Making homemade yogurt may sound intimidating, but it's actually quite simple. With just three ingredients and 15 minutes, you can create a delicious, creamy yogurt using any probiotic capsule you prefer.
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Why Make Yogurt When I Can Buy It at the Store?
Let's compare store-bought yogurt with homemade yogurt:
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Fermentation Time
Store Bought:
Ferments for about 3 hours, creating a low concentration of bacteria (~6 billion CFUs).
Homemade:
Ferments for 36 hours, resulting in a high concentration of bacteria (~20 billion CFUs per 1/2 cup), which can provide more significant health benefits.
Ingredients
Store Bought:
Contains milk, added sugar, probiotics, thickeners, preservatives, and natural or artificial flavors.
Homemade:
Made with half-and-half, prebiotic fiber, and a probiotic capsule.
Probiotics Used
Store Bought:
Typically contains Streptococcus thermophilus or Lactobacillus bulgaricus, which may not be very beneficial given the low counts from a short fermentation.
Homemade:
You can use any probiotic strain you like; I recommend choosing strains that target your specific health conditions (more about that below).
Lactose Content
Store Bought:
Contains high levels of lactose.
Homemade:
Has very low lactose content. The long fermentation process breaks it down significantly (I am lactose intolerant, and homemade yogurt is the only type of dairy I can tolerate).
Choosing a Strain
It's a common belief that all probiotics are the same. However, saying that you are taking a probiotic is similar to saying that you are taking a medication. The term "probiotics" refers to foods that contain live bacteria. Therefore, we need to be more specific than referring to any general probiotic, much like we wouldn't want to take just any medication.
Instead, we should use strain-specific probiotics for particular health conditions. This means identifying the bacteria's name along with a letter or numerical value. For example: L. reuteri ATCC PTA 6475. The numbers and letters are crucial because they indicate a specific strain. Different strains of L. reuteri may behave very differently; one may benefit human health, while another may have little to no effect.
This is where working with a qualified nutritionist, naturopath (ND), or doctor of oriental medicine (DOM) can help you determine what is best for your health. However, if consulting a professional is not feasible right now, make sure to research the probiotic strains you wish to take.
Here are a few strains that I have enjoyed fermenting for gut dysbiosis:
- Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086
- Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC PTA and DSM 17938
Finding Your Temperature
Once you have decided on the probiotic strains and chosen a capsule containing them, the next step is determining the optimal fermentation temperature. Bacteria are sensitive and only grow well within specific temperature ranges.
The easiest way to find the optimal fermentation temperature is to use a resource like ChatGPT. Type:
"What is the optimal growth temperature range for ___________?" Fill in the blank with your specific strain.
What if I am using several different strains?
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If you're using multiple strains, type:
"What is the best temperature range to ferment these bacteria together __________?" Again, fill in the blank with the strains you will use.
It may take some trial and error to determine the best temperature within the range that creates the yogurt consistency you like. I generally choose the middle to upper part of the temperature range to ensure more rapid growth.
For the strains mentioned above, I set my Fermentation Device
to the following temperatures:
- Lactobacillus reuteri: 100°F
- Bacillus coagulans: 115°F
- Lactobacillus gasseri: 109°F
- All three together (reuteri, coagulans, gasseri): 106°F
Tips
- Starting your yogurt in the morning or evening is essential because fermenting for 36 hours starting at 2 PM will mean it's ready at 2 AM, which isn't convenient. I prefer to start a batch around 7 AM and have it ready by 7 PM the next day.
- Your first batch may separate into whey and curd. This is okay and still edible; I recommend adding it to smoothies if the texture bothers you. It will get more yogurt-like as you make future batches.
- The smell may differ from store-bought yogurt. Store-bought yogurt usually has little probiotic content because of its short fermentation time, which affects its scent. Different bacterial species and strains also contribute to differing scents. You should be good to go if it is so long as it doesn't smell rotten.
Ingredients
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- 1 half a gallon organic half-and-half
- 1 probiotic capsule of your choice
- 4 tablespoons Inulin fiber
Instructions
1. Sanitize your fermentation device and jars.
2. In a small bowl, combine two tablespoons of half-and-half, two tablespoons of inulin, and the contents of a probiotic capsule. Mix until smooth.
3. Warm the remaining half-and-half in a large pot over medium heat for about 10 minutes to help break down pathogenic bacteria and create a more consistent texture (be careful not to boil or curdle it; just let it simmer).
4. Let the warmed half-and-half cool until it reaches a temperature suitable for your bacterial strains.
5. Once cooled, mix in the probiotic-inulin mixture until well combined.
6. Pour the mixture into your containers and place them in the fermentation device, setting it to the desired temperature (refer to the earlier section for guidance on determining the best temperature for your probiotics). Set a timer for 36 hours.
7. After 36 hours, remove the yogurt from the fermentation device and store it in the fridge. Use two tablespoons of yogurt instead of the probiotic capsule as a starter for future batches.
Adaptation From the Super Gut Book by Dr. William Davis:
I adapted this recipe from the Super Gut SIBO Yogurt recipe in the book Super Gut by William Davis, MD. I highly recommend reading it! you can buy it Here.
I modified his recipes to allow for the inclusion of any probiotic strains you prefer rather than just the ones mentioned in the book. Also, through my experimentation with yogurt-making, I discovered that heating the half-and-half before fermentation is essential for achieving consistent results. So, I wanted to add that as well.
Here's Where I Got all of the Supplies
- Fermentation Device
- L. reuteri
- L. gasseri
- B. coagulans
- Prebiotic Fiber (inulin)
- Super Gut by William Davis, MD
*Disclaimer: Fermented foods are not recommended for individuals who are immunocompromised. This article is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice.*
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