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–+ servings
Ebonie Garnica

How to Make Whey from Homemade 24-Hour GAPS Yogurt

Collect pale-yellow cultured whey by draining three cups of completed plain homemade 24-hour yogurt through cloth. Suitable for GAPS Intro Stage 1 after the dairy sensitivity test and gradual introduction, and for later Intro and Full GAPS once introduced.
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Servings: 1 batch (whey yield varies)
Course: Beverage, Full GAPS
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Equipment

  • Large glass or ceramic bowl
  • Stainless-steel colander or strainer set above the bowl
  • Clean double-layer single-use unbleached cheesecloth, or a reusable thin linen tea towel or flour-sack towel
  • Natural kitchen twine
  • Clean dry glass jar or bottle with lid

Method
 

  1. Set the stainless-steel colander above the glass or ceramic bowl with enough clearance for whey to collect without touching the bottom of the colander.
  2. Line the colander with two clean layers of the single-use cheesecloth, or with the clean reusable linen or flour-sack towel.
  3. Pour the measured completed 24-hour yogurt into the cloth.
  4. Bring the cloth corners together and tie them with kitchen twine to form a bag. Leave the bag suspended above the bowl so the liquid can drip freely.
  5. Choose how much whey you need. About 10 minutes slightly thickens the yogurt and releases a small amount of whey. A few hours produces more whey and thicker yogurt. Overnight produces the fullest separation and leaves a soft cottage-cheese-like solid.
  6. Pour the collected clear yellow whey into the clean dry glass jar or bottle. Cover and refrigerate.
  7. Transfer the thickened yogurt or soft cheese from the cloth to a separate glass container.
  8. Discard the linked Regency cheesecloth after this food use, as the manufacturer recommends. If you used a reusable linen or flour-sack towel, rinse it well, wash it according to its care instructions, and let it dry completely before storing it.

Notes

One batch starts with 3 cups finished yogurt; the amount of whey varies with the yogurt and draining time. About 10 minutes gives a small amount of whey and slightly thicker yogurt. A few hours or overnight gives more whey and a firmer curd. Use gravity without squeezing or added water.
Refrigerate the whey in a clean, dry covered glass jar or bottle. Keep the thicker yogurt separately. The yogurt fermentation and the straining are separate jobs; begin with yogurt fermented for at least 24 hours.
For regular GAPS Intro Stage 1, use the dairy sensitivity test first. Begin with 1 teaspoon whey per day for 2–5 days, then 2 teaspoons per day, increasing gradually to ½ cup per day with meals. Add to food after it has cooled enough for the live culture. Already-tolerated fermented dairy does not have to restart at one teaspoon. No-Plant GAPS has its own dairy sequence and milk choices.
For 2×, begin with 6 cups finished yogurt and use a large enough cloth and collecting bowl. The whey yield is still variable.

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