Alcohol free or not

[Healthyfood]

Please help me with this.

I made homemade yogurt this week. All it takes is boil milk and add live yogurt. 10 hours later it's ready.
Turned out perfect. BUT. A friend of mine scared me, he said that homemade drinkable yogurts might contain alcohol because the way they are prepared.

He said it might be only 0.001%, but for me its not acceptable.

So is it alco free or not?

[Centurion002]

My educated guess would be.... probably no alcohol. I'm a microbiologist... but I do more with viruses than bacteria.

The bacteria that you added to the milk would break down the glucose via fermentation into lactic acid. There are two pathways this can occur-- one which produces only lactic acid and the other which produces some lactic acid, carbon dioxide, and ethanol. And you can do a little bit of both.

I'm assuming the bacteria you were provided (I'm also assuming this is a DIY kit or something) have been selectively cultured or altered with some recombinant DNA, to exclusively take the pathway which produces JUST lactic acid. Bacteria that produce ethanol as a byproduct may not even survive the milk/yogurt environment.

As far as booze production goes, they use yeast (a fungus) pretty much 99% of the time in a whole lot of glorified sugar water.

I can do a little research into it, if you'd like. But I'd say you're good to eat it, as long as you feel comfortable.

[BackToSquareOne]

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

What he said!

[Dee74]

I have no idea I'm sorry.
If you're not comfortable HF, then don't eat/drink it

D

[Healthyfood]

Centurion002

Thank you. Thats a very good answer, very scientific.

So then its safe to eat? If yes, I will be very happy as I like the taste and the fact that nothing else is added to the yogurt. No sugar or other crap.

Would be nice if you could check to be sure for 100% its alco free.

I was looking for answer everywhere. Found some stuff in google, if yeast added then there might be a little alco. My combination of milk and live yogurt is pure.

[Centurion002]

I would not swear my life on it. Biology, hence life itself, is never perfect. A few molecules of ethanol could get produced.

If your yogurt started bubbling with carbon dioxide and smelled funky, throw it out!

The American yogurt industry has exploded in the past few years and people eat tons of the stuff for its protein, calcium, and other benefits. I'm sure those companies' micriobiologists have perfected the art of making safe yogurt. And they're only doing what you're doing but on an immensely larger scale.

The pros exponentially outweigh the possible con. If you feel weird about it, make DIY cottage cheese. That's what I do! I can't eat yogurt... its a textural thing.

All the best!

[Healthyfood]

Centurion002

Its not bubbling, it looks and tastes like milk shake. So I guess since Im not sure and you are not for100%, then the safest option is not to make it. Sad.

I can't eat cheese, I gave it up a long time ago, its too fat for me.

[MightyMung]

Originally Posted by Healthyfood

Centurion002

Thank you. Thats a very good answer, very scientific.

So then its safe to eat? If yes, I will be very happy as I like the taste and the fact that nothing else is added to the yogurt. No sugar or other crap.

Would be nice if you could check to be sure for 100% its alco free.

I was looking for answer everywhere. Found some stuff in google, if yeast added then there might be a little alco. My combination of milk and live yogurt is pure.

I'm very confused, and don't mean to sound condescending, but why would such a minute, virtually non-existent amount of alcohol bother you so much? Fruit juices contain minute traces of alcohol, but it's nowhere near enough to be psychoactive. Just curious.

[Veggiejojo]

Hi,

I occasionally make my own yoghurt and I've never heard this before. I did a quick google it seems kefir and koumiss yoghurt may naturally contain a very small amount of alcohol. I think if your making run of the mill natural or Greek yoghurt it should be fine. Also it is very difficult to completely avoid trace amounts of alcohol since its occurs naturally in fruit juices, etc. so I wouldn't worry if it were me (I am also unlikely to say no to a slice of cake that may contain vanilla extract - although I probably should!)

I love homemade yoghurt!

x

[Healthyfood]

MightyMung

Virtually non existent amount of alcohol does bother me. 1 tea spoon and I might be in the supermarket getting a bucket of wine. So Im highly addictive to the booze.

[Healthyfood]

Veggiejojo

Well it makes sense, fruit juices definitely contain small traces of alco, all sodas as well. So this innocent yogurt is my happiness in the morning and I really want to make it again.
I guess after 228 sober days I get a little crazy.

[MightyMung]

Originally Posted by Healthyfood

MightyMung

Virtually non existent amount of alcohol does bother me. 1 tea spoon and I might be in the supermarket getting a bucket of wine. So Im highly addictive to the booze.

Really? Wow. I never knew such a small amount could have such potentially damaging effects. I admire you for being so vigilant!

[Centurion002]

After a quick google search of the yogurt making process and reading up on the two most common yogurt cultures, I can confirm that you are fine to eat the yogurt.

Two things: Be sure to heat the yogurt to the right temperature for the right period of time. This will kill all bacteria that could make ethanol.
AND
Be sure to store it correctly as this will discourage other bacteria from the spoiling the party.

I echo the sentiments of the last two posters too. Sadly ethanol is a byproduct of many many many metabolic processes. Your body has ethanol in it right now. It's very hard to avoid ever being in contact with it.

My mentality is stay away from the bottle. I eat my calories, not drink them

[BackToSquareOne]

That's interesting, in some cases the human body can make enough to get you legally drunk. : DUI BLOG: Can the Human Body Manufacture Alcohol Internally?

[Healthyfood]

Centurion002

Thank you for looking into this.

I boil the milk first and then mix in live yogurt and then leave it in warm place for 6-8 hours, then back into fridge.

Thank you again all my friends for supporting me.

[Centurion002]

thesweetone is definitely right. It's always going to be around us due to its pure chemical simplicity, but never with enough quantity for our brain to notice... unless you drink a hundred liters of 7up in one sitting!

Or in healthyfood's case, an equally disturbing amount of yogurt.

Hooray science!

[Healthyfood]

Centurion002

Exactly, its everywhere. What about cough medicine, that defo has 2%. So at least that could be avoided. But 7 up, other sodas, yogurts, fruit juices I think are safe to drink.

[Huey]

Your body has more naturally 'on board' than would ever be produced making yogurt.
Enjoy your lovely natural dairy desert and chill out

[onlythetruth]

You know, in one sense it's a great thing to want to be vigilant about avoiding all things with even a trace amount of alcohol in them. It does show that you're serious!

But realistically it is impossible to avoid such things, unless you hide in your home and never go out to a restaurant or eat at the home of a friend! I should mention that I've known people to do exactly this--hide!--and it seems to me that this is far more damaging to people's long term goal of being healthy than any trace amount of alcohol they might ingest.

[Healthyfood]

Just wanted to give a little update on this.

I made 1 L of yogurt. Consumed it in less than week. But the problem was that I really started craving booze again.

A tiny trace of 0.0001% alco or maybe there was none, something made me crave booze like never.

Im not making this yogurt again. A week after not having it, I feel good again.