How to Make a Yogurt Incubator

Making yogurt requires sterile technique, proper incubation temperature and protection from contamination during the process. You can create your own yogurt incubator using a variety of methods and items from around your home.

Instructions

1. Insert a thermometer in your oven and preheat it to 200 degrees F. Turn off the oven when it reaches temperature. Maintain the oven temperature between 108 and 112 degrees F by turning it on briefly during the incubation time. Keep an eye on the thermometer and don't let the temperature drop below 100 degrees F.

2. Make an incubator out of an ice chest with a tight-fitting lid. Line it with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Fill four, quart-sized canning jars with hot water, and place them in the foil-lined chest. Insert your filled yogurt containers, leaving room between them and the canning jars. Place the lid on the chest. The trick to this incubator is to use water that is 140 degree F in the jars, and avoid raising the lid until the end of the incubation time.

3. Pour your yogurt recipe into a wide-mouthed thermos bottle with a tight-fitting lid. After the incubation period, open the thermos lid and place the thermos in the refrigerator for rapid cooling. This may be a little inconvenient, as you don't have the individual serving containers.

4. Place a heating pad on the counter away from drafts and air vents. Turn the heat to medium and place a towel on top of the heating pad. Put your yogurt containers on top of the preheated towel, cover the containers with several more towels and leave them undisturbed until ready.

Tips & Warnings

• Heat and a low pH are both necessary to retard the growth of pathogens during the yogurt making process. Always discard batches of yogurt that don't set properly or that show any signs of spoilage.

• Use clean, sanitized equipment and yogurt containers when making homemade yogurt to inhibit the growth of pathogen.

• Always use pasteurized milk to prevent E. Coli contamination when making your homemade yogurt.