Bulgarian Bio Yogurt Starter Culture - organic, home made - 10 capsules for 20 liters

I've been using the starters from Genesis Laboratories for two or three years now. I've been making yogurt weekly for at least 20 years and the Genesis BioStarter is my favorite for taste of any culture I've ever used. I also tried the Genesis Labs Bulgarian culture and prefer the more complex flavor of the BioStarter. I order about 3 boxes at a time and keep them in the fridge. Since many reviews report failure, I'll give you all the details about how I make yogurt, because it's quite reliable and easy.I used to use ultrapasteurized whole milk and only had to heat it to about 130 degrees and then cool it to fermentation temperature, but now I use whole milk from a local dairy that's pasteurized (but not ultra-) and found if I don't heat it to 180-190 degrees first and cool it before adding the starter, the yogurt doesn't set. I wipe a tiny bit of cooking oil on the bottom of the saucepan before I pour in a half gallon of cold milk, and I usually add a little half-and-half cream to bring the total close to two liters. Then I cover the pot and use a very low heat setting (1 on my electric range) to warm the milk for two hours without stirring or attention, and when I open the lid the milk has puffed up and is close to 190 degrees but has not stuck to the bottom of the pan. Then I let it cool for a couple more hours with the lid still on to keep it heated for a bit longer. Obviously this takes some practice with heat and time to get it just right but it sure beats standing at the stove stirring the milk.I always use one starter capsule to make one half-gallon/two liters. I haven't tried reusing culture because I've had mixed results in the past with other cultures and it just isn't worth the risk.I've used both a Yogourmet two-liter yogurt maker and an Instant Pot (sous-vide at 115 degrees) and they both work fine. I leave it for at least 12 hours to remove more lactose as per SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) recommendation for lactose-sensitive folks. And then after refrigerating, I put smaller batches through a Greek yogurt strainer it to get rid of a whey protein I'm also sensitive to and end up with yogurt so thick that I could probably substitute it for cream cheese.

I loved this. But I found I have to heat it a bit more than it says. I get it to 115 degrees. I tried it at lower, and nothing had happened after 6 hours. I gave it a blast of heat, and within two hours I had great tasting yogurt. Have to really be careful though not to kill the yogurt bacteria. This yogurt is the best since street vendors in Ankara, Turkey. I add cream or use half and half-organic. It may as well be dessert, it's so yummy.

So far, I've used this to make 2 quarts of yogurt and 1 quart of yogurt. Both came out great. I culture for 24 hours for GAPS diet and the finished product was thick and tart, almost like sour cream. Next batch will use the yogurt as the starter, since other reviewers have had success with this.Update Feb 2018Well, I finally got a bad batch of this starter. Didn't culture well, came out really loose. Seemed weak or just not enough in the capsule. I've bought this same starter for the past couple years ( 3 prior batches) and always had success in the past. Could be Amazon has a bad batch in their warehouse, I see many other reviewers had the same issue. I'll wait 6 months and buy it again. Amazon refunded my money. Still, not happy I wasted $12 worth of organic milk. My dogs liked the milk.

30% failure rate and not counting. I'm done trying to work with this product. If you experience a failure it's not the starter culture, it's either you or the milk you've used. I've achieved a 100% success rate following the same yogurt making method (This Old Gal) using Noosa or Great Value/Walmart brand yogurt. This product is, in my opinion a complete waste of time and wasteful--6 x 52oz of Fair Life Milk literally down the drain! Only used it because I can't drive (low vision) and thus can only go to the local grocery store if I trouble a family member to take me. Well it's up to family from now on--but since they share the beneficial results of grocery store purchased starter, they haven't complained. I just didn't want to be a burden. Do NOT waste your time or your money.

I have a yogurt maker (progressed from my stainless pan in my pilot-lit oven in the 70s!), and have been using whole organic plain yogurt as my culture, because I couldn't get to the health food store. Which was fine, except for travel and shelf time, but this looked better in terms of bacteria quality. It does taste better, BUT, you need to follow their recipe regarding milk quantity, and for whole milk, culture it at least 9-10 hours. I saved 6 ounces of my first batch to start my next (which you can do once), and if doing that, decrease the fresh milk amount by those 6 ounces. However, I think the soupy texture was poor timing, I ended it too soon. Going for 9.5 hours with the second batch today.Again, it has a WONDERFUL TASTE. I've been making my own yogurt for over 30 years, and this is the best tasting culture yet. Fresh yogurt is so wonderful anyway!

Great customer service, but I don't care for the end product. I have made 4 batches, being meticulously careful to follow instructions given, using whole milk. I used some of the first batch to make a second batch and the result was not satisfactory. I made a 5th batch using only half of a capsule and it did not set at all. The makers tell you in the instructions that the yogurt will be "viscous" and it is true - almost mucilaginous. Each capsule makes for "1-5 liters" and since there is only one of me eating this, I only make 2 quarts at a time. Cost of product does not translate into much savings. End product is a bit too acidic for me and doesn't seem to result in anymore benefit than store bought.