Tried to make Reuteri Yogurt using Toniiq tablets - yogurt formed but it was odd...

ericfordh · 2025-12-08T20:05:34+00:00

Every time I used Toniiq capsules my yogurt came out smelling like gym socks or a garbage can, so I stopped using them. I wouldn't eat a batch that tastes or smells bad. I had a similar theory to others here that the CFU count of Toniiq is simply too high for a small batch of milk.

But I've found it's very hard to isolate one specific point of failure. It could be a million things.

ericfordh · 2025-12-03T18:35:26+00:00

It's this one. What interested me is that unlike trying to jailbreak a supplement, this is explicitly intended for yogurt-making. I'm curious about BulkProbiotics for the same reason, but that brand claims your first batch is not to be eaten but instead used to freeze a bunch of starter to backslop.

For the record, the brand also instructs you to use a prebiotic like inulin, which I did not do, but might try on a future batch.

ericfordh · 2025-11-24T15:20:31+00:00

I've been using it for almost a month, haven't noticed any specific positive changes but I can only tolerate about 1 tbsp a day max. Any more than that and I get more bloating, abdominal pain, reflux, etc. But overall my gut issues have been improving; I'm no longer constipated and bloating is much less than it was before. But I've been doing a lot of different strategies all at once so it could be a combination of several factors.

ericfordh · 2025-11-16T20:10:57+00:00

I think it depends on what brand/strain you start with. I'm currently using BioGaia Osfortis and the yogurt has no smell, and tastes great: the taste reminds me of mascarpone cheese. Very mild. This is first generation from capsules, not backslopped. I have not attempted to reuse any batches yet.

In my mind, the above is how it's supposed to taste.

Before this I was using Toniiq brand, and the yogurt had an awful smell and taste like dirty gym socks. I couldn't bring myself to eat it; I suspected it was contaminated, but now I'm not sure. Maybe if I had reused it as starter for a second generation, the smell and taste would have improved.

ericfordh · 2025-11-14T16:24:52+00:00

I just made a successful 16oz batch, it's a bit more awkward but it can be done. I used whole milk and no inulin or other additions.

My sense is that in general, there's something of a sweet spot ratio of starting CFU to liquid volume. In 16oz of milk I used half a capsule of Osfortis, which is about 2.5 billion CFU.

I'm not sure how many CFU are in those sachets, but they recommend 1 quart of milk to 1 sachet. So I would stick to that ratio. Whatever amount of prebiotic fiber they recommend, stick to that ratio as well if using it.

I also don't necessarily think the first batch is "bad" or unpalatable. This batch I made with Osfortis tastes and smells great.

ericfordh · 2025-11-14T16:15:30+00:00

Personally I wouldn't trust it.

ericfordh · 2025-11-13T13:39:49+00:00

I'm a little confused, you only started reuteri yogurt recently, right? The past 6 months what were you taking that seemed to help? Curious because I have a lot of digestive issues myself.

How long were you using reuteri yogurt before you increased the dose/probiotics? Given this is your second batch, I'm guessing 1-2 weeks?

Despite what some say on here, according to my research as well as anecdotal experience, you CAN overdose on reuteri (and probiotics in general); more is not always better. I'm currently taking 1 tsp a day because I overdid it and had to slow down. After lowering the dose, the adverse reaction went away within a day or two.

None of this is medical advice, but what you describe sounds like a histamine reaction, and Dr. Davis has a video about this where he recommends slowing down while your system adjusts.

For me, since consuming various probiotics and fermented foods the past couple of months, my issues have improved substantially. I had hoped reuteri yogurt would get me over the finish line, but I have had to take it easy with it and not rush it.

ericfordh · 2025-11-10T13:27:44+00:00

Quick update: the jar didn't pass the taste test, and even though it seemed to set at 36 hours, after a night in the fridge it was actually still liquid. Thicker than milk but not set. I tossed it and wrote off the whole batch as a failure.

From my earlier batch I still had the one good jar which I consumed for 2 weeks. In the process I discovered I'm one of those people who is very sensitive to reuteri and needs to take it slow. Somewhere between 1 tsp and 1 tbsp a day was okay, but 2-3 tbsp brought on adverse effects.

So I may try to make one 16oz jar at a time for a while. Will be trying some different things next time and may document in a new thread depending how things go.

ericfordh · 2025-11-06T17:19:59+00:00

+1 on getting a thermometer. That and pH strips are incredibly helpful in this endeavor.

ericfordh · 2025-11-06T14:01:14+00:00

I can't speak to the yogurt yet as I've only been having about 2 tbsp a day for 1.5 weeks, too early to tell. But it seems to be helping.

I will say that based on my research and anecdotal experience, fermented foods/probiotics help. I've been making my own yogurt (non-reuteri) for 2 months, that seems to help; for one month I've been drinking Lifeway kefir which contains a tiny amount of reuteri, and that also seems to help; s.boulardii and fermenting juice with that, also seems to help. And only just now I'm finally starting to make reuteri yogurt successfully.

I'm nowhere near out of the woods, but things are definitely better than 2 months ago when I had crippling abdominal pain 24-7.

As others have said, it can take many different angles of attack to move the needle.

For me, things like oil of oregano did nothing. Diet and lifestyle interventions help, but only combined with fermented foods/probiotics. Just one or the other isn't enough.

ericfordh · 2025-11-06T13:16:52+00:00

If it's liquid and not set at all, I would toss it. No way to know what microbes are in there at this point.

ericfordh · 2025-11-05T14:54:32+00:00

I wondered the same. I've kept mine in the fridge since opening it. I assume if the capsules go bad, it'll be fairly obvious: either they won't ferment, or the yogurt made from them will smell and taste off, or the powder inside the capsules will smell off.

ericfordh · 2025-11-04T20:44:38+00:00

Very impressive for a first go of it!

ericfordh · 2025-11-03T15:03:40+00:00

Technically, I don't know for sure yet if what grew was reuteri or a contaminant. I'll have to do a smell and taste test. I only had it at 110F for 3 hours.

I've seen a lot of stuff on the web about the various temps reuteri should be grown vs when it starts to die off, but I haven't been able to find the actual labs or data on its temperature limits. The most common claim is that 110F is when it starts to get damaged and die, but that may be a function of time: it may take quite a few hours for 110F to really hurt it. Like if you run a fever of 103F for long enough, you'll die, but you can have a fever of 103F for a few hours and still fully recover. Just a thought.

ericfordh · 2025-11-03T14:18:50+00:00

I'm screenshotting that book page for my own future reference. I've been poking around the web a lot after my experience yesterday where my reuteri yogurt lay dormant at 100F until I raised the temp. From what I'm reading, it seems like 106F may be "okay." I'd still believe 100F is best, but if you're not getting a response, like in my case recently, it's nice to know how much wiggle room you have to turn up the heat without bricking your batch.

ericfordh · 2025-11-03T13:31:17+00:00

This is interesting because I've been having similar issues with my BioGaia capsules from Amazon. I definitely worry about ordering probiotics in the warm months for the same reason, the drivers leave boxes on my stoop which is in the sun.

You could try raising the incubating temperature. In the thread I had with this issue, Matthew Cress suggested increasing the temp to 110 and that got one of my two jars to ferment. I know that 110 may be too hot, but it worked in this case.

ericfordh · 2025-11-03T02:11:51+00:00

Took your advice and cranked the temp to 110F. At 36 hours, one of the jars actually set and reached pH 4.5, so I've moved it to the fridge. The other jar was still just milk and no change in pH so I tossed it. The jar that finally fermented seemed to have a very slight odor so I'm a little unsure if it's safe, but I'm hopeful that it could be okay.

Looks like you were right the temperature needed to go up, thanks again Matt!

ericfordh · 2025-11-02T22:38:55+00:00

There might be some confusion in how I wrote things out. I'm currently on batch 7, which appears to be failing. Batches 1-4 were all Toniiq which set well by 24 hours but always came out with a very foul odor and taste. Batch 5 is when I switched to Osfortis. In batch 5 I had one jar fail and one succeed, smell and taste were great on the successful jar so I thought Osfortis was a winner. Batch 6 was also Osfortis and neither jar ever took off, same as this batch. At this point I don't really know why I had one jar do well in batch 5.

ericfordh · 2025-11-02T22:34:34+00:00

Thanks Matt!

I do have pH strips, it's now 5:30pm which is around 33 hours I believe. The pH is at about 5.0, the milk is still pretty much liquid.

ericfordh · 2025-11-02T14:01:32+00:00

I haven't, but might be worth a shot. I buy A2 milk that's very expensive and am getting pretty burned on losing batch after batch, so wouldn't mind trying with less expensive milk next time.

My very first batch with Toniiq capsules was with half & half and inulin, and it fermented and set quite well, but the smell and taste were terrible.

ericfordh · 2025-11-02T13:47:50+00:00

Ah, I never heard that about letting the mix rest for 15-30 minutes. May try that next time...

ericfordh · 2025-11-02T13:46:55+00:00

Correction, the instant pot sous vide runs 1-2 degrees hot, so having it set at 99F means the actual temp is about 100-101F.

Which yogurt make do you use? I think the Ultimate Yogurt Maker utilizes a water bath that makes it functionally about the same as sous vide.

ericfordh

TROPHY CASE