Ask Allie!

Ask Allie is our advice column, where you can ask all your food-related questions to get digestible answers! No question is off limits!

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For mesophilic yoghurt activation, may I know how much (in Tbsp) is half of the starter culture and how much pasteurized milk to use for half of the starter culture?

— Wong L.

I believe Sabrina puts 1-3 teaspoons in the packets, so it’d be half a teaspoon through half a tablespoon. That said, you do not need to be super precise and can just use approximately half the packet with ½-1 cup of milk for your first batch. Put the second half of packet in freezer as a backup, then do 1T:1C ratio for next 2 batches. 3 batches are required for activation; due to it being a seasonal change period, I wouldn’t freak out if it actually requires 4-5 batches (#1 is the one with the dried starter culture) since cultures can turn into tantruming toddlers during seasonal changes.

I am wondering what the purpose is of having the cultured yogurt cool on the counter for two hours before refrigerating. Can you skip this step and just put it directly in the refrigerator or does this affect they way the yogurt sets?

I am currently making traditional and French yogurts. We are going to have a family taste test this weekend! Thank you!

— Carlin

Sometimes, dairy products can seize if they’re cooled that quickly, so we recommend against doing it. That said, I’ve literally never let mine cool to room temp before tucking them in the fridge, so do what you like. Our takeaway here, though, should not be “do what you want” but rather, “make sure you’ve got some backups before you do it, just in case you’re the person this doesn’t work for.” Happy fermenting, and happy tasting day! ❤

I have some Kefir that I started back in Sept. I've heard that the grains it should float on the top, but mine is always stuck to the bottom. Are the yeasts dead in my culture? Is that why it's not floating? Thank you.

— Robert

No, they’re fine. Not all grains float. Some hang out in the middle, on the bottom, or wherever they feel like. They all have their own little personalities and care not a bit about what generalities we humans think should be expected. They’re just above all that, I suppose. If it’s culturing the milk, the culture is still alive and well.