Raw Yoghurt

[Guest guest]

Hello ,

I make a good yogurt from raw milk and will try to answer your

questions. I am Bulgarian, so I do know a little about this :-)

> So how do you do it then, and are we really talking about

> yoghurt here? Raw milk can certainly be clabbered by the

> same lactic bacteria used for yoghurt, but I wouldn't call

> clabber " yoghurt " .

Yes, you are correct. Clabber is not yogurt. Yogurt is a result of

the bacterial fermentation of milk and the bacteria responsible for

this are Lactobacillus Bulgaricus and Streptococcus Thermophilus.

They give yogurt the distinctive sour, tangy taste. They are

naturally presented only on the Balkan peninsula(today's Bulgaria,

Greece, Turkey) and will mutate out of the area very fast. This is

why here (in the US) I can't use batch of my previous yogurt for a

starter but I don't have this problem in Bulgaria. After short time

contamination and mutation is inevitable. Clabber is naturally

soured, thickened milk before it is separated into curds and whey.

The bacteria responsible are also lactic, but not Lactobacillus

Bulgaricus and Streptococcus Thermophilus and this is why clabber

tastes different than yogurt.

>Does your product hold all of its whey

> in suspension until cut? Does a hole left in it after some

> is scooped out with a spoon still have sharp edges when you

> return to it an hour later? If so, please do detail the

> method you use.

I will describe my method below. But before this I would like to

clarify a few details. You are accustom to the commercial yogurt

sold in the US or Western Europe but probably never had traditional

Bulgarian yogurt. There are differences. The manufacturers here are

using mostly cow milk from animals being fed standardized diet (i.e.

grain, hey, etc.) Then they add stabilizers, starches, gums and gels

to improve the viscosity and the texture. Often they do concentrate

the milk by evaporation prior to fermentation or by the addition of

dried powdered milk.

The incubation temperature of yogurt is usually in the 104-113F

interval. If you choose the higher end, than Streptococcus

Thermophilus are predominant and the result is a sourer yogurt. Also

there will be some liquid on the top. This is called syneresis. If

you use the lower temperature than the Lactobacillus Bulgaricus are

abundant and the result is more sweeter, milder yogurt without

liquid on top.

The milk used also affects the consistency of yogurt. The higher the

fat level the creamier and smother the yogurt will feel in the

mouth. The higher the dry matter (milk solids) the firmer the yogurt

will be. Commercial manufacturers control the dry matter to ensure

consistency of production. The above factors depend on the breed of

the animal (i.e. in the case of cows they are higher for Jerseys

than Holsteins), the diet (is it a standardized commercial feed or a

grass which changes with the seasons) and the lactation of the

animal (i.e. is it in the beginning, max production or just before

the animal is about to go dry). My family had cow, water buffalo,

goats and sheep until 10 years ago. Buffalo and sheep milks are very

rich and buttery. But still, the consistency of the yogurt made from

them will differ during the year. In May it will be runnier. In

August, just before the sheep go dry, the yogurt will be very, very

firm. You could practically slice it with a knife. It melts in your

mouth and has a strong tangy flavor. So it is normal that your

yogurt will change during the course of the year. In the older days

Bulgarians used to make yogurt in earthenware pottery. Some of the

whey was leaking from the clay pot naturally and the resulting

yogurt was even thicker. At the present day there are only 2 or 3

places there that still sell buffalo/sheep yogurt in pottery. Most

of the yogurt sold in stores there is made from homogenized cow milk

with 2% milk fat. So with two words: Yogurt made from cow milk will

never have the consistency of buffalo/sheep milk. It will always be

runnier. And raw milk yogurt will always be runnier compared to the

one made with pasteurized because of the difference in the amount of

dry matter. If you take milk from Jerseys and make yogurt the

standard way(with heating to 180 degrees) you will have very firm

yogurt with " hole left in it after some is scooped out " . It will be

just as the " Brown Cow " brand. However if you take the same milk but

do not heat/pasteurise it will be creamier.

Another problem you can encounter when making yogurt is slime. This

means that either your culture is contaminated, your jars, or the

milk itself. Don't get me wrong. Your milk may be perfect for

drinking but it may not produce superior yogurt. As soon as the cow

is milked, bacteria will start growing. This is normal and you can't

avoid it. Lactobacillus Bulgaricus and Streptococcus Thermophilus

are very sensitive to the environment outside the Balkans and thus

the bacteria presented in milk may change the quality of yogurt.

This is why had the best results in making his yogurt on the

day of picking milk.

Here is how I make my yogurt here.

1.I have the best results when using small, pint size Mason jars. I

pour boiling water and let them stay for around 30 minutes. Put your

measuring spoon in one of the jars too. You do not need to keep them

for so long. I just don't want to burn my fingers! After the jars

are sterilized throw the water. Keep the spoon in one of the empty

jars. You do not want to contaminate it by leaving it on the

counter.

2. Put a little starter in each jar. Then stir each one a little.

Add a little cold milk and stir again with the spoon. Then add the

rest of the milk to fill the jars and lightly stir one more time. My

milk comes from the fridge and is cold. If you are farmer/have a cow

use the milk immediately after milking when it is still warm.

One 6 oz cup commercial yogurt is enough to inoculate one gallon. Be

sure to check for the expiration day. If the " live cultures " aren't

alive anymore then the milk will simply clabber. I like to use

the " Brown cow " plain brand. But must admit that also use Danon

because my local grocery store does not carry the " Brown cow " and I

can't go to the health food store every time I make yogurt. You can

also buy commercial starter. I did order some in the summer but was

disappointed. They shipped the order without using dry ice or any

other material. I live in the South and by the time my order arrived

the starter was dead.

3. Put the lids on the jars and place them in a warm environment. I

place mine in 2 or 3 stockpots and add warm water – around 100 –

110F. During the first hour I change the water 2-3 times. It will

chill fast because the milk is cold. I do not want to warm the milk

on the stove to body temperature before inoculation because every

moving in a new pot will increase the bacterial count and thus may

change the consistency of the end product (i.e. slimy yogurt). After

the first 1-1.5 h I wrap the stockpots with 4-5 plastic bags and

leave them on the counter. You can put on top of them a blanket if

desired. I leave my yogurt to incubate for 15-17 hours. I love it

when it is more sour. You can leave it for a few more hours or a few

less depending on how sour you want it. The longer it stays the more

sour will be. Then carefully take the jars from the stockpots and

move them in the fridge. Yogurt will ticker more as it stays there.

When moving the jars do not shake them. Yogurt does not like to be

disturbed. Once it is chilled you can consume.

Marieta