Homemade Yogurt (yoghurt) is a healthy source of protein, calcium, magnesium, and other essential vitamins, whose active bacterial cultures aid in digestion. You can make yogurt in your own home for a fraction of the cost of the typical store-bought
type and it requires no special equipment (other than a thermometer). This laid down recipe will guide you through the steps of making your own homemade yogurt, using photographs and simple instructions.

Like most things homemade, the home made
yogurt tastes better, it has no preservatives, sugar or chemicals added, it is less expensive and there is no packaging waste

Despite the proliferation of yogurt makers in the market, everything you need to make homemade yogurt is probably in your kitchen with the possible exception of the thermometer,. They are listed bellow;

• 1 gallon of milk (a gallon = 16 cups, and 1 cup = 250ml)
• 2-3 tablespoon of plain yogurt (as a starter)
• 1 large metal or plastic spoon
• 1 medium pot with lid
• 1 dial thermometer (with clip and range of at least 100 degrees to 180 degree F)
• 1 heating pad

The amount of yogurt you will make depends on the amount of milk you use (1 gallon of milk will produce i gallon of yogurt). You can use regular, reduced or no fat milk.

For your first batch, you will need to purchase plain yogurt with active cultures (all other future batches you will use your own). Alternatively, you may use freeze-dried yogurt starter cultures.

The smaller pot needs to fit inside the larger one (as shown in the picture above), creating a double-boiler or water jacket effect. it's not required but highly recommended.

Your spoon needs to be plastic or metal, so it can be sterilized

Create a Water Jacket

While not required, but this step will save you time, and ensure consistent results every time out. Further, it prevents you from scalding the milk, which will ruin your yogurt.

• Place larger pot in sink
• Place smaller pot inside it
• Fill larger pot with water until the water line is about half way up the side of smaller pot

The smaller pot is going to want to float on you, so hold it down with you other hand while filling larger pot with water

Don't fill the larger pot more than half way up the side of the smaller pot

Make sure you have your milk and 2-3 tablespoon of yogurt out at room temperature throughout the following steps

Sterilize Equipment

You could probably skip this step, but since you need to bring your water to a boil anyway, it removes any possibility of contamination.

• Place your thermometer and spoon in the large pot of water
• Place smaller pot upside down over larger pot
• Heat water until boiling

Once a boil is reached, use oven mitts to remove hot items, and dry with paper toweling.

If you have a set of tongs, use them to quickly sterilize the smaller pot lid by dipping in boiling water.

Add Your Milk

If you do not have a set of pots that fit into each other, you could heat the milk directly but you would need to watch it constantly.

• Place the smaller pot into the larger pot of boiling water
• Carefully pour your milk into the smaller pot
• Clip your thermometer to the rim of the smaller pot

The smaller pot is going to want to float when empty, so pour very slowly

Once all your milk is in, check to see that water level in larger pot and milk level in smaller pot are about the same. Too much water, and the pot will float, too little water, and you won't heat the milk evenly.

Add or remove water if there is a big discrepancy

Heat Milk to 185 degrees F

You want the milk to reach 185 degrees F to prepare the milk proteins for yogurt culture production. If you do not have a thermometer, this is also the temperature at which milk begins to froth, like in a latte.

• Keep water boiling
• Stir frequently

If you hold the milk at 185 degrees F for 30 minutes, you will get a very thick consistency.

While you are waiting for the milk to reach 185 degrees F, fill your sink about 1/4 of the way with cold water

Cool Milk to 110 degrees F

110 degree F is the temperature at which the yogurt will consume the lactose in the milk, and reproduce themselves. You could wait for the milk to cool on its own, but this is much faster and more efficient.

• Carefully place pot of milk in cold water bath
• Stir occasionally 

Like before, you want the level of cold water in the sink to be about even with the level of milk in the pot

Pitch Your Yogurt

Pitch simply means to add, and comes from the world of home-brewing. Brewers pitch yeast to make alcohol, you'll pitch yogurt to make more yogurt

• Pour your 2-3 tablespoons of yogurt into your pot of 110 degree F milk

Again, if this is your first batch, use only a good quality plain yogurt with active cultures. All future batches you will make using your own. Alternatively, you may use freeze-dried yogurt starter cultures.

Stir, Cover & Warm

This step requires that the yogurt remain warm, and undisturbed. A heating pad in a quiet corner works best

• Stir milk well to distribute yogurt you just pitched
• Cover with lid 
• Set heating pad to medium and place on a cutting board
• Place pot of pitched milk on top
• Cover with a dish towel

Use the pot of hot water to clean your thermometer, spoon, yogurt dish, and any other dishes that might be around (waste not, want not).

Wait Seven Hours
Now that you have some time on  your hands, you might want to know a little bit more about what is going on under the lid of that pot. Feel free to skip this step and come back in seven hours, but it will help you understand what we've done so far, and perhaps lead  you to improvements or personalized touches for future batches.

What We've Done So Far:

• Sterilized all of our equipment
• Heated milk to 185 degree F, quickly and evenly by using a hot water jacket
• Cooled it quickly and evenly to 110 degree F, using a cold water bath
• Added or "pitched" 2-3 tablespoons of fresh yogurt and stirred
• Covered and kept warm to wait for seven hours

• The reason for sterilization and heating of the milk to 185 degree F is to remove the possibility of contamination, and to prepare the milk proteins for bacterial reproduction. Doing it quickly and evenly helps achieve predictable results. Cooling the milk to 110 degree F is required so that the yogurt cultures can work their magic.
• Yogurt is created using "helpful" bacteria (usually lactobacillus bulgaricus or streptococcus thermophilus, or both), which cause the milk to ferment. These micro organisms are alive in your yogurt starte that you pitched in the previous step. When they are added to milk at 110 degree F, they consume the sugar found in milk, called lactose. As a result, the milk thickens or curdles, and lactic acid is produced as a byproduct. The lactic acid gives yogurt its "tangy" taste, and preserves the milk from spoiling. Before pasteurization and refrigeration, this was the only way to make milk last for long periods of time.
• The end result is a creamy, tangy, milk-based product, with millions of active bacteria cultures which aid in digestion. Further, the lactic acid allows some people who otherwise cannot tolerate lactose to enjoy this diary treat. Seven hours at a warm temperature seems to produce a yogurt that is sufficiently thick and just tangy enough. The longer you let it ferment, the thicker it will get, but the more tangy it will become. Make your first batch at exactly seven hours, and then adjust according to your taste preferences.

Stir Yogurt Well

Now that you have patiently waited seven hours, it is time to see what you have made.

• Remove pot from heating pad and uncover yogurt
• Use a spatula to see that milk has curdled
• Stir vigorously to mix curds in with liquid

You will notice a pungent, cheesy odor, and maybe even some greenish liquid on top.This is exactly what you want to see.

Really stir it well to distribute the clumpy curds into any remaining liquid.

Pour Yogurt into Containers

You can use any containers that have a proper fitting lid and can accommodate 1/2 gallon, or whatever size batch you are making.

• Carefully pour yogurt into container(s)
• Cover with tight fitting lid(s)

Old yogurt or ricotta cheese containers work very well.

You may notice that your yogurt is thinner than typical store bought yogurt. Store bought yogurts typically use pectin and other thickeners, to make them seem creamier, And, your yogurt is not yet in its finished state.

Chill Yogurt Overnight

Rigorous stirring and then chilling will cause the bacteria in yogurt to stop consuming lactose and producing lactic acid.

• Place yogurt in the coldest part of your refrigerator 
• Wait overnight

Yogurt bacteria likes to be kept still and warm. Stirring and chilling causes the thickening and tartening to cease.

The back of your refrigerator is typically the coldest.

Stir and Enjoy Homemade Yogurt

Now it's time to enjoy the fruit of your labour!

• Stir yogurt well and enjoy!
• Repeat as necessary

Your refrigerated yogurt will be much thicker now. Kept refrigerated, it will last 10 to 14 days.

Your yogurt has no sugar added at all. Mix with fresh fruit, honey, granola, jellies and jams, or however you currently enjoy yogurt.

Note: Be sure to reserve 2-3 tablespoons of your yogurt for your next batch!

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