Bulgarian Yogurt Starter (Makes 8 Gal / 30 L )

This Bulgarian yogurt starter is great! Every batch I’ve made has been successful. I use an Instant Pot and either soy milk or whole milk. Very easy, and it tastes better than store bought and is much more economical, with no plastic containers to recycle. The techniques from their yogurt makers’ handbook have been super helpful. I definitely recommend this product!

This is a good culture, all my batches were successful. Creamy dense texture, the smell is great and delicious flavor. Initially I followed instructions by weight, but after the second batch I measured by teaspoon fractions, but been rigorous with temperature’s control.

This makes delicious soy yogurt that is thick, creamy, and with a consistency similar to Mexican flan. I found no need for added thickeners using soymilk (which has a higher protein content that most other non-dairy milks.) The company provides recipes for other non-dairy milks which I have not tried. (The recipe booklet was supposed to come with the starter but was missing in my order. I called the company and they promptly sent me the pdf.) Bulgarian yogurt is a thermophilic starter, which means it works better with warm milk. I simply heat the soymilk (I use TJ's organic, unsweetened, unfortified soymilk that contains only soybeans and water), cool it to the proper temperature, mix the powdered starter first in a cup of the warm soymilk, then add it to the rest of the soymilk. I pour it in a yogurt maker, let it incubate for six hours and viola, a thick, tasty non-dairy yogurt with live cultures. I found a yogurt maker for $4 at a thrift store. The company, however, provides instructions for making the yogurt without an electric yogurt maker. It uses a jar, a towel/blanket and an insulated box such as a microwave (not turned on, of course). This is a multi-use heirloom culture which means you can use some of the yogurt to start another batch. So long as you keep up with the yogurt-making so the yogurt you are using as a starter is fresh, you can make endless batches from a tiny amount of the initial culture powder. Store the starter powder in the freezer as a back-up and you won't need to buy more for a very long time. (The stated shelf-life for the package is two years.) When I was researching yogurt starters, I found most of the non-dairy yogurt starters were "direct set" starters meaning you had to use starter culture powder for each new batch of yogurt. This requires continually buying yogurt starter which can get expensive. I bought this Bacillus Bulgaricus yogurt starter seven months ago and have barely made a dent in the amount in the package. Most of the time, I just use some of the previous batch to make a new batch. I heartily recommend this yogurt starter and if I ever need more, I will buy it again.

Great quality starter if you are aiming for real yogurt

I started making my own yogurt about a year ago, using plain Greek yogurt I got from the store for the starter. I just tried my first batch of yogurt made with this Bulgarian Yogurt Starter, and it's the best batch of yogurt I've made so far. Really rich, smooth, and creamy, the right thickness, nice depth of flavor, and that perfect balance of sweet & sour. Your results may vary depending on how you make yours, but I didn't do anything different from how I normally make yogurt — aside from the starter — to get these results. One thing that is a source of confusion for some people is that, to get the stated amount of yogurt from the amount of starter you buy, you have to make a batch large enough to use the entire packet of starter. If you only make your yogurt a quart at a time (like I do), that "8 gallon" packet will really only make 8 quarts. However, it was consoling to learn that, just like with any yogurt, I could reserve small amounts of the yogurt I made with it to use as starter for future batches. So one way or another, I'll be able to get that 8 gallons of yogurt — and probably much more — from the one packet of starter I got.

After 11 emails of troubleshooting. We agreed the measurements were all correct. I have been making yogurt in my instant pot for years and have never had a watery batch. The company does not stand behind the 100% guarantee as stated. I believe the batch sent to me was bad or the measurements are off. They asked 3 times what I expected them to do about it. My answer either replace or refund. Finally a resolution, the company has refunded my purchase. Don't waste your money or time with this company.

The first batch was a little runny. But every batch since then has been great, smooth, creamy and thick. Each batch tastes slightly unique. But all of them have that wonderful tangy yogurt flavor. It's so good I haven't been tempted to try out the other yogurt culture I bought at the same time. I will never go back to stealing starter yogurt from my wife's store bought yogurt.

I've tried several yogurt starters, but this one is by far the best. Every single batch turns out perfectly—thick, creamy, and delicious. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to make great yogurt at home.