DIY Raw Goat Yogurt (SCD)

About the recipe: I will providing instructions for both raw and pasteurized yogurt. If you are following the SCD diet, you'll need to use THIS starter; it's bifidus free. If you're not on the SCD, you can use any culture you want. 

What you'll need:

• 1 quart to 1 gallon of milk
• yogurt starter
• a large pot (I use two, to create a double boiler)
• a whisk
• a candy or meat thermometer 
• a measuring cup
• a glass bowl
• mason jars, or something to ferment your yogurt in
• an Excalibur dehydrator, or something to ferment your yogurt in

1. Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. I can't stress this enough! If you don't sanitize the materials you'll be using to make the yogurt, it can prevent the fermentation process from starting. To sanitize all you need to do is either soak your materials in boiling water. I just put my materials in the sink and poured boiling water over them.

2. For each quart of milk you heat, you'll need one 5 gram packet of starter. If this is our first time making yogurt, I would highly recommend only making one quart. Begin heating your milk on low. If you are using raw milk, you need to heat the milk to 110 degrees. If the milk gets about 117 degrees, your enzymes and beneficial bacteria will be destroyed. If you are using pasteurized milk, heat it to 180 degrees. You'll need to keep your thermometer in the pot, and whisk frequently, so that you can get an accurate reading of the temperature. Once the milk has heated to the appropriate temperature, remove from heat. 

3. Let the milk cool to 100-105 degrees. Depending on if you used raw or pasteurized milk, it could take up to 15 minutes. To speed this process, you can put your pot in the refrigerator. If the milk is too hot when you add it to your culture, it will kill them.

4. After the milk is cooled, you can begin adding the culture. In your glass bowl, empty your packets of culture. Slowly mix in 1/2 cup of your milk at a time- making sure the culture is fully dissolved, and equally distributed. I recommend whisking for about 1 minute. 

5. That's it! Distribute your mixture into mason jars. You'll need to heat your yogurt at 105-110 degrees for 24-28 hours; the closer to 28 hours the better. This ensures that all of the milk sugars have been consumed.

This yogurt, especially if you're using raw goat milk, will not be thick. Mine was the consistency of kefir, and I think that it very typical. If you'd like a thicker consistency, just strain your end product through cheese cloth! 

Good luck,

Namaste

-Tyler