Comments on: Yoghurt temperature trick

By: Paul Stocker

Paul Stocker — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:34:32 +0000

Mike,

I suspect that your batch is fine since the 112 degrees is so close to the target range of 100 – 110 degrees.

That small of a difference in temperature may even be within the accuracy range of your thermometer. For instance, check out this page at http://www.thermoworks.com and see the accuracy column for their different digital thermometers.

Cheers,
Paul

By: mike

mike — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:17:05 +0000

I just started making yogurt with the yogourmet and I’ve been testing my first 2 batches with two separate digital thermometers (the one that came with the yogourmet and another one). I was testing about every 8 hours or so. last night about 10 hours in it was too low (about 97 degrees) so I kicked it up a notch. Woke up this morning to find that it was too high (112 degrees on one thermometer). Does this mean this batch is now useless? Probiotics and lactose-eating bacteria have all been killed and it’s useless for improving gut flora (the main reason I am making it)?

By: Paul Stocker

Paul Stocker — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:07:58 +0000

Jodi,

I can’t say that I did notice any difference – my body didn’t speak loudly enough for me to tell.

-Paul

By: Paul Stocker

Paul Stocker — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:03:42 +0000

Jane,

I’ve had the same experience. I used to assume that a decent thermometer would give me an accurate reading, but it seems that it’s more akin to an opinion than a solid number. I used to take an average of a couple of thermometers until I decided that one would be the one I trusted.

-Paul

By: Doug

Doug — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 02:42:01 +0000

No, the Yogourmet does NOT heat to a specific temperature. It does not have a thermostat. It has a heater that simply turns on and stays on. The temperature to which it heats is random.

By: Jodi

Jodi — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:44:58 +0000

Paul,

Do you feel a difference after you added a dimmer switch?
Were there any changes for you good or bad?

Thanks!
Jodi

By: Jane

Jane — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:23:51 +0000

The other thing to consider is the reliability of one’s thermometer. I just checked the water in both the Salton and the Yogourmet after two hours, using two different digital thermometers. Bizarrely, the range of difference in temperatures is greater in the Yogourmet. That is, in the Salton, the thermometers (applied at the same time) said 101 and 103. In the Yogormet, the same thermometers (also applied at the same time) said 102 and 106. Perhaps they have to be in the exact same spot?! Just to complicate things further, I added two more thermometers…And got two additional different readings. Luckily, they are all in the safe range. But it does give one pause.

By: Paul Stocker

Paul Stocker — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:11:03 +0000

Anonymous,

Have you actually had this problem or are you speculating? What kind of fluctuations are you experiencing?

-Paul

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:10:48 +0000

This is not a workable solution if your room temperature fluctuates a lot. This can be caused my changing seasons, using the oven, etc, etc. I am considering rigging up my yogurt making with a thermostat, like the one here http://www.alliedelec.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?SKU=5570152&MPN=CAP-75-140#tab=Overview

This is basically the same idea as using a dimmer, except the thermostat automatically handles everything! The downside to this is it probably requires opening up the yogurt maker and doing some soldering, and drilling a hole in the top of the inner yogurt container to stick the probe in. Also keeping a copper probe submerged in the yogurt for 24 hours might cause some issues (oxidation maybe?).

I might give this a try, and I’ll let you know how it turns out.

By: Paul Stocker

Paul Stocker — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:12:50 +0000

Christine,

Glad to hear it.

-Paul