Making yogurt out of Lactobacillus reuteri is really a simple, straightforward process that I have been talking about for the past year. But some people get tripped up on the details, lamenting the thin, sour, or discolored end-result they obtain.
So here is the simple recipe, step-by-step to minimize your potential for making mistakes. Truly: I have made something like 60-70 batches with not a single failure. You can do this, too.
Why do this? Well, if you are new to this conversation, you will be excited to know that the yogurt is really not about yogurt, as conventional yogurts achieve none of these effects. This “yogurt” fermented with two unconventional strains of Lactobacillus reuteri achieve effects that include:
- Smoothing of skin wrinkles due to an explosion of dermal collagen
- Accelerated healing, cutting healing time in almost half
- Reduced appetite, the so-called “anorexigenic” effect—food still tastes good, but you are almost completely indifferent to temptation
- Increased testosterone in men
- Increased libido
- Preservation of bone density—Obtaining L. reuteri is one of the most important steps you can take to prevent osteoporosis
- Deeper sleep—though this benefit is enjoyed by less than 20% of people
- Increased empathy and desire for connectedness with other people
- Probiotic effects that may include prevention of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, SIBO
The majority of benefits are a result of L. reuteri‘s ability to provoke hypothalamic release of oxytocin, a hormone that is proving to be the key to substantial age-reversal and health effects.
You will need:
–Glass or ceramic bowl or other vessel large enough to hold at least one quart of liquid
–2 tablespoons of prebiotic fiber such as inulin or raw potato starch
–Starter: Either 10 tablets BioGaia Gastrus or 2 tablespoons previous batch of L. reuteri yogurt (whey or curds or mixture of both)
–1 quart of half-and-half or other liquid (to make with coconut milk, several additional steps and ingredients are required)
–Some method of maintaining at 100 degrees F
Yields: Around 8 one-half-cup servings
Make sure your bowl or other vessel is clean after washing with hot soap and water:
Add 2 level tablespoons of prebiotic fiber:
Add 10 crushed tablets of Gastrus (that provide 200 million CFUs of L. reuteri, a relatively small number). Crush the tablets with a mortar and pestle or by putting into a plastic bag and crushing with a rolling pin or heavy bottle/glass until reduced to a coarse powder. (The tablets are flavored with mint and mandarin, but the taste does not show in the final product, nor in subsequent batches.) Once you have made your first batch, make subsequent batches with two tablespoons of the prior batch, rather than crushed tablets; it can be any mixture of whey or solid curds, as both contain L. reuteri.
Mix either crushed tablets or 2 tablespoons prior yogurt with prebiotic fiber:
Add a little, e.g., 2 tablespoons, of your choice of dairy; I used organic half-and-half, as this yields the best texture (and, of course, we NEVER limit fat in the Wheat Belly lifestyle). Make a slurry by stirring; this prevents clumping of the prebiotic fiber. (Whole milk—NEVER low- or non-fat—yields a thinner end result, while cream yields something close to butter, too thick for my taste.)
Stir in remainder of half-and-half or other liquid:
Cover lightly with plastic wrap or other means. Ferment by maintaining at 100 degrees F for 36 hours. Prolonged fermentation—far longer than the 6 or so hours of commercial yogurts that explain why the bacterial counts are so low–in the presence of prebiotic fibers yields far higher bacterial counts in the tens to hundreds of billions per serving.
I used a basin-type sous vide device, but you can use a stick sous vide, yogurt maker with adjustable temperature control, or Instant Pot. (Just be careful with the Instant Pot or yogurt makers without adjustable temperature, as they are set to be compatible with conventional yogurt microorganisms and are often too hot and kill L. reuteri; if your device heats to 110 degrees F or higher, it will likely kill L. reuteri and you should find an alternative means of heating. If in doubt, turn on your device and measure the temperature reached with a thermometer first before you ruin a batch.) Keep your materials out of the way of fans, heating/cooling vents, or other sources of air contamination.
The end-result for me is rich, thick, and delicious, better tasting—and with far higher probiotic bacterial counts—than anything you can buy in a store. Once refrigerated, the “yogurt” is so thick that it can stand upright on a plate:
Serve with fresh or frozen berries, grainless granola, squirt of liquid stevia, or your choice of fruit or natural sweetener.
Rather than starting with uncultured dairy, can I grow the L.reu culture on top of an existing yogurt substrate such as goat kefir? E.g., bring the kefir up to 104 degrees with the added L.reu. strain?
Michael Robin wrote: «Rather than starting with uncultured dairy, can I grow the L.reu culture on top of an existing yogurt substrate such as goat kefir? E.g., bring the kefir up to 104 degrees with the added L.reu. strain?»
That might be dangerous as stated, and likely suboptimal even with extra steps for safety.
A kefir or live-culture yogurt is going to have live cultures, of course, which:
a. aren’t necessarily going to make a safe product over 36 hours, and
b. are going to compete with the L.reuteri unpredictably.
If you re-pasteurize the product (take it to 180°F/82°C for 10 minutes), then re-cool to a verified 100°F/38°C, it might work, if the prior now-dead microbes left enough carbohydrate substrate — and don’t forget to add the prebiotic extender.
On the whole, buying some fresh half&half seems less trouble and more economical.
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Yeah, that’s what I figured — just asking on the off-chance I could start w/something I already liked, and make it even better :) I just need to find a local source of goat cream or h&h…
Michael Robin wrote: «I just need to find a local source of goat cream or h&h…»
Goat cream can be very hard to find.
An alternative is to use powdered goat milk, reconstituted to H&H consistency. I have used Mt. Capra WHOLE (not the more common NONFAT) for this, and it can be mail-ordered.
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I sterilize my spoon and jars, but I realized that inulin powder might have bad bacteria on it that prohibits L. reuteri growth. Do I need to sterilize inulin with boiling water? If I do that, do I reduce the effectiveness of inulin? (If I heat raw potato starch instead of inulin in a pot with water, it will become like a glue!)
Have you ever had a problem with bad bacteria on prebiotics keeping L. reuteri from growing well? Maybe I don’t need worry about it at all and I could just add it as it is?
Thank you for your help!!!
Mary Smith wrote: «… realized that inulin powder might have bad bacteria on it that prohibits L. reuteri growth.»
That doesn’t sound quite correct. People have been concerned with possible contamination that could result in unwanted microbes growing in the yogurt. This seems to rarely even be a suspect in failed batches. Inulin is sold at room temp, usually stored at room temp after opening, and I’ve never seen any indications of contamination (I use NOW Foods brand).
re: «Do I need to sterilize inulin with boiling water? If I do that, do I reduce the effectiveness of inulin?»
You can, and I can’t really guess how it might change the inulin. Actually, in my personal process, I re-pasteurize the half&half, with the inulin mixed in, all then cooled to ferment temp, and get nice reliable batches.
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I was told that the yogurt should not be blended, even tho I’m using an immersion blender for maybe 10-15secs. Have you seen that it causes too much friction/heat for the bacteria? Trying to get rid of the curd like texture.
Lara Neal wrote: «I was told that the yogurt should not be blended, even tho I’m using an immersion blender for maybe 10-15secs. Have you seen that it causes too much friction/heat for the bacteria?»
The program advice is: don’t blend.
My presumption has been that there are two potential problems:
1. physical maceration of the microbes, and
2. local heating at the blades,
if not both.
The stouter blenders (Vitamix, Ninja) can generate so much heat that you can actually cook a soup in them.
re: «Trying to get rid of the curd like texture.»
Curds are not expected in subsequent batches started from saved yogurt (or even just saved whey fraction). I never get curds, except when starting [over] from tablets or capsules, and when I do have to start from the retail probiotic, my first batch becomes dedicated starter ice cubes.
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Greetings.
About 10hrs into fermenting reuteri with clear whey from a previous batch donated by friend, have tiny dark specks, pepper like, on surface. Is it OK ?
Many thanksfor comments.
Evelyne
evelyne tebrook wrote: «…have tiny dark specks, pepper like, on surface.…»
Scoop them off. If they had no roots/tendrils descending into the mix, it’s probably just opportunistic environmental microbes that alighted during prep. Ferment to completion.
If you see nothing suspicious deeper in the mix, it’s likely safe for consumption, and you can probably use the bottom layer for future starter.
Not being there, and lacking info on a number of other aspects of the prep, there is of course no way for me to be sure. Here are some additional tips.
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can I use full fat coconut milk? Im sensitive to dairy and break out
Johanna Bernardy wrote: «can I use full fat coconut milk?»
Yes, but it’s much more challenging, and Dr. Davis hasn’t posted {on the blog} the latest thinking on a non-dairy yogurt base.
re: «Im sensitive to dairy and break out»
Odds are surprisingly high that the problem isn’t the dairy per se, but until resolved, it is a real problem.
Has your reaction been isolated to one or more of:
☐ lactose
☐ casein beta A1
☐ whey
☐ junk added to retail dairy
☐ added hormones with industrial dairy herds?
Most people assume their apparent dairy intolerance is “lactose intolerance” which it might be, but often is not. This can largely be ruled out by challenging with well-aged fermented dairy (and the probiotic yogurts here are well-aged). In aged ferments, the lactose will have been metabolized by the bacteria, and is expected to be nil in the final product. Even if it is the lactose, is one naturally reactive, or does it indicate a dysbiosis that needs to be addressed for wider reasons?
The next suspect is the casein beta A1 protein common in many bovine breeds (and predominant in the US). This can be ruled out by challenging with A2 dairy, which would be any goat or sheep milk, and if specific A2 bovine dairy is available in your market.
Dairy whey seems less likely to provoke allergy-like reactions, but does provoke insulin in some people. This again would be expected to be absent in well-aged cheeses, and if you get any whey fraction in yogurt, it can often be drained off (and saved as starter, or discarded).
Other aspects of the dairy industry need a ponder. Antibiotics, growth hormones, amendments in retail products (preservatives, emulsifiers, inept fortifications) are all on this list. If Organic pastured dairy is available, it would be worth a challenge once everything else has been ruled out.
Being the milk of a lactating female mammal, there’s not much we can do about the native hormones.
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Hi Bob, with regards to the ”starter” (1/3 cup of freshly made L, reuteri yogurt put aside in the refrigerator to inoculate next batch), how many days can it be kept in the refrigerator before it really needs to be used to start a new batch? Sometimes it needs to be left for a few days before I have time to a new batch.
One other thing, I’ve heard from other consumers is that once the L. reuteri bacteria run out of food to feed on in the yogurt then they start to die off. If that is true, would it be possible in your opinion to then add a little bit of milk with say 1/2 teaspoon of inulin, to improve the life of the bacteria in the ”starter”?
Thank you and look forward to hearing from you,
Alistair
Alistair Burns wrote: «…”starter” (1/3 cup of freshly made L, reuteri yogurt put aside in the refrigerator to inoculate next batch), how many days can it be kept in the refrigerator before it really needs to be used to start a new batch?»
I don’t use the generational starter technique, so I don’t actually know. Here are my conjectures. A full, sealed never-opened portion of the yogurt might have a chilled shelf life of 3 months. Opened, it drops to 2 months, perhaps less.
This is part of why I rely on frozen starter, as it has an indefinite shelf life. Whenever I make a first-batch, most of it (and all of any whey) goes into one or two ice cube trays, frozen, bagged and marked. One cube per quart is slowly thawed for starter use. I’ve been trying the various strains that have arisen in the program, and now have starter going back several years.
re: «One other thing, I’ve heard from other consumers is that once the L. reuteri bacteria run out of food to feed on in the yogurt then they start to die off. If that is true, would it be possible in your opinion to then add a little bit of milk with say 1/2 teaspoon of inulin, to improve the life of the bacteria in the ”starter”?»
Early in the “progurt” era, I wondered about that, but don’t now. If the starter needs to be re-inoculated, it needs to be replaced.
For the strains presently used, the studies to date suggest that they reach peak CFUs just above 36 hours. I’ve accidently run batches to 54 hours with no apparent problems. Yes, there is some die-off, but there are zillions of live critters remaining, and the expired ones don’t harm the process.
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Can you include additional cultures while making the yogurt? Or will that disrupt the development of the l reuteri?
Daniel Cocks wrote: «Can you include additional cultures while making the yogurt?»
It depends; what did you have in mind?
Some conjectured blends raise significant questions about ideal temperature, time & substrate.
The program SIBO yogurt does exactly that, resulting in a yogurt with a different goal. It uses a carefully-chosen bargain temp.
People are also making Gastrus® (L.reuteri) : Yakult (L.casei) blends. I make this routinely, at 102-103°F.
In addition to what effects might be expected, a consideration arises for starter. I always make my blends using a slowly-thawed ice cube of each component yogurt. Using a generational method — batch-to-batch saved production blend yogurt as starter, there could be relative-population drifts over generations. I doubt that any CFU studies run to date have looked into that pathway, and I have no guesses.
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lactobacilus paracasei, lactobacilus acidophilus, and bifidobacterium…190mg live organisms, 4 billion CFU
Daniel Cocks wrote: «lactobacilus paracasei, lactobacilus acidophilus, and bifidobacterium…190mg live organisms, 4 billion CFU»
Lactobacillus paracasei – is one the program is tracking, but for which no specific outsize benefits are so far noted. It’s in BiotiQuest® Sugar Shift, but even their page on it doesn’t detail the role of the L.p.
Lactobacillus acidophilus – is a normal yogurt microbe, with no outstanding health benefits.
bifidobacterium – is a genus. Knowing the species & strain would be necessary for any conjectures at all.
Chances are these all grow decently at the L.r. yogurt temp, but I’m not instantly seeing a compelling case for using them in a blend with L.r., and have even less insight into what happens over time if the result is used as starter. They might make a fine yogurt independently.
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I made my first batch in a Salton yogurt maker that I dug out from the basement. I have no idea what temperature it operates at. I used 5 crushed tablets, 2 tablespoons of inulin, and about 32 oz of organic half and half. It took almost 36 hours to get to a firm consistency.
My second batch was without any tablets but using a 1/4 cup of the first batch with 2 Tbsp of inulin and 32 oz of half and half. This batch was very firm at around 18 hours and was ready to move to the fridge.
My 3rd test batch was just in a jar (no yogurt maker), with 1/2 cup starter, 32 oz organic half and half and 2 Tbsp of inulin. At 30 hours, it was beautiful and firm and ready to be moved to the refrigerator.
New batches in the yogurt maker are now taking less than 24 hours to be very firm.
The yogurt is creamy and delicious and I just eat it plain. If I make smoothies, I add some more inulin to the smoothie. (banana + frozen strawberries + some whole earth monk fruit and stevia sweetener). The kids love the smoothies.
Jawad Akhtar wrote: «I made my first batch in a Salton yogurt maker that I dug out from the basement. I have no idea what temperature it operates at.»
Sounds like the temperature was close enough, but I do recommend that with a new or uncertain device, it’s worthwhile to run a simulated batch consisting of water only, and check the water with a separate probe thermometer. Run it for at least 4 hours, but 12 hours can confirm that the run-time is of practical length.
re: «My second batch was without any tablets but using a 1/4 cup of the first batch with 2 Tbsp of inulin and 32 oz of half and half.»
If 36 hours is not a problem, 1 Tbsp of saved yogurt starter per quart suffices.
re: «This batch was very firm at around 18 hours and was ready to move to the fridge.»
Pulling it that early is not recommended. The goal isn’t a firm yogurt. The goal is CFU counts, and the major gains are made in the last few hours (30-36h). See: Doubling time: bacterial “compound interest”
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Thank you very much for your help with this Bob!
The yogurt maker is like a tub that has a compartment area which holds the 6 small glass pots with a lid on top of the device.
Yes it’s a cold start process. The milk is not cold cold but room temperature.
According to the info in the blog, the target temp should be 100F correct?
I don’t know the exact time it took to reach 100F but definitely more than 6 hours and possibly up to 12 hours? If that’s the case then theoretically the bacteria would only be fermenting at 100F for possibly 24 hours out of the 36 hours?
Is that a problem for the bacteria or yogurt making process?
Are you implying that the bacteria need to ferment at 100F for a full 36 hours, irrespective of the warm up stage?
I don’t know how else to start the bacteria yogurt fermentation process other than a cold start?
Perhaps what I could do, is to make the whole process longer eg 48 hours, that way it would include the necessary hours for the yogurt to reach desired temp of 100F and maintain it for a further 36 hours? What are your thoughts?
Yes the glass pots before were tightly capped.
Look forward to your reply. Kind regards, Alistair
Alistair Burns wrote: «I don’t know the exact time it took to reach 100F but definitely more than 6 hours and possibly up to 12 hours?»
I’m tempted to say “yikes”. This is an issue that insofar as I recall, has not had any discussion. The recipe above just says “Some method of maintaining at 100 degrees F” … (and that’s similar to other statements of the recipe.
re: «If that’s the case then theoretically the bacteria would only be fermenting at 100F for possibly 24 hours out of the 36 hours?»
Yes, and further, it would have been spending considerable time below 95°F, with possible other consequences hard to predict.
re: «Is that a problem for the bacteria or yogurt making process? … Are you implying that the bacteria need to ferment at 100F for a full 36 hours, irrespective of the warm up stage?»
I can state with some confidence: I don’t know. I’ve been doing only warm-starts ever since my early misadventures with a not-so-smart pot.
re: «I don’t know how else to start the bacteria yogurt fermentation process other than a cold start?»
The dairy component could be warmed to near target temp prior to adding starter.
re: «Perhaps what I could do, is to make the whole process longer eg 48 hours,…»
That would make me nervous, as it might encourage opportunistic environmental microbes, particular fungi, that prefer room temp.
re: «Yes the glass pots before were tightly capped.»
The recipes don’t address that either, but it appears to have some disadvantages.
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