# Yogurt failed. So what did I make? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372 "2015-01-30T21:03:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/1 "2015-01-30T21:03:47Z")
I think my kitchen was too cold last night, so my attempted yogurt came out as slightly sour (fat free) milk. Figuring what the hell, I reheated it with the intention of trying again. (Has anyone made that work?) While heating, at about 160F it began separating into gloppy, slightly elastic clumps. Thinking I’d invented mozzarella, I looked up the recipe. Of course my concoction has no [citric acid or rennet](http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-homemade-mozzarella-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-174355). I’m now waiting for it to cool so I can strain it. I have a couple of uses for whey, so it won’t be a total loss. But has anyone else had this happen? What is it and what can I use it for? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/2 "2015-01-30T21:13:25Z")
Cottage cheese? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/3 "2015-01-30T21:40:18Z")
Where is your Yogurt now ? ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/4 "2015-01-30T22:27:48Z")
> [@HelenGawn](#): > > While heating, at about 160F it began separating into gloppy, slightly elastic clumps. I think they call that Greek yogurt. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/5 "2015-01-31T01:05:41Z")
The curds can be spread on bread and eaten like cream cheese. In Russian, this is called _tvorog_. No idea what the whey can be used for. 😕 IIRC, you don’t need rennet to make mozzarella; you just have to heat the milk to near-boiling temperature. Am I right or wrong here? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/6 "2015-01-31T01:12:51Z")
After draining, the casein was a rubbery, tasteless blob. Lesson learned. Might as well just used the soury milk. My primary use for whey is soaking grains. Porridge is great this way. Or substitute for buttermilk in pancakes or biscuits. (Of course this kills the probiotics.) I’ve dabbled with inoculating other cultures and just drinking it straight. I’m not a smoothie person, but I’ve heard that works well, too. [More ideas here.](http://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/05/36-ways-to-use-whey-and-5-ways-to-make-it/) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/7 "2015-01-31T01:15:49Z")
> [@HelenGawn](#): > > After draining, the casein was a rubbery, tasteless blob. Sounds like fresh mozzarrella to me… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/8 "2015-01-31T01:23:54Z")
I’ve only made mozzarella with rennet, but you should be able to skip the citric acid step since your milk was probably fairly acidified from the failed yogurt attempt. You basically ended up making some sort of fresh cheese, like the tvorog mentioned, or quark. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/9 "2015-01-31T01:55:25Z")
I tried making paneer, adding lemon juice to make curds, and ended up with something you could make big pencil erasers out of. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/10 "2015-01-31T03:03:13Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Sounds like fresh mozzarrella to me… This. The yogurt culture took the place of the citric acid. In Germany, this would be _quark_. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/11 "2015-01-31T03:30:08Z")
Whey can be used in many recipes in place of water. I used it often in baking bread and making pasta sauces. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/12 "2015-01-31T04:43:33Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > This. The yogurt culture took the place of the citric acid. In Germany, this would be _quark_. Yes, noted above. But quark is not exactly like fresh mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella, as far as I know, needs some sort of rennet–whether animal based or plant based–to properly form the curds necessary for the “spinning” part. (When you make mozzarella, to get the proper texture, you need the curd at the right acidity and temperature where the curd softens and forms its trademark elastic texture.) I don’t think simple acidulation with citric acid will form a sturdy enough curd that is necessary for mozzarella. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/13 "2015-01-31T04:46:37Z")
What have you created? A monster. Laugh now, but when it starts consuming houses you won’t be so lighthearted. :eek: In other words, yeah, probably quark. Run. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/14 "2015-01-31T14:51:57Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Whey can be used in many recipes in place of water. I used it often in baking bread and making pasta sauces. Huh! I did not know that. I’ve occasionally used sour milk in making pancake batter, but never the whey from making tvorog. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/15 "2015-01-31T15:48:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yes, noted above. But quark is not exactly like fresh mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella, as far as I know, needs some sort of rennet–whether animal based or plant based–to properly form the curds necessary for the “spinning” part. (When you make mozzarella, to get the proper texture, you need the curd at the right acidity and temperature where the curd softens and forms its trademark elastic texture.) I don’t think simple acidulation with citric acid will form a sturdy enough curd that is necessary for mozzarella. Oops, missed that post, sorry. Yes, agree on all counts. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yogurt-failed-so-what-did-i-make/711372/16 "2015-01-31T21:38:35Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I tried making paneer, adding lemon juice to make curds, and ended up with something you could make big pencil erasers out of. This is exactly the consistency. I only know of quark as the basis of [milk paint](http://www.marthastewart.com/272306/milk-paint-recipe).