Ask Allie!
What is Ask Allie?
Ask Allie is our food-related advice column, where you can ask all your fermenting, cooking, baking, and pantry-related questions to get digestible answers! No question about food is off limits!
Most of you will receive an emailed reply prior to your question hitting the blog, since I frequently think you need a more immediate answer. You should anticipate 1-2 weeks between submitting your question and its appearance on blog. Although emailed replies normally take between 1-3 days, it can take up to a week.
To have your question answered in Ask Allie posts, please use the form on our website. If you prefer to be anonymous, just say so in the form and we’ll leave your name out when we answer it in the blog! Note that some submissions may be edited for clarity.
For troubleshooting active issues with a culture you’re working with, please check the FAQs or write us at support@positivelyprobiotic.com - you’ll get your answer faster that way! Please also take advantage of our Facebook group for troubleshooting, conversation, and getting to know more members of our community!
I just made the improved French style yogurt and it tastes amazing. My only issue is is that is a little lumpy. I heated the milk slowly over a double boiler and used a DASH bulk yogurt maker once the milk was at about 108.
The yogurt seemed fully cultured at around three hours but I was nervous to take it out too soon. I had to run to a family “thing” so I unplugged the yogurt maker and left it for a few hours. Could this be where I went wrong?
Thank you for your help. I have also been making sourdough like it is going out of style and my family loves it!
— Kim
Drop the heat down to 100, Kim. I’ve been getting a lot of emails lately from people having textural issues, and all of you are doing it above 100F.
I’m glad your family is digging the sourdough! It’s wonderful seeing families devour the products of our labor!
I tried my first batch today using 1 cup milk and after 10 hours in my yogurt maker, the milk is still milk with a few slightly yellow, tiny blobs floating around in it.
It smells fine, but it’s not yogurt.
Help me! What went wrong? Can I save this batch? The culture is not cheap!
Thank you!
— Kathy
You can give it longer than 10 hours, but it also could take as many as 3 batches to get it to the right texture. Some cultures experience “jet lag,”and the Australian is definitely one of those. Check out the yogurt FAQ, too.. It may be helpful, as it offers solutions to many of the most common problems!
Hi, I have the European culture for Thermoplastic Yogurt. It comes out creamy, with very little sour bite. The consistency is almost "snotty" for lack of a lovely culinary term. I would like it more sour and a little firmer. Creamy is OK. Does this correctly describe the results of the European yogurt culture? Should I be trying a different culture to gain the results I am going for?
— Scott
Ferment it longer than you are. That will add firmness and sourness to it. Also remember that in many instances, thermophilic yogurts do benefit textually from straining. I know you’re trying to up the tartness level (although the European is a pretty balanced yogurt, so it would be a challenge to get it crazy tart), so give it some extra time and see if that resolves before you start straining whey out.
If you’re looking for a properly tart yogurt, check these options out, and these for seriously tart!
