Why does the yogurt I make look like tofu dregs? What is the reason why the yogurt is made like tofu dregs?

As we all know, yogurt is a popular dairy product. It tastes sweet and delicious, is rich in nutrition, and is good for the body. Many people like to drink yogurt, and some people even make their own yogurt at home. So why does the yogurt you make yourself look like tofu dregs? Let's take a closer look!

Why does yogurt look like tofu dregs?

1. The milk used to make yogurt is not fresh. If raw milk is used, it is possible that the milk has deteriorated. This is because raw milk is milked in the evening and then refrigerated in the refrigerator and sold the next day. It is possible that the milk has deteriorated due to improper storage during the dozen hours of storage. When the milk deteriorates, the milk and water will separate, and the yogurt we make will not be able to take shape. If you use sterilized cooked milk bought from a supermarket, you can also check whether it is still within the shelf life.

2. The yogurt fermentation time is not enough. When making yogurt, the fermentation time of yogurt should be about twelve hours. If the time is too short or too long, the yogurt fermentation will fail. This is also a factor that causes the yogurt to become residue-like. The yogurt must not be stirred during the fermentation period, otherwise it will cause the yogurt to not take shape.

3. The fermentation temperature does not meet the standard. When we make our own yogurt, we must ensure that the yogurt is fermented in a higher temperature environment. If the temperature is too low during fermentation, the bacteria will stop growing and will not ferment according to the normal procedure, which will lead to the failure of yogurt production.

4. When fermenting yogurt, the wrong strain of bacteria is used, or too little of the strain is placed. In fact, we can choose to use finished plain yogurt as the strain of bacteria. The yogurt produced in this way has a high success rate and is simple and convenient.

How to make homemade yogurt so that it doesn’t look like tofu dregs

1. Choose high-quality milk with high protein content

From my personal feeling, imported milk is the first choice for making yogurt, followed by domestic pasteurized milk and milk packaged in cartons (paper bags). This is because these types of milk have high protein content and good quality, and the yogurt made from them is relatively thick or has overall clumping, and tastes very good.

Currently, supermarkets still sell milk packaged in plastic bags. I personally feel that a considerable portion of this type of packaging is not suitable for making yogurt. This is because most of this type of milk is cheap, and the taste is obviously not as good as the other three types. The taste and thickness of the yogurt made from it are not good either.

2. Choose the right yogurt powder or yogurt as the starter and control the proportion of addition.

Currently, there are many brands of yogurt powder selling on Taobao. Although they all promote that their brands have many strains and large numbers of bacteria, the yogurt made after actual purchase is not of ideal thickness.

Bacteria powder is usually 1g per pack, which can ferment 1000ml of milk. But in my actual addition, I found that one pack is not enough, and the fermentation effect is not very good, so every time I make yogurt, I add 2 packs (2g) of bacteria powder for fermentation.

If you use yogurt as a starter for fermentation, generally 100g of yogurt is used to ferment 1000ml of milk. However, when choosing yogurt, you must choose low-temperature stored live bacteria yogurt (shelf life 15-30 days), and pay attention to the shelf life. Room temperature yogurt (shelf life 6 months) cannot be used to make yogurt because the live bacteria have been killed.

If non-bacterial yogurt is added when making yogurt, it will form small lumps like tofu dregs during the fermentation process. This is caused by milk corruption, so it should never be consumed.

3. The yogurt fermentation container should be clean and sanitary, and it should be stirred evenly before fermentation.

Before making yogurt, the yogurt fermentation container must be cleaned and no water should remain. Add milk and bacterial powder (or yogurt as a starter) to the container, and then add sugar to speed up the growth of lactic acid bacteria. Finally, stir thoroughly to ensure even fermentation.

If the fermentation is uneven, tofu dregs will appear.

4. Control the fermentation temperature and time

The best fermentation temperature for yogurt is 40-45 degrees, and the fermentation time is 8 hours. When using a yogurt machine to make yogurt, the fermentation temperature will generally not cause any problems, the main thing is to control the time.

If the time and temperature do not meet the requirements and the milk fails to fully ferment, tofu dregs will occur.

Tips for making homemade yogurt

1. When fermenting yogurt yourself, the first choice is fermentation bacteria, and the second choice is yogurt as a starter. Because the yogurt fermented with fermentation bacteria powder has a viscous taste, like soft tofu, and tastes better. If yogurt is used as a starter, the yogurt produced will be thinner and more water will be separated. It is recommended to use one strand of bacterial powder for less than one liter of milk.

2. It is recommended to use whole milk or pure milk with a fat content of 3.2 or a protein content of 3.4 and a carbohydrate content of about 4.8. It is not recommended to use fresh milk. Packaged milk has a higher water content due to the different sterilization and packaging processes from boxed milk, and the fat and protein content are much lower than boxed milk. You can heat it to evaporate the water content before making it, sterilize it, and then cool it down before making it.

3. The recommended fermentation time is about 12-14 hours. Fermentation takes longer in winter.

4. Before fermentation, please do not add sugar, because adding sugar will cause fermentation to fail or be slower.

5. Make sure the indoor temperature is not too low, otherwise the fermentation will be slow. You can add warm water to the outer tank of the yogurt maker to achieve better constant temperature fermentation.

6. It is recommended to drink the made yogurt within 3 days of being placed in the refrigerator. As time goes by, the active lactic acid bacteria in it will die in large numbers. It is not recommended to drink yogurt that has been stored for more than 7 days.