Viili (filbunke, langfill) yoghurt starter culture

Viili is a delicious Finnish mild yoghurt that is characterized by a viscose, gel-like, ropey structure.

What is yoghurt?

Yoghurt, also spelled yogurt, yogourt or yoghourt, is a foodproduct produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yoghurt are known as yoghurt cultures. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yoghurt its texture and characteristic tart flavor.  Cow’s milk is commonly available worldwide and, as such, is the milk most commonly used to make yoghurt. Milk from water buffalo, goats, ewes, mares, camels, yaks and plant milks are also used to produce yogurt. The milk used may be homogenized or not. It may be pasteurized or raw. Each type of milk and each type of starter produces substantially different results.

What is viili?

Viili is a delicious Finnish mild yoghurt that is characterized by a viscose, gel-like, ropey structure. The yoghurt probably originated somewhere between the 13th and 19th centuries from the older Swedish – still available – filbunke. Viili and filbunke have been traditionally prepared in Scandinavian countries for hundreds of years, where they are still popular today. This beautiful mesophilic yoghurt is not easily found outside of Scandinavia, but you can now enjoy this delicious dairy at home through startercultures.eu. The name Viili comes from a byproduct from the actions of the strains, a phosphate-containing heteropolysaccharide, called viilian.

Viili comes in three forms — short, long, and the original. The short version has a consistency similar to commercial yogurt with a mild taste. The long version has a ropy, or stringy, consistency that stretches much like honey. Traditional viili has a slimy ropy consistency and is mildly nutty in taste. Our Viili is the traditional type.

Viili has many health benefits and has been a cornerstone of the Finnish diet for ages, and is considered a super-food with multiple health benefits. As a fermented milk culture it conatins live probiotics and easily digestible nutrients from the milk (including lactose).

Viili is similar to:

• langfill
• filbunke
• Tattemjolk

Mesophilic: no yoghurt maker needed.

You make this yoghurt at room temperature, no yogurt maker or the like is needed. It can just be on the counter.

Content

• 2 grams of heirloom mesophilic dry yoghurt starter – for 4 L (but, in fact enough for the rest of your life: check instructions)
• Made in Bulgaria
• Allergens: milk
• 100% natural, no additives, no preservatives, Gluten free, Soy free, GMO free, Halal, Kosher.
• Ingredients: milk, yoghurt starter cultures

Micro-organisms present in viili

Live active lactic acid cultures of Lactobacillus Bulgaricus and Streptococcus Thermophilus, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Kefir, and Lactococcus Helveticus.

Please note that our viili starter does not contain Geotrichum candidum. You can add it seperately if you wish.

Why dried viili starter?

• dried viili has a long shelf life
• easy to ship / take with you, also abroad
• does not deteriorate due to transport
• light in weight (shipping costs)
• you can already purchase them even if you do not intend to make a viili directly that week
• you can keep a part in hand in case your fresh yoghurt gets worse in quality
• after activation, the effect of dried viili is identical to fresh viili

Storage instructions

In the freezer or fridge. Also keep the yoghurtstarter in a Ziploc bag after use, or in a vacuum-packed place. The starter is very hydrophilic – if moisture gets into the package, the quality will deteriorate. Shelf life is a minimum of 2 years in the freezer.

How to activate your viili starter

1. Warm a cup (200 ml) of milk up to 24°C. If using raw or pasteurized milk, boil it and let it cool down to 24°C as well.
2. Add the starter to the milk and stir until it dissolves. Please do not whisk, as this introduces air bubbles into the milk which slows down incubation.
3. Cover the jar with a cloth to keep the milk clean from dust and airborne particles.
4. Let the milk sit for about 24 hours and then check if it has set. You can see this if it separates somewhat cleanly from the sides of the jar when you tilt the jar. Some mesophilic yogurts might look messy but you will clearly notice a change in consistency.
5. If your viili isn’t firm after 24 hours, leave it and check every 2-4 hours until it sets. Sometimes it takes up to 72 hours to set depending on the ambient temperature and other local conditions.
6. Congratulations, you now have an active mesophilic yogurt, which you will use as a starter in the next step.

How to make viili

1. Add your activated starter (which is the cup of yogurt from the previous step,) to a liter (can be up to 4 liters) of milk. Do this in a single container so the whole starter can mix evenly with all the milk. The milk can be room temperature or straight from the fridge.
2. Stir gently until the active starter is completely dissolved.  Please do not whisk, as this introduces air bubbles into the milk which slows down incubation.
3. Distribute the milk into culturing containers (e.g. 1L mason jars work best).
4. Cover the jars again and leave them at room temperature for 12-48 hours until the yogurt has set. It will now set much faster than before ánd it will also be much tastier!
   Please note that the yogurt will set faster if your environment is warmer, so you should check it after 12 hours and then check every 2-4 hours to make sure it has set. As in the previous step, you can see this when it separates somewhat cleanly from the sides of the jar when you tilt the jar. Some mesophilic yogurts might look messy but you will clearly notice a change in consistency. Be mindful that mesophilic yogurts are naturally thinner than thermophilic yogurts so be prepared for a viscous or slimy consistency.
5. Move it to the fridge and keep it there for at least 2 hrs before eating it, as this will help it thicken and improve its taste.
6. Delicious again, Peter!
7. You can use a spoonful of the previous batch to make more viili (within 3 days so the culture remains viable)

Optional:

1. Add your activated starter (the cup of yogurt from the first step) to a liter of milk. Do this in a single container so the whole starter can mix evenly with the milk.
2. Stir gently until the active starter dissolves completely.
3. Cover the jars, and leave at room temperature for 12-48 hours until the yogurt has set and it is firm. This will probably be faster than before.
4. Freeze the viili in icecube trays or bags as starters for your next batch of yoghurt.

Fail Proof Viili Making Instructions

Use this method if you have difficulties getting good results with the traditional method or would like to get your results faster, try this fail-proof manual method instead.

This is a fail proof manual method that you can use with mesophilic cultures to get your yogurt to turn out faster compared to when using the traditional mesophilic method.

This method relies on keeping the milk warm during incubation, which speeds up the process by making the culturing environment more beneficial to the development and procreation of the lactic acid bacteria.

1. Heat up the milk to just over 167°F / 75°C (not needed if you use UHT milk)
2. Set aside a cup from the milk
3. Keep the rest of the milk in the container you heated it (or distribute it to the culturing containers – 1L mason jars work best)
4. When the milk in the cup is at 86°F / 30°C (it will feel lukewarm to the touch), add the starter from the pack to it then gently stir it until it dissolves, about a minute
   Note: You are adding the starter to the milk in cup, not to the milk in the containers!
5. When the rest of the milk (in the containers) is ready, at around 90°F / 32°C, distribute the milk from the cup (the one with the starter) to the jars, proportionally to their volume.
6. Gently stir the milk in the jars.
   Note: At no time whisk. Whisking introduces air bubbles into the milk and that slows down incubation.
7. Place a blanket in your microwave (or oven). Microwaves and ovens are thermo-insulated and minimize the loss of heat.
8. Place the jars in the microwave on the blanket.
9. Loosely cover the jars with their lids or a towel.
10. Cover with and wrap around another blanket or a large towel. Make sure the blankets are covering the jars from all directions to minimize heat loss. This will make sure jars stay warm all throughout the incubation process.
11. Leave overnight (about 8 hours). Check if yogurt has set, if it hasn’t (different mesophilic strains have different incubation times so some may take twice that time), leave it for a couple of more hours, and keep checking a couple of hours apart, until it sets.
    Note: The yogurt is set if it separates somewhat cleanly from the sides of the jar when you tilt the jar. Some mesophilic yogurts will be slimy so separation might look messy but you will clearly notice change in consistency. Also, keep in mind that mesophilic yogurts are naturally thinner than thermophilic yogurts so be prepared for a viscous or slimy consistency.
12. Move to the fridge and keep there for at least 2 hrs before eating it. Cooling the yogurt will help it thicken and improve its taste.
13. Enjoy!

Tip

Sometimes a dried yogurt starter needs a second ‘fermentation round’ to get to its full potential. This means using a spoonful of the first batch to start a second. The second batch will be better

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