What You'll Need

1. One Quart Bowl
2. Spoon
3. One Quart of Half-and-Half (Milk and Cream)
4. Probiotic Capsule
5. Potato Starch or Inulin
6. Fermenting Appliance

Step 1: Sanitize Your Equipment

Since this recipe is using a quart, boil enough water to fill that volume.

Pour the boiling water into the bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Sanitize the spoon as well by adding it to the quart bowl.

After the 5 minutes has passed, the bowl is going to be very hot. Rinse it thoroughly with cold water to lower the temperature. The bowl should be cold to the touch prior to moving on to the next step.

Step 2: Choose Your Milk

Start with one quart of half-and-half milk and cream. Half-and-half milk will make the thickest and creamiest yogurt, I currently use the a2 grass-fed milk brand. You can certainly use full-fat pastuerized milk, however, using additional cream in your dairy is highly recommended. Opt for the highest quality milk and cream blend you can find. Below are a few brands I’ve used to make SIBO yogurt ranked in order of best results.

Step 3: Prep Your Culture

Getting your culture ready for fermentation begins with combining everything into the quart bowl, making a quick slurry of those ingredients, and then top everything up with the rest of the milk. After that you’re ready for fermenting the milk mixture.

1. Measure 2 tablespoons of potato starch and add that to the quart bowl.



2. Open the probiotic capsule and mix the contents into the potato starch.



3. Now add just enough milk to be able to stir it up into a slurry (mixture).



4. After stirring everything for about 30 seconds, add the rest of the milk into the quart bowl.



5. Finally, cover the bowl with some clear food wrap and ensure there is a small exposed area to limit the condensation during fermentation.

Step 4: Ferment

This is where the magic happens. The trick is to keep the yogurt warm (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit) for an extended period of time, so the cultures can get to work and convert the milk mixture into yogurt.

I’m currently using the Ninja OL601 Foodi XL (8 quart) which has a Yogurt making setting. Instapot is another popular brand that has a Yogurt making function, although they’ve recently declared bankruptcy so I would opt for the Ninja Foodi. Also, there are plenty of dedicated yogurt makers you can choose from. If I was going to start at the beginning, I’d probably purchase one of these solely because it’s a single function device and takes up far less space on the kitchen counter.

Starting the fermentation process is easy:

1. Take the bowl from the previous step and place it into your fermentation device.



2. Close the lid, then select the Yogurt function, and then adjust the setting to Fer.
3. Adjust the time setting to the max which is 12 hours on the Ninja Foodi, other devices may be capable of setting a full 36 hours.
4. Then press start.

One of the things I dislike about the Ninja Foodi Yogurt function is the time setting feature maxes out at 12 hours. That means you’re going to have to add time to the setting 2 more times during the 36 hour fermentation cycle. Such an unecessary hassle because those digits theoretically could go to 99, rather than just 12.

If you’re just starting out, I would definitely suggest acquiring a machine that can be set to 36 hours. I think the Instapot can do this, however, as I mentioned above, it doesn’t appear they’re going to be around much longer.

Step 5: Refrigerate and Enjoy

Move your homemade yogurt to the fridge to cool, and consume within two weeks. You can save half a cup of your homemade yogurt to start your next batch. If you find that your yogurt starts to get too thin or have a funny taste, your culture is becoming too weak to set properly. Simply start your next batch with a new probiotic capsule, or a scoop from the previous batch of yogurt.

SIBO Yogurt Deep Dive

What happens when you consume this stuff?

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition characterized by an excessive growth of bacteria in the small intestine. Normally, the small intestine contains a limited amount of bacteria, but in individuals with SIBO, there is an abnormal proliferation of bacteria, leading to various gastrointestinal symptoms. This condition can interfere with proper digestion and nutrient absorption, causing discomfort and potentially leading to other health issues.

When you consume SIBO yogurt, the effects on the condition can vary at a biological level. Here are some potential biological responses that may occur:

1. Introduction of Beneficial Bacteria: Probiotics contain live microorganisms, such as certain strains of bacteria or yeasts, which can be beneficial for gut health. By consuming probiotics, you introduce these beneficial bacteria into your digestive system. They can potentially help restore a healthier balance of bacteria in the gut, including the small intestine affected by SIBO.
2. Modulation of Gut Microbiota: Probiotics have the potential to influence the composition and activity of the gut microbiota. By introducing specific strains of bacteria found in probiotics, you may alter the microbial community in the small intestine. This modulation can have varying effects on the overgrowth of bacteria associated with SIBO, potentially promoting a more balanced microbiota.
3. Production of Bioactive Substances: Probiotic bacteria can produce bioactive substances, such as short-chain fatty acids and antimicrobial compounds. These substances may help regulate the growth and activity of bacteria in the gut, potentially inhibiting the proliferation of pathogenic or overgrown bacteria in the small intestine.
4. Immunomodulatory Effects: Probiotics can interact with the immune system in the gut. They may help regulate immune responses, reducing inflammation and promoting immune tolerance. These immunomodulatory effects can influence the overall gut environment, potentially impacting the development and progression of SIBO.
5. Variable Response: It’s important to note that the response to probiotics for SIBO can vary among individuals. Factors such as the specific strains of probiotics used, the individual’s unique gut microbiota, and the underlying causes of SIBO can influence the outcome. Some individuals may experience positive effects, while others may not see significant improvements or may even have worsened symptoms.

How Potent is the Final Yogurt?

The culture will double every 3 hours. A mega-dose of probiotics that I use, one capsule contains 50 billion CFUs (colony forming units per gram).

Below is an image of the packaging for the probiotic that I’m currently using. The approach Elixa takes with their program is for the user to consume a high-dosage probiotic within a very short time span (one week). The entire program contains 3 trillion CFUs, however, when you isolate a single capsule, you’re getting around 50 billion CFUs. I haven’t found any other brand on the market that exceeds this massive dose of probiotics.

Yogurt is technically 2 specific species of bacteria. Elixa uses 11 of the most well studied species available:

• Lactobacillus Plantarum
• Lactobacillus Reuteri
• Lactobacillus Salivarius
• Lactobacillus Helveticus
• Lactobacillus Acidophilus
• Lactobacillus Casei
• Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
• Bifidobacterium Bifidum
• Bifidobacterium Lactis
• Bifidobacterium Longum
• Bifidobacterium Breve

After 36 hours (12 cycles of doubling), starting with 50 billion units, the final number of units would be approximately 204.8 trillion units.

Cycle	Quantity
Start	50B
1	100B
2	200B
3	400B
4	800B
5	1.6T
6	3.2T
7	6.4T
8	12.8T
9	25.6T
10	51.2T
11	102.4T
12	204.8T