5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Homemade Yogurt
Sneak Preview: Homemade yogurt is simple but not foolproof! Learn from my mistakes—these five common missteps can ruin your batch. Avoid them, and you’ll have creamy, delicious yogurt.
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Avoid common homemade yogurt problems and mistakes by learning from mine. I’ve made every one of these myself.
Homemade yogurt is a team project with nature, like a farmer who works the ground, plants the seed, then prays for a good crop. You don’t have complete control. You must set up the banquet hall correctly and provide the food.
When dinner is ready, the little yogurt bodies (yogurt starter) enter the dining hall to eat and procreate. If they’re not in the mood because they don’t like the temperature or the menu or are too old for such foolishness, they will either croak or go to sleep, and you will not get yogurt.
When that happens, don’t let the disappointment discourage you. Nearly all yogurt makers have experienced it, including me.
This isn’t a step-by-step guide or troubleshooting manual, but rather a collection of lessons learned from over 20 years of experience with homemade yogurt mishaps.
1. Don’t be overly anxious.
Readers often report sleepless nights anticipating a successful batch of yogurt. It’s understandable.
I remember how exciting my first attempt was. However, it is unnecessary to wake up to check on your incubating yogurt like a sick child with a fever.
Resist checking the yogurt every 30 minutes to see if it’s “done” yet. Jostling or moving the bowl may interrupt the process.
✔ Do This Instead: Wait at least 4–6 hours before gently shaking the bowl. If the milk still sloshes, give it more time.
✘ Avoid: Stirring or moving the yogurt before it sets, as this stops the fermentation process. If this happens, you can always try again with more “starter.”
2. Don’t use slightly old milk.
Using milk that’s past its prime won’t save it—it’ll just lead to funky-tasting yogurt that spoils faster.
✔ Do This Instead: Use the freshest milk possible for better taste and longer shelf life.
✘ Avoid: Although homemade yogurt will stay fresh in the fridge for at least two weeks, using yogurt that is older than 7–10 days as a starter, may cause your next batch not to set properly.
3. Don’t Incubate Yogurt in a Hot Oven
If you just finished baking dinner, your oven may still be too hot for yogurt incubation. Doing so can lead to the mass murder of yogurt microbes and the sudden cancellation of your yogurt project. You might be surprised how long it takes a 400˚F oven to cool down to 100˚F.
It might be safe to use the second oven if you have a double oven, depending on how well your ovens are insulated.
✔ Do This Instead: Use an oven with a proofing function, a yogurt maker, or a cooler with warm water. (See more clever ideas for incubating yogurt.)
✘ Avoid: Assuming your oven has cooled down enough without checking the temperature first. A quick-read thermometer(paid link) is helpful.
4. Don’t Skip Heating the Milk
Even if your milk is pasteurized, heating it to 175–180°F (79–82°C) rearranges the proteins, which helps create a thicker yogurt. Skipping this step will result in thinner yogurt that is more suitable for drinking.
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✔ Do This Instead: Heat your milk before adding the starter, then let it cool to 110°F before incubating.
✘ Avoid: Skipping this step unless you’re using the cold-start method with ultra-filtered milk.
5. Don’t Eat ALL of your Yogurt
It’s easy to polish off a fresh batch, but you need a little for the next one! Prepare a small jar (you don’t need much) before you add any flavoring or sweeteners. Then, hide it behind the broccoli so nobody will eat it.
✔ Do This Instead: Set aside a few tablespoons of plain yogurt as a starter, but be sure to use it within a week to 10 days to make more yogurt.
✘ Avoid: Running out of yogurt and having to buy more starter.
Read more about yogurt starters for homemade yogurt here.
Bonus Tip: Can You Freeze Yogurt as a Starter?
Yes! Freezing 1/4 cup of fresh, unflavored yogurt can save the day when you forget to save a starter.
✔ How to Do It: Store in a small container for 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before using.
✘ Avoid: Using frozen starter that’s more than 3 months old, as it may lose potency.
Think of this frozen yogurt as insurance for the day you forget and accidentally eat the last yogurt, go on vacation, or need a break but don’t want to give up the idea forever.
Final Thoughts
If you have a cautionary tale gleaned from your yogurt-making experience, I would love to hear about it in the comments.
Questions? Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon!
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.