It’s generally a good idea to keep at least 4 to 5 feet of space between actively fermenting batches—especially when working with different cultures like sourdough, yogurt, milk kefir, or veggie ferments. This distance helps prevent cross-contamination, where airborne yeasts and bacteria from one ferment might unintentionally mingle with another. While some folks enjoy a bit of natural blending, it can lead to inconsistent results and muddled flavors over time, especially with delicate or finicky cultures.

If you’re temporarily storing your ferments in the fridge—whether it’s to pause fermentation or extend shelf life—it’s best to seal them with a tight-fitting, airtight lid. This not only helps preserve their freshness but also protects the ferment from picking up off-odors or accidental contamination from other items in the fridge. Proper storage ensures your cultures stay pure, predictable, and ready to thrive when you bring them back out.

No problem—yogurt starters can absolutely be stored for later use if you’re not ready to activate them right away. The best way to do this is by placing the starter in a freezer-safe, airtight bag or container and storing it in the freezer. This helps preserve the integrity of the bacterial cultures until you’re ready to bring them back to life.

While freezing is a great short-term solution, keep in mind that over time, the potency of the starter may begin to decline. The longer it stays in the freezer, the more the bacteria may weaken, which can affect how well the culture performs during activation. You might notice that your first few batches are slower to ferment, have a thinner texture, or develop a slightly off balance flavor. That’s totally normal—it usually just means the bacteria need a few cycles to bounce back to full strength.

If your starter has been stored for an extended period (say, several months or more), be extra patient and consider doing a few back-to-back batches to help reestablish the culture before expecting perfect yogurt.

To keep your yogurt cultures happy, healthy, and thriving, it’s best to feed them once every 5 to 7 days—especially if you’re maintaining a mother culture for regular use. Feeding simply means culturing a fresh batch of yogurt using your saved starter, which gives the bacteria fresh nutrients to feast on and keeps the microbial balance strong.

That said, we get it—life happens. Sometimes it’s hard to stick to a strict schedule. If you miss the 7-day mark, don’t panic. Your culture likely won’t crash and burn after a few extra days in the fridge. But just know that the longer you go between feedings, the greater the chance of bacterial die-off. And if that happens too often, your starter may gradually weaken, become less reliable, or even stop working altogether.

A culture that isn’t regularly refreshed can start producing yogurt that’s thinner, slower to set, or just not quite right in flavor. You may also notice it takes longer to ferment or starts forming more whey than usual. These are all signs your culture needs some TLC—and maybe a few back-to-back batches to rebuild its strength.

So while once a week is ideal, try to aim for consistency as best you can. And if you ever go too long without feeding, don’t toss your culture right away—it might just need a little nurturing to bounce back.

Mesophilic yogurts—those cultured at room temperature—naturally tend to be a bit thinner and more pourable than their thermophilic (heat-loving) cousins. But if you’re craving a thicker, creamier texture, don’t worry—there are a few tried-and-true tricks to help you achieve just that.

One of the easiest and most effective ways is straining the whey. Whey is the liquid that separates from the curd during fermentation, and removing some of it results in a denser, richer yogurt. You can do this using a nut milk bag, a fine mesh strainer lined with unbleached coffee filters, or even layered cheesecloth. Simply set the yogurt in the strainer, cover it to keep it clean, and pop it in the fridge for a few hours. The longer you let it strain, the thicker it gets—anywhere from Greek-style yogurt to a yogurt “cheese” spread.

Another method takes a little more effort but can be worth it: heating the milk before culturing or using UHT milk (no heating necessary). While mesophilic cultures don’t require warm temperatures to ferment, pre-heating your milk to around 180°F (82°C) and then letting it cool back down to room temperature (around 68–78°F) before adding your starter can significantly improve the final texture. This step denatures the milk proteins, allowing them to bond more effectively and set a firmer yogurt.

Want to get a little creative? Try boiling down the milk just a bit before cooling. This reduces the water content and slightly caramelizes the natural sugars in the milk, giving the finished yogurt a richer flavor and thicker consistency—something like a rustic, baked yogurt or even a mild dairy custard.

No matter which method you try, always make sure your starter is fully incorporated and the milk is at the proper culturing temperature before letting it ferment. A little experimentation can go a long way in crafting the perfect spoonful.

Thermophilic yogurt cultures require a temperature between 90 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit to develop. It takes between 4 and 12 hours for the yogurt to reach the desired consistency. There are traditional recipes that call for as long as 72 hours incubation time, so if you forget about it, don’t sweat it! Just get to it as soon as you can and move on with your day. Head’s up about the long-aged yogurts: they’re quite sour!

Mesophilic yogurt cultures ferment at room temperature (between 70-77 degrees Fahrenheit), and this form of preparation typically results in a runnier texture. The phrase “Dangerous on a spoon” comes to mind. Mesophilic yogurt usually takes between 12 and 24 hours for the yogurt to reach the desired consistency. There are a few other distinctions between the two forms of yogurt. Opt for thermophilic starters for thick or Greek yogurt.If you prefer ease of preparation and runnier yogurt, (or just use it for smoothies or frozen yogurt) then you will be happy with the mesophilic cultures. We tend to recommend mesophils to really busy people, because it’s less to keep track of.

When yogurt is left to ferment for an extended period, it undergoes separation, resulting in the formation of curds and whey. The whey, which appears as a liquid layer both around and atop the yogurt, can be either mixed back in for a creamier texture or poured off based on personal preference.

It’s okay if it happens once or twice. However, when you consistently deprive the culture of nourishment, you are essentially starving it. This practice, if done habitually, can lead to the gradual weakening and eventual demise of the yogurt culture. Remember to keep a close eye on the yogurt as it ferments and watch for important clues that indicate it’s done fermenting.

Please do not add probiotic capsules or powders during activation batches. We recommend that you don’t do it at all because it can and often does kill the culture over time.