Raw Milk Yogurt

Have you ever stood in the dairy aisle comparing yogurts, trying to decide if all those added gums and flavorings are what left you feeling icky after eating a supposed health food?  

You’re not alone. 

For me, the biggest struggle was finding a yogurt that my body actually liked. Store-bought ones were too sweet, and even the plain versions made my stomach unhappy thanks to the lactose. That’s what led me to make my own yogurt from our raw milk. By fermenting it longer (about 14 hours instead of 8), the natural cultures eat up more of the milk sugars, leaving a mild, creamy yogurt that’s easier to digest and loaded with live probiotics. 

It’s thick, tangy, and pure.

Makes: 1 1/2 Gallons of yogurt
Time:  15 - 16 hours (mostly inactive)

Ingredients:

• 2 gallons fresh raw milk (cold, straight from the fridge)
• Direct-set yogurt cultures (I’ll share the two I use and why in the notes.)

Equipment:

• Instant Pot with Yogurt function
• Fine-mesh strainer or yogurt strainer (optional, for thicker texture)

Instructions:

1. Add milk to Instant Pot: Pour cold raw milk into the Instant Pot liner.
2. Add cultures: Sprinkle the dry direct-set culture over the milk and stir to dissolve. Follow the amounts listed on the packet culture, it will usually be something like 1/16 tsp for 1/2 gallon of milk.
3. Ferment:
   • Set the Instant Pot to Yogurt – Normal for 14 hours.
   • This longer fermentation makes the yogurt thicker and lowers the lactose/sugar content compared to the standard 8-hour cycle.
4. Strain (optional):
   • For thick, Greek-style yogurt, strain the finished yogurt using a fine-mesh or yogurt strainer until it reaches your desired consistency. (We get about 1/2 gallon of whey off ours, ending in about 1 1/2 gallons of yogurt)
   • For a thinner, traditional texture, skip straining and enjoy as is. (You will have about 2 gallons of yogurt this way.)

Notes:

• I prefer direct-set cultures (fresh starter each time) rather than heirloom cultures (using a bit of your last batch) because:
  • Raw milk has lots of natural bacteria and yeast, and I’ve found heirloom starters tend to get yeasty after a few rounds.
  • The direct-set cultures I use produce a mild, smooth flavor I really like, and I haven’t found that same taste in any heirloom version.
• The cultures we use are:
  • ABY3 Probiotic Yogurt Culture: Makes a thicker, super smooth and mild yogurt.
  • YoMix Greek 2651: This one isn’t as thick and the whey gets a little slimy but the flavor is excellent
• We use the Euro Cuisine GY50 Greek Yogurt Maker. It comes with an excellent fine strainer and a container to catch the excess. It's big enough to make it worth our while and not have any contamination when straining the whey.