Why is my yogurt sour at the top and non-sour at the bottom

Why is my yogurt sour at the top and non-sour at the bottom - Photo of Person Slicing Lemon

I make yogurt with a yogurt maker and the yogurt is nice and thick, but it is very sour at the top only and the rest is almost sweet, like a sweet fresh cheese. Why isn't it sour all over?

This is how I prepare it:

  • heat 1l (goat or sheep) milk slowly (1h) to 85° Celsius,
  • keep it at 85° Celsius for 10 minutes,
  • let it cool slowly to 45° Celsius,
  • mix well with 50g simple yogurt,
  • put it in the yogurt maker at 45° Celsius for 12h.


Best Answer

There could be a few things that are going on here.

My best guess from what you have said would be the temperature or mixing is a little off.

Let the mixture cool a little more before combining with the yoghurt. Also, do this gradually, adding a small part of the cooled milk to the yoghurt each time, mixing until smooth.

Hopefully, this helps.




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Quick Answer about "Why is my yogurt sour at the top and non-sour at the bottom"

The heating part of the yogurt maker is at the bottom, so the yogurt at the very top, being cooler, got sour, while the rest not so, because of the too-high temperature.

Why does my homemade yogurt taste sour?

According to Scientific American magazine, the bacteria's job is to break down, or ferment, the lactose sugars in the milk and turn them into lactic acid in a process known as fermentation. Lactic acid is what gives yogurt its sour taste.

Why is some yogurt more sour than others?

Different strains of bacteria have slightly different fermentation processes, and have slightly different fermentation products, but the end result is primarily lactic acid. So some strains of bacteria might produce a fermented yogurt that is more acidic, or more bitter, or more sour.

Is plain yogurt supposed to taste sour?

This is because yogurt is made through bacterial fermentation of cow's milk or plant milk and the fermentation process creates a naturally sour flavour. This sour flavour can be off-putting which is why so many brands have flavoured alternatives, to cover up that sour taste.

Is it bad if yogurt is sour?

If you eat spoiled yogurt from an opened container, then you may have some painful stomach cramps and diarrhea (possibly nausea) shortly after ingestion. But in both of these instances, the yogurt will taste bad\u2014meaning, you likely won't even want to eat it in the first place.



Yogurt Is More Unhealthy Than You Think




More answers regarding why is my yogurt sour at the top and non-sour at the bottom

Answer 2

Sourness depends on:

  • Temperature. The highest the temperature while fermenting, the sourer it becomes.
  • Sourness of added yogurt. If you add sour yogurt to the warm milk, the produced yogurt will be sour too.

Why isn't it sour all over?

Maybe your yogurt maker is warming the milk on the top and not much in the bottom and that might explain the difference in sourness. Try wrapping it in a thick, warm blanket (the one that you use in your bed for very cold winter nights) right after mixing the yogurt, in order to keep it evenly warm until it thickens (no machine needed).

Some more tips:

  1. The milk should be 38-43° Celcius when you add the yogurt, NOT higher.
  2. 12h might be too much. Try leaving it for about 5 hours or overnight. If it hasn't thickened till then, just leave it in the blanket until it does (that's what have worked for me so far).

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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