How do you want to keep your Bravo Yogurt culture warm?

There aren’t detailed instructions here.  Just some help with understanding the culturing.

Hi, I am Mimi.  I make at least 2-5 gallons of yogurt for sale to customers every week since the beginning of 2016 when I started to sell it.  I have been through everything I can think of in terms of making it.  I also end up using marginal products that don’t come out right.  I, therefore, have grown attentive to doing it right and have a healthy respect for what is likely to fail.

Everyone gets a bit excited to bring home Bravo Yogurt.  Some are big culturing people. others have never considered a double boiler or tasting something to see if it is done.  Yet we all need to make Bravo Yogurt.  There are as many ways to make it as there are people.

Usually, I can go over the basics with people and they understand but consistently, we need to talk about what will work to culture the yogurt.  I have settled on the best recipe for culturing through trial and error with thousands of people.  It is 93 degrees for 12 hours.  Within that is a range.  88 for more hours will work, etc.  I just don’t know what that hourly amount will be.  It must be tasted to determine.  Does it get cooler at night?  how much cooler?  on and on.

I have come up with a solid way to make the yogurt and I have come up with the description of a “taste method” to help out knowing when the culture is done when we are off roading.  Warning: don’t just pick a recipe from the internet from Bravo Yogurt.  There are some out there which are for older recipes that don’t really relate.  Try to stay current.  Have a question?  Ask me.  mimi @ bravocoop dot com.

The first part of making Bravo is the milk.  Raw, fresh and whole.  As close as it comes to the real thing.  Then we will heat it to 160 to 185 to home pasteurize it and to remove the casein which is the stress hormone complex residing inside the milk.  If the milk is pasteurized, it will still need to be heated and the skin that comes to the surface must be removed.  Don’t eat this.  It’s really all the noise from the barnyard. Once it is removed, the milk is a clean canvas and ready for the powders.

Keeping it warm is where people need to use what they have.  For example, you may not have all of these, but choose the one that works for you!!

Once you find the method you want to use, it’s important to calibrate as needed.  To calibrate, test a bowl of water with a thermometer.  If it is near 93˚ you are okay to try the good stuff.  Otherwise, water in your container and put it in your warming environment. modify as needed.  It may need to be re-adjusted with the seasons.

1. Gas ovens have a pilot light –
   1. Modification – closer or nearer to find right temp
2. Proofing function – an option on some electric ovens
   1. Check the temp & timing for your brand
3. Oven light bulb (only- no heat used)  –
   1. Modification – closer or nearer to find the right temp
   2. Use a post-it “Keep the light on!  Bravo!”  That’s how I got our tag line.
4. Instant pot  – It must have a Yogurt button
   1. Test the temperatures with thermomenter
   2. If it doesn’t have an adjust button, use the yogurt button again
5. Yogurt machine –  – see www.bravocoop.com FAQs How to Make
   1. These are factory set at 110˚ but you can use them if you lift the vessel off of the bottom (direct heat) using something 1″-2″ high to create ambiant heat.  Rack?
6. Reptile mat from pet store
   1. Modification – closer or nearer to find the right temp or use a towel to wrap.
   2. Setting directly on this is how it is built.  Usually it is radiant heat at the right temp
   3. Not very expensive and easy to store.
7. 40 oz Thermos King
   1. Heat your milk or your water test to 93 degrees and put the lid on – measure in 12 hours.
   2. Inexpensive, diverse uses, no electricity needed. unbreakable
   3. The downside, it has to be covered with a lid and may benefit more oxygen.

Failed projects

• Don’t use boiling hot water suspended inside a cooler due to bacterial growth.  Use dry heat!
• On the counter for 2-3 days, the milk could go bad before it begins to culture.  unnecessary failure has been observed
• Dehydrator ( I have trouble with the noise)

Advanced projects

1. Drift after “culture” is established
   1. Culture the yogurt for 12 hours at 93˚ to establish the culture
      1. You can use a Christmas tree light  timer at the plug to turn it off at 12 hours.
   2. Let the temperature drift to room temp for up to 5 hours.
      1. Since all the organisms have different culture rates, this makes them happy.
      2. It also lets you sleep or get home from work, etc.
   3. Make it easy for yourself  – at 7 pm (dinner) and collect it at 7 am (breakfast)
   4. Use an internal timer like the Instant Pot or an Iris Osama yogurt machine

Have a question?  Ask me.  mimi @ bravocoop dot com.