style yogurt. To ensure that your yogurt will set, use a full-fat yogurt as your starter yogurt. For optimal results, use our Yogurt Starter Culture sachets.
Would like your initial yogurt thicker, would like to skip the straining steps?
There are a few ways!
- Use milk with a higher percentage of fat, preferably Greek Yogurt as starter yogurt, or our sachets.
- Let your yogurt remain longer in the Yogurt Maker and fridge.
- Have a few spoons from only one side of your Yumii yogurt before putting it back in the fridge. Every time you do this you will allow some space for the whey to separate and after draining it out you will be able to enjoy a thicker yogurt.
- Warm your milk to a higher temperature 10-25 degrees. The higher the temperature the thicker it will be, if it is over 25 ºC the yogurt will not set. More whey is likely to separate.
- Boil your milk for a longer period of time - approximately 7 minutes or more. The longer you boil the milk, the thicker the yogurt will be and the taste will, as a result, be stronger.
How many times can you make yogurt using starter yogurt from a previous batch?
Let`s say you have our sachet or starter yogurt and with one of these you make your first yogurt. You have left 3-4 spoons from your first yogurt and with these you make your second yogurt. You do the same with your second yogurt and leave 3-4 spoons to make your third one. Depending on your raw ingredients you should be able to make up to three batches of yogurt. However, with every new batch it will become more and more sour and thinner because the bacteria lose their properties.
There is a thicker layer on top of your yogurt…Can you eat it?
(Mostly occurs in non-homogenized milk)
It is perfectly fine to be consumed; however, it will taste differently from the yogurt underneath.
Bad taste?
Might be because the milk or starter yogurt have been left open in the fridge for too long. They might also be close to expiration date, or have already expired. Always use fresh ingredients for the best taste. After you make your yogurt, the longer it stays in the fridge, the more sour it will become. For the freshest and best taste consume within two days! Also try alternative milks.
Too sour?
This happens when you leave your yogurt in the Yogurt Maker or the fridge for too long, or you reuse your starter yogurt too many times. Also it might be because of the milk you are using.
Your yogurt lost its density after taking it with you?
Since your homemade yogurt separates whey and does not have any of the artificial additives such as stabilizers, which can be found in store yogurt, any type of transportation and changes of temperature may influence the yogurt structure. Your yogurt is more likely to stay thicker if you have used full fat milk and you have boiled it before making the yogurt. The raw ingredients you use will also have an influence.
Boiling the milk
Why do I need to boil Pasteurised milk but not UHT or Sterilised milk?
Any milk treated at a temperature of around 100 ºC or higher should be suitable to make yogurt without the need to be boiled, because high temperature drives out the oxygen and helps anaerobic fermentation. In the UK Pasteurised milk is treated at a temperature of around 72 ºC, which is too low to activate the process.
Does the fat content change when I boil the milk?
The fat you consume stays the same, however, you are consuming it in a smaller amount of yogurt. For example: 1000ml of milk has 30g of fat (3g of fat per 100ml), let`s presume after boiling the milk for 10 minutes it has reduced its volume to 800ml, it will still have 30g of fat (3.75g of fat per 100ml).
How to prevent your milk from over boiling into a mess?
Keep your eyes on the milk at all times! Tricks to prevent over boiling: You can place a wooden utensil on top of your pot or rub oil on the edges of the pot before heating. However, if the heat is too high, you are in for a mess! Ensure you keep stirring the milk.
Grey coloration of the yogurt?
Might be because you have overboiled your milk, or placed directly onto high heat, resulting in the milk protein being cooked. Solution: Use a double boiler – place water in a pot then pour your milk in another pot and place in on top, use a thermometer to monitor the heat.
Burned milk at the bottom of your pot?
This happens when initial heat is too high. Ensure you use a non-stick pot! For best results, use a double boiler!
How to cool down your milk more quickly?
Place the pot into cold water and stir the milk. Alternatively, pour the milk into your Yumii container, place the container in cold water and stir the milk.