How to Incubate Yogurt

The key to making homemade yogurt is keeping your milk and yogurt cultures warm enough. Yogurt cultures multiply best at a temperature of around 110 degrees F. Select one of the following ways to create the right environment for yogurt to grow. Whichever method you choose, let the yogurt incubate for about seven hours. Read below for some good yogurt incubation tips.

Instructions

1. Use a chest cooler. Put 4 quart jars of hot water inside, along with the yogurt container. Keep them from touching each other so the yogurt doesn't get too hot. Close the cover tightly.

2. Cover your yogurt container tightly and wrap the container in a thick wool blanket. Make sure the top and bottom are as well covered as the sides.

3. Put a heating pad on a wooden cutting board. Turn it on to the medium setting. Put your yogurt container on top and cover it with a few kitchen towels.

4. Pour your yogurt mixture into a wide-mouth thermos. Cover it with a tight lid and let it work. When it's ready, you may loosen the cover so it cools more quickly and put it right into the refrigerator.

5. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F and turn it off. Set your container of yogurt inside with an oven thermometer. Turn the oven on from time to time to keep the thermometer at a temperature between 108 and 112 degrees F as you incubate the yogurt.

6. Select a cardboard box that's large enough to hold your yogurt container, plus four quart jars. Then, find at least three larger boxes. Nest the boxes together with crushed newspapers between each one. Put the yogurt container and the jars of hot water in the smallest box. Keep them from touching each other. Close each box and layer newspaper on top.