Having a gallon of yogurt every week...mmm......then store bought one is not at all economical,so i decided to make my own yogurt....surprisingly!!! though its my first time it came out real good....why don't you guys too try this method....

Yogurt comes good in thick milk / whole fat milk ,If u can get buffalo milk then that is the best to make yogurt....

Do u know that buffalo milk has more protein,fats and other minerals compared to cow's milk ....yet buffalo milk has less cholesterol compared to cow's milk...way to go buffalo milk....

About Yogurt:

Yogurt or yoghurt or yoghourt (/ˈjoʊɡərt/ or /ˈjɒɡərt/; from Turkish: yoğurt; other spellings listed below) is a fermented milk product(soy milk, nut milks such as almond milk, and coconut milk can also be used) produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as "yogurt cultures". Fermentation of lactose by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and its characteristic tang.[1]
Worldwide, cow's milk, the protein of which mainly comprises casein, is most commonly used to make yogurt, but milk from water buffalo, goats, ewes, mares, camels, and yaks is also used in various parts of the world.
Dairy yogurt is produced using a culture of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria. In addition, other lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are also sometimes added during or after culturing yogurt. Some countries require yogurt to contain a certain amount of colony-forming units of microorganisms.[2]
In Western culture, the milk is first heated to about 80 °C (176 °F) to kill any undesirable bacteria and to denature the milk proteins so that they set together rather than form curds. In some places, such as parts of India, curds are a desired component and milk is not pasteurized but boiled. The milk is then cooled to about 45 °C (112 °F).[citation needed] The bacterial culture is added, and the temperature is maintained for 4 to 7 hours to allow fermentation.

Ingredients:


Milk - 1/2 gallon
Good Yogurt - 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup at room temperature
   ( more the yogurt u add to milk ,more  faster new yogurt gets formed)

Preparation:

If you have oven preheat to 350 degree ,then switch off .Do this while you are about to start boiling milk,so oven will go back to warm temperature,which is suitable for yogurt formation.If you don't have oven place the yogurt on a warm place like near heater .
In Hot countries you can  just place it near the kitchen counter where u cook ,with the heat of stove around it, the mixture will be ok.



Method:


1.Boil milk First..(You can get very thicker yogurt if u boil milk and reduce to half so all water gets evaporated...but its ok if u just boil it too)....



2.Then let it cool and goes to warm temperature.....it should be around 105 to 115 degree...
(The temperature u feel in your body during fever time...)
If you dip your finger in milk it should be warm so u can dip your finger but not hot....

3.Whip yogurt so its smooth and creamy....




4.Now to the warm milk add yogurt and mix well.





5. And place it in a warm area for 3 to 4 hrs without disturbing it....

During summer time u can directly place the mixture inside oven with just lights on , no need to heat the oven....



6.Check the yogurt after 3 to 4 hrs .If it looks like below photo then yogurt is formed.



7.If u over keep this mixture more than 4 hrs sometimes your yogurt  will become sour.So if yogurt is not formed to your satisfaction ,let it sit in the warm place but keep an eye on it every 30 min.

After 3 to 4 hour transfer the whole content to refrigerator ,this will thicken the yogurt more.
Let it sit for overnight
The yogurt will taste better if u use it the next day.

Greek Yogurt:

If u want thick yogurt u can also hang the yogurt in muslin/cheese cloth overnight.



I strained half of my yogurt and left half of yogurt as is ...the next day i mixed them both to get a consistency which i prefer....


The strained one will have consistency of greek yogurt.


Left over water can be used to make butter milk,



Tips:


While Boiling Milk Keep a spatula like this in center ,this will help it prevent from over flowing.
As the spatula will break the bubbling up part and stop milk from over boiling.
But be sure to take a deep and thick bottom pot for boiling milk and keep stirring or milk will form layer on base and burn.