QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

You will need milk, VIVO starter culture, and a yogurt maker.

Dissolve the starter culture and mix it with milk at room temperature. Then pour the mixture into the appropriate container for your yogurt maker. This takes no more than five minutes. The yogurt maker will handle the fermentation. Once the product is ready, remove it and place it in the refrigerator.

You can find detailed preparation guidance in the “Instructions” section.

You can easily make VIVO fermented dairy products without a yogurt maker.

You can use a multicooker or a regular saucepan. Using the same method as for a saucepan, you can also prepare the product in a thermos or even a glass jar. Detailed preparation methods are available in the “Instructions” section.

A yogurt maker is a simple, affordable appliance for preparing fermented dairy products. It consists of a housing with a built-in heating element and one or more containers (cups) for preparing the product.

The yogurt maker heats the milk mixed with VIVO starter culture and keeps the mixture at a constant temperature during fermentation.

The main differences between yogurt maker brands are:

• The material of the cups and milk container: glass or plastic.
• The power of the heating element: the faster it brings the mixture from room temperature to the required temperature, the better.
• Whether it has a temperature sensor to regulate the milk mixture’s temperature. Without one, the temperature may differ from the recommended level.

There are several reasons why the starter culture may not have worked:

• Incorrect milk temperature. Throughout fermentation, the milk mixture should stay within 2°C of the recommended temperature.
• Incorrect fermentation time. Some yogurt makers take a while to heat the milk to the required temperature, when the starter culture begins to work. This warm-up time should be added to the recommended preparation time.
• Adding the starter culture to hot milk or dissolving it in water that is too hot. Temperatures above 45°C may kill the bacteria in the starter culture.

There are several reasons why the starter culture may not have worked:

• Incorrect milk temperature. Throughout fermentation, the milk mixture should stay within 2°C of the recommended temperature.
• Incorrect fermentation time. Some yogurt makers take a considerable amount of time to heat the milk to the required temperature, when the starter culture begins to work. This warm-up time should be added to the recommended preparation time.
• Adding the starter culture to hot milk or dissolving it in water that is too hot. Temperatures above 45°C may kill the bacteria in the starter culture.

More information on this topic can be found in the related questions about yogurt makers, thermoses, and milk quality.

It is highly unlikely that the starter culture’s quality caused the problem. Every batch is carefully tested for bacterial activity at the factory. Before packaging, the bacterial concentrate is thoroughly mixed to ensure consistent activity in every sachet. If an entire batch is found to be defective, it is removed from production before reaching stores. VIVO starter cultures retain enough activity to make fermented dairy products even if storage or transport temperature requirements are significantly breached.

It is recommended that the finished fermented dairy product be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 5 days.

If the bacteria are placed in unfavorable conditions, such as cold milk, they may produce polysaccharides to protect themselves. These substances can make the finished product more “viscous” or “slimy.”

To reduce this effect, we recommend adding the starter culture to milk heated to the fermentation temperature or using a yogurt maker that quickly heats the milk to the required temperature.

You can add honey, fruit, or nuts to the finished fermented dairy product. It is recommended to add them immediately before consumption—that is, do not store the fermented dairy product after mixing it with other ingredients.

The following steps help ensure the quality of the fermented dairy product:

• Use high-quality milk.
• Keep unwanted bacteria out of the milk by using clean containers.
• Keep the fermentation temperature as close as possible to the recommended temperature. Use a yogurt maker with a thermostat or a well-insulated thermos.
• Bring the milk and starter culture mixture to the required fermentation temperature as quickly as possible.

One sachet of the LIVE starter culture is designed for use with 1 to 3 liters of milk.

The amount of milk does not affect the quality. You can prepare any quantity within this range and obtain the same high-quality yogurt. The more milk there is, the longer the product will take to ferment. There is no other difference.

No. If you follow the instructions, the yogurt will be exactly the same.

The recommended fermentation temperature for our products, with one exception, is 37–40°C.

Kefir starter culture is the exception: it is used at room temperature, which should be no lower than +22°C.

For more information about the preparation process, see the “Preparation” section.

Fermentation takes 12 to 20 hours.

For more information about the preparation process, see the “Preparation” section.

No. The yeast cannot be stored after the sachet is opened.

Yes, you can do that.

For more information on the re-fermentation process, please refer to the “Preparation” section.

To make a new batch using finished yogurt, follow the same steps as when using a sachet of starter culture. Instead of the dry starter, use 3–4 tablespoons of finished yogurt per 1 liter of milk.

We recommend doing this only once. Do not use that second batch to make a third batch.

For more information about this process, see the “Preparation” section.

We do not recommend using a finished batch to start a new one more than once. In other words, do not use the second batch to make a third batch.

For more information about this process, see the “Preparation” section.

The maximum shelf life of yogurt for re-fermentation is 5 days.

You can make fermented dairy products using low-lactose or lactose-free milk. During fermentation, bacteria convert some of the lactose into lactic acid, reducing the lactose content. This may be helpful for people with lactose intolerance.

If the yogurt is runny, it may not have fermented long enough. This can happen if the fermentation temperature is too low, the fermentation time is too short, or the mixture cools during fermentation.

If the yogurt is still runny, we recommend leaving it in a warm place for a few more hours to finish fermenting.

This is a sign that the product has fermented too much. It can happen if the fermentation temperature is too high or the fermentation time is too long. This yogurt retains its beneficial properties; the main difference is that it may taste very sour.

The product has fermented for too long. Reduce the fermentation temperature or shorten the fermentation time.

This yogurt retains its usual properties; the only difference is that it may taste more sour.

Yes, you can. But only for the finished product.

Only to the finished product; it is best done immediately before use.

After the yogurt cools, it should be stirred well. The more you stir it, the more fluid the yogurt will become.

These values will correspond entirely to those of the milk used to make the yogurt.