Making your own yogurt is easy and rewarding, once you get the hang of it!
The weather is changing and we need to re-do our calibrations for colder ambient temperatures. You may notice that the milk is a bit thinner, because the animal’s are storing their fats and energy differently for colder weather.
Don’t worry, your yogurt will be fine in terms of its ability to create a micro biome and GcMAF. Usually it simply requires either more time or more heat to bring it to its highest potential.
Your yogurt at its best!
To bring your Bravo GcMAF Yogurt to it’s best, you may need to taste it to know when the yogurt is done. This is especially helpful if the conditions have changed. You can still know when it is done. This may take some time to learn but it is worth it.
Underdone yogurt will have a taste of “raw milk”.
Done is silky, cultured and smooth.
- It is much like a custard and needs to have a culturing vessel where the center “sets” without the sides getting too hard. This can be done with a culturing vessel shape that can culture fast by having lots of warming surface and not much middle where it can be underdone.
- Gradually the raw milk is overcome by the cultured taste. This is the peak of excellence where the culturing should stop and it should be refrigerated.
Overdone yogurt, turns a bit sour as the yeast begins to over-grow. Use less time next time.
Think of it as a bell curve…
The first line is under done
The top of the bell curve is done
The third line is over done.
Under Done Over
Find the perfection by tasting it. Write down your culture time and temperature for next time.
Adjust the temperature and or time for
- outside ambient temperature
- volume of yogurt being cultured
- Seasonal temperatures
Intermediate Protocol
Ready to try something else?
A very nice “intermediate” method for a batch is to let the yogurt “culture” for 93 degrees till done at 12 hours.
Then unplug or discontinue the heat and let it slowly cool down for about 4 hours before being refrigerated.
The cultures don’t all do best at the same heat. This lets all the cultures have fun and come to fruition.
If the idea stresses you, stay with the beginners level until you want more.
Advanced Protocol
Set your culturing vessel in a draft-free spot where it will not be disturbed and temperatures will remain around 21-30°C (70- 86°F). Do not mix or move it. Bravo will ferment in 24 to 48 hours (depending on the room temperature).
Note: This is an advanced protocol because if the culture process is not complete within those 48 hours, the milk can loose it’s integrity and go bad. There is a correlation between different temperatures and culturing times that all make a cultured product. More heat, less time. Less heat, more time. Just don’t run out of time.
I tried the Advanced Protocol at this time of year when everything was changing so I didn’t have luck. I always had successful batches at 93 degrees/12 hours. That is a universal starting point or the “The Bunny Slope”.
Find the way that works for you and get started. Once you have success and you want to improve, go right ahead.
Remember, we have a conference call on Tuesdays for anyone who wants it. The info for the conference is below and on the top of the shop page in a gold banner.
