Why is DIY yogurt not as stable as sourdough starter?
I have a sourdough starter which is now close to 15 years old. It has survived everything - including long pauses where it stood in the fridge for over a month or longer. It is incredibly stable and very hard to kill (at least I was not successful so far). Presumably you can also make a backup by drying it completely and storing it long-term (I have made such a backup, but have not had to use it yet).
Sometimes I also like to make yogurt by sterilizing milk at 90-95°C, then cooling to 45°C, adding existing yogurt, and keeping it at 45°C for about 6 hours.
This always works very well for the first 3-4 generations (starting with storebought natural joghurt). The first generations are extremely nice, just like the original.
But after some generations, it inevitably does not continue to work as well. The next generation will not become as thick, and will be more of a soup; clumps of yogurt mixed with the clear watery substance you get in these processes (sorry, don't know the word in English - is that whey?). I'm quite careful to keep the whole process as identical as possible.
Do you know the reason for that, or if it is possible to get a long-term, stable yogurt running?
Best Answer
First, we are talking about different microorganisms when comparing sourdough to yogurt. Generally, a sourdough starter is populated by numerous strains of yeast and bacteria, while store bought yogurt contains a small number of isolated strains of bacteria. However, there is no reason that you can't maintain a yogurt culture that lives on. According to the linked article, the isolated strains in store bought yogurt are generally only viable for a couple of generations. You might look into heirloom starter cultures, as they suggest. That way you can develop a yogurt starter that is as viable as your sourdough starter.
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Can I use homemade yogurt as starter?
As you make more batches of your own yogurt, you can use your previous batch as the starter, meaning that the original store-bought base eventually is whittled down into oblivion. Stir in a bit of fruit, honey or maple syrup if you like a touch of sweetness or leave it completely untouched.Can you make yogurt with sourdough starter?
It doesn't matter if you mistakenly killed your pet sourdough starter, or if your pandemic strategy has been to order takeout every night. Absolutely anyone, regardless of your culinary prowess, can churn out homemade yogurt that tastes a million times better than store-bought.How do you maintain a yogurt starter?
of starter on a piece of unbleached parchment paper. Leave the yogurt to dry in a warm, safe spot no more than 80\xb0F. Once it is completely dry, store in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator. Under ideal conditions, the starter will keep for up to a few months.Can you put too much starter in yogurt?
If too much starter culture is used, the bacteria will be crowded and run out of food (lactose) before the yogurt is set. Too much starter can produce a sour taste, rather than the desired tart taste.Stop Wasting Time \u0026 Flour Maintaining A Sourdough Starter. This Strategy is Way Better
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Answer 2
One trick I use for yogurt starter is freezing yogurt in an ice cube tray. Every time I make a new batch, a cube goes in. When I run out of starter cubes, I freeze some more from the current batch. I've been making 3 quarts of yogurt weekly for several years and haven't noticed any changes in the resulting yogurt over the many generations of starter.
Answer 3
It depends on the culture you use. The problems you describe do happen with cultures from store bought yogurts. My family has a yogurt culture which we've been using for decades and it still produces great yogurt every time. It came from overseas decades ago. I got mine from my dad. If you have friends from south Asia or the middle east, ask them if they have a good yogurt culture from the old country.
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