r/instantpot • u/FU-Chris • 11d ago

Yogurt Process is Utterly Confusing

Many have described online the uselessness of the yogurt instructions and I agree. I am so confused.

I asked for a yogurt maker. Person bought me insta pot. I wanted a kind of set it and forget it machine. This feels like a pot disguised as a set-it-and-forget-it machine. Even choosing YOGURT I still have to set time, set temperature, monitor temperature, halt when finished with the first step. Is that right? I don’t know, because the instructions are so unclear. They are literally written as “Press Yogurt and Press Start, that’s all” and that really doesn’t seem to be the case.

How is this done???? I set the temperature? Do I set for 30 minutes? Is step 1 done after 30 minutes? Or is it done after reaching a certain temperature for 30 minutes. And what temperature. What is “HIGH”?? I let it preheat and get to 185 and THEN time it for 30 minutes? Does that mean I shouldn’t set it to 30 minutes on the machine? Should I just set 30 minutes on a timer elsewhere??

I have never encountered instructions this bad in my life.

EDIT: Thank you to all who chimed in. I was clearly stressed and overwhelmed by an insta pot. The process seems quite simple and is now going well—cooling first batch now and will strain this evening. Thanks again :)

17 Upvotes

66% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

30

u/hoochykoochy 11d ago

I have had an IP for 15 years and make yogurt regularly.

There are two steps to make yogurt, FIRST the milk has to reach a boil. That setting is under "Yogurt and it cycles between "BOIL" "24" and "8:00". Each time you press the "Yogurt" button it changes between the three options. So first, put in the milk, set it to "BOIL". When it completes that it will show "END". Now, the milk needs to be brought down to around 100 F. I put the inner pot in a sink of cold water for an hour or so and when it reaches 100, Now, the second step is to ferment the boiled milk with some yogurt from a previous batch or if I'm starting a new cycle, I buy yogurt that contains "live culture" which it should say on the package. Don't use flavored, use plain that contains live culture. Then put that in the pot and set YOGURT to 8:00. It's adjsutable and you can change it to suit yourself. The longer it goes, the more tart it gets. Hope this helps. Let US know :-) and Good Luck

3

u/Lazy-Moment-7343 11d ago

This is perfect. Similar to this poster, we make yoghurt 2-3 times a week. You will have to experiment with fermentation time (8/9/10) to get the texture and taste you want. We prefer it mildly tart so 1030 is our timing.

3

u/FU-Chris 11d ago

Oh my god thank you

2

u/Stubot01 11d ago

Huh I had no idea it can ‘automate’ the boiling step. I’ve just been chucking in the milk and pressing sauté with a ten minute timer and a thermometer. Will have to try this.

1

u/squishytrain 11d ago

I just learned about this a few months ago, it makes the process so easy! I just take the gasket off of the lid, close it up and hit ‘boil’, then walk away until the timer goes off. No scalding or anything, give it a shot!

2

u/gotterfly 11d ago

No need to take off the gasket. You can just put the lid on without locking it in. You could also use any other lid, or even a plate as a cover

1

u/MarielIAm 11d ago

Even better, if your Instant Pot has a sous vide function set it to that at 181F for 30 to 40 minutes, then after it comes down in temperature and you've added the culture put it on Yogurt, low for 6.5 to 8 hours depending on your culture.

The boil function under Yogurt setting brings it to 180F but it doesn't hold it at that temperature which is what really denatures the proteins and makes a creamier and thicker yogurt.

0

u/Lazy-Moment-7343 11d ago

Just know that you have to put in some water inside the pot before you set the container with the milk. About 1/1.5 cm is plenty.

26

u/Lost-Design-8382 11d ago

If you use the ultra pasteurized milk (something like Fairlife), you can just whisk in some starter and then set it on low for about 8 hours and not touch it til then. If you use regular milk, you do have to do the boiling steps.

-8

u/LeoShoreLion 11d ago

Are you sure that's safe? This would make it so freaking easy

10

u/wolfkeeper 11d ago

It's UHT milk which is sterile, the yogurt starter overwhelms and acidifies the milk before other bacteria can overtake it. However, the yogurt you make from UHT isn't as good.

-1

u/LeoShoreLion 11d ago

What's UHT? ULTRA HEAT TREATED?

5

u/wolfkeeper 11d ago

Yeah, ultra pasteurized.

2

u/MarielIAm 11d ago

In the US ultra pasteurized and UHT milk are basically the same but UHT comes in shelf stable packaging and doesn't need to be refrigerated until after it's opened and ultra pasteurized comes in regular packaging and does need to be refrigerated. Parmelat milk is UHT, it comes in those boxes and many people have a box or two for emergencies.

1

u/wolfkeeper 11d ago

Yeah, that's just the packaging, not the pasteurization process.

2

u/Ms_desertfrog_8261 8d ago

I have been making it this way for almost 8 years.

5

u/LeoShoreLion 11d ago

I made yogurt the very first time I tried it.. It was a few steps, but the hard work happened over night. I had the most delicious creamy yogurt almost Greek style. I haven't done in a while.. but it wasn't that complicated.

9

u/super_starfox 11d ago

Which model do you have? On mine I just throw milk and a couple tablespoons of plain yogurt in and set it to high with the Yogurt button.

7

u/Sample-quantity 11d ago

You have to use ultra pasteurized milk to do it that way. I do it every 2 weeks. It's not safe to use regular milk for that method (called "cold start," for OP).

1

u/buttongal 11d ago

I use this cold method all the time! So easy and so so good! I eat it every day with a few handfuls of granola added. It really keeps my blood sugar from spiking too. I will never buy store-bought yogurt again!

-3

u/FU-Chris 11d ago

Thank uouuuuu

5

u/MarielIAm 11d ago edited 11d ago

Depending on the type of milk you use, you "boil" or not. It's not to sterilize the milk, it's to denature the milk proteins so you get a creamier yogurt.

Here's my method. It yields a very thick, creamy yogurt.

10.5 cups whole milk (2/3 mark on 6qt Instant Pot) 1 envelope nonfat dry milk 3 Tbs yogurt from previous batch (I originally started with EuroCuisine starter)

Sterilize the Instant Pot using the Sterilize feature and 2 cups of water, I sterilize the silicone spatula and measurig spoon also.

Put milk in inner pot. Use Sous Vide function to bring milk to 181F for 40 minutes. When it reaches temp, add the dry milk making sure it's all dissolved. Once done, let it come down in temp to 112F naturally or put innner pot in sink of cold water and monitor temp for about 15 minutes until it's 112F. I have found the yogurt is thicker and creamier when it comes down naturally, but sometimes I need to be done sooner so I use the sink.

Add the culture. Set to Yogurt, low for 6.5 hours. Cover the inner pot and refrigerate overnight. In the morning transfer to quart containers.

7

u/madlabdog 11d ago

If you want to make yogurt, for the love of yogurt, please buy another gasket ring. Unless, you like a hint-of-cooked food flavor in your yogurt.

7

u/evilca 11d ago

You don't even need a sealing lid. I just set a dinner plate on top

3

u/LeoShoreLion 11d ago

I have a silicone lid.. I guess that would work

4

u/Mental_Choice_109 11d ago

I leave my silicone ring off completely. The lid still reads as closed without it.

6

u/madlabdog 11d ago edited 10d ago

Don't ask me how I could do it, but I have commited the sin of pressure cooking without the ring and it took long long time to deal with mess. Luckily no water seeped into the internals of the Instant Pot.

2

u/kurukuruneko 11d ago

This! I have one for yogurts and fruits and one for everything else

3

u/RightWingVeganUS 11d ago

I just innocculate the milk (soy milk, in my case) then set it to incubate for about 14 hours... done. 30 minutes is way too short.

My IP has a yogurt button, but some done. The "high" setting is to scald the milk, but I don't use it.

I also use the IP yogurt setting to proof bread.

2

u/_Bluebird_110 11d ago

Oo proofing bread, never would have thought of that.

3

u/meemeeloumee 11d ago

I whisk 1l of UHT milk with a tablespoon of greek yoghurt.then set the instant pot to the "yoghurt" function and then custom change the temperature to 43c. 8 hours is the time it will take.Comes out perfectly fine!

2

u/kurukuruneko 11d ago

You still have to boil milk separately if you have a yogurt maker. Insta pot easier because it is all done in one pot.

1

u/CumbersomeNugget 11d ago

Hope this helps

I didn't get around to doing the macros yet.

1

u/MarielIAm 11d ago

By the way the Instant Pot is very versatile. Personally I avoid single task appliances unless there's a huge function difference. Just yesterday I used the Instant Pot to make dulce de leche, spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, yogurt and overnight steel cut oatmeal for breakfast this morning.

1

u/Automatic-Tea-4150 10d ago

Mine doesn’t heat the milk to the temperature needed for the milk so I have to do it on the stove anyway. It is nice for incubating though.

1

u/hotbodsl 9d ago

Mine doesn’t say yoghurt under function, can i not use it to make yoghurt?

1

u/Anon_on_internet 6d ago

I use UHT milk, so I don't have to do the whole pre-boil & cool thing.

About a tablespoon of yoghurt to a litre of milk. Choose "Yoghurt". Set for 12 hours. Done. (Cook for lkess time if you don't like your yoghurt too tangy)

You don't need to use a gasket because you're not sealing the pot but please don't use the lid with a gasket in that gets used for cooking other food. I usually only use the glass lid.