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Thread: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

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    Snowdrift's Avatar
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    Default Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Sorry if this topic has already been covered....

    I feel a strange sense of acheivement and, um, pride I suppose, having just drunk my very first glass of home made soya milk...from a Soya Milk maker.....Just 25 mins after DHL delieverd it from Soya Fresh...

    I would appreciate any tips and hints please.

    a couple of points I would like to know more about....Is using dried beans or soaked beans preferable? ( This latest one from SF does both methods ) , and what do you flavour it with??? I've only thought of apple juice concentrate so far

    Thanks

    Andy

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    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    hi Andy, i have a soya milk maker from Soya Fresh but it's the old model, i'm planning to upgrade to the new model a.s.a.p.

    the old model only uses soaked beans, so i don't know what the difference is with dry beans. i sweeten my milk with concentrated apple juice, i put about 4 tablespoons into the water before starting the process. i was using agave syrup at first but it was quite a bit more expensive.

    glad you like your machine, there are others on here who can probably offer more advice, i only use it for the very basic milk really. when i get the new model i'm hoping to try other milks such as raw hemp seed.
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

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    cedartree cedarblue's Avatar
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    i have got the same machine as that gorilla so same goes for me. i do make nut milks with it though, the almond was good on cereal.

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    Hi gorilla & cedarblue,

    I was going to order the 'old' model but didn't have the money!! then, lo & behold, about a month later, when i had the money I went back to the website and found the old one had been discontinued My heart sunk, but then after speaking with them and finding out the advantages of the new one I didn't mind spending the extra......but then only to find out they were sold out!!!

    Anyhow, my teaspoon of apple juice con. wasn't quite enough sweetner .....and the almonds + other nuts are an excellent idea

    btw, I am very pleased with the maker......it seems well put together. I paid the extra and got an additional stainless steel jug. This jug is of better quality than the see-through one, it has 5 circular rubber feet , feels solid but does have a plastic handle, albeit quite a comfortable one.


    bandwith exceeded when trying to post this reply originally

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    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    i was a little annoyed that i shelled out for the old model in July, and they didn't mention that they'd be bringing in a new better model only a couple of months later. luckily they're giving a discount on the upgrade for people who have the old model, and i've found someone who wants my old machine.

    i keep meaning to make rice milk, as i have loads of brown rice and i bought some rice syrup to sweeten it with, but i've got quite used to the soya milk now. i used to use Rice Dream on my cereal and i think it'd still be good to try making my own when i get round to it. the soya milk though is quite different to the cartons i used to buy so i'm not sure home-made rice milk would be like Rice Dream either. there are usually a lot of extra ingredients in shop-bought milk that make it taste quite different.

    are you using the liquid calcium & magnesium supplements from Soya Fresh, or do you take another supplement? i've been adding a tablespoon of the liquid supplement to my cereal every morning.
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

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    Snowdrift's Avatar
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    This is all new to me, so I've got some catching up to do!!!lol, I had some liquid calcium delivered with the milk maker but havn't used it yet....it seems a good idea to use it seperatley, I'll try it.....but my son won't remember so I think I'll end up adding to each batch of milk I make.

    Is the magnesium important? i hadn't thought of that one , the other supplement I got was B12, yet still waiting that as it was out of stock.

    I'm rather fortunate here as I have my own Bore hole for my water supply....with no argricultural land or human habitation higher up the mountain...So i was expecting a big taste difference to shop milk. But i like it even unsweetened , its got a lovely taste....I shan't miss shop milk one bit. Rice milk will certainly come, do you know any instructions for making it??.....Soya fresh have totally changed their website and i can't find any advice on it anymore .....they've been split up or taken over or something !!!......If I just use dried rice as i use dried soya beans it will be easy

    My next, and I suppose main leap forward is to start making my own tofu.....I can't wait!!!

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    All you need to know about Tofu and Soya Milk making over here Soyafresh
    Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

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    Snowdrift's Avatar
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    Hi snaffler,

    They tell you where to put the seeds in but not which programme to use ( except for soya )....I could make a logical guess however!!!.....

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    snaffler's Avatar
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    More info and direct suppliers of this are these people http://www.ethicaljuicers.co.uk/ they also give discounts to a variety of people depending on income or other needs....

    As for the operation they all come with full instructions and now you can get a stainless steel jug to add on.
    Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

  10. #10

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    Quote Gorilla
    hi Andy, i have a soya milk maker from Soya Fresh but it's the old model, i'm planning to upgrade to the new model a.s.a.p.

    the old model only uses soaked beans, so i don't know what the difference is with dry beans. i sweeten my milk with concentrated apple juice, i put about 4 tablespoons into the water before starting the process. i was using agave syrup at first but it was quite a bit more expensive.

    glad you like your machine, there are others on here who can probably offer more advice, i only use it for the very basic milk really. when i get the new model i'm hoping to try other milks such as raw hemp seed.


    Gorilla,

    This sounds good, I'll have to get into this more in the near future!! Thanks 4 UR advice that ya gave someone else here, as it bennifits some of us others.

    K4J

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    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    i've recently upgraded to the new model, and i'm sure i have a faulty machine. every batch of milk i have made so far has gone wrong one way or another, despite my following the instructions exactly every time. i've been trying to get hold of Soya Fresh/Living Earth or whatever they're calling themselves these days, and nobody will get back to me. so far i'm not very happy with my new machine.
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

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    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    if anyone is interested, these are the things that have gone wrong with my soya milk maker so far. i need a moan LOL

    1. for my first use of the new machine, i tried to make raw hemp milk. this is supposed to take about one minute. i followed the instructions to the letter, of course the machine ground up the seeds for a few minutes and a large amount of liquid overflowed from the top of the jug. then the machine froze and wouldn't complete the cycle. i had to switch it off and the resulting milk was horrible

    2. i made my first batch of soya milk in the new machine with dry beans. the programme seemed to work normally but the milk turned out badly. i'd put apple juice in at the beginning like i always used to with the old machine, as recommended in the old machine's instructions, and this time the milk was very curdled and brown. it doesn't seem to be a good idea to put the sweetener in at the beginning but the manual doesn't tell you that. another batch of wasted milk.

    3. i tried the soya milk again, and the programme froze halfway through. it wouldn't do anything and i had to switch the machine off. the milk looked ok but as the programme hadn't completed fully i was reluctant to drink the resulting milk as i've heard raw/part-cooked soya can be poisonous.

    4. tried again and the grinding stage seemed to be working on greatly reduced power, the water turned a nasty yellow instead of milky and when i opened the machine up at the end the beans were still whole. nothing edible this time either.

    5. tried one final time and the machine kept heating the water for ages without progressing to the grinding stage. i eventually turned it off because it had been heating for much longer than it should and i was worried about the machine breaking any more than it obviously is already, possibly exploding or something!

    despite emailing Soya Fresh/Living Earth twice and leaving messages on their answerphone they don't get back to me. i've had to resort to buying soya milk in cartons again. sorry i know there are more important things in the world but this is really annoying.
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

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    cedartree cedarblue's Avatar
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    gorilla, i remember you saying that you added the apple concentrate at the beginning of the cycle but when i did that it was nasty and curdled.
    tried it again and added at the end when milk was well cooled but the milk still separates in the fridge, top inch watery and bottom milky.
    did you have this?
    to be honest i am a bit disappointed with the whole thing, everytime i have another go and make some there is something wrong, my only real success wasl almond milk.

    i am buying in cartons again

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    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    sorry to hear you haven't been having much luck with your soya milk cedar. the milk i made in my old machine always used to be pretty good with just a little lumpy bit settling at the bottom. my new machine hasn't given me any decent milk though.

    Soya Fresh finally got back to me last night and they think there's a problem with the circuit board of my machine, so i've got to send it back to them for repair. goodness knows how much that's going to cost me, and it's not going to be easy to lug down to the post office. i bought myself a carton of soya milk yesterday, i went to use it this morning and it was all sludge so i've got to return it to the shop i'm not having much luck with soya milk at the moment!
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

  15. #15
    tails4wagging
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    Sorry to hear your bad luck with the new soya milk maker, Gorilla, I used the one you gave me yesterday for the first time, a little bit diluted so trying again today.

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    Quote Gorilla
    sorry to hear you haven't been having much luck with your soya milk cedar. the milk i made in my old machine always used to be pretty good with just a little lumpy bit settling at the bottom. my new machine hasn't given me any decent milk though.

    Soya Fresh finally got back to me last night and they think there's a problem with the circuit board of my machine, so i've got to send it back to them for repair. goodness knows how much that's going to cost me, and it's not going to be easy to lug down to the post office. i bought myself a carton of soya milk yesterday, i went to use it this morning and it was all sludge so i've got to return it to the shop i'm not having much luck with soya milk at the moment!
    Gorilla you have just bought it though, I thought you only bought your new one in the last 12 months they should not charge under the Parts Gurantee....I would check that out with your local C.A
    Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

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    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    Tails it does take a bit of getting used to but hopefully it won't take you too long to get it just right.

    i'm not sure if they'll charge me anything for the repair Snaff they didn't mention either way. i'll just have to wait and see.
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

  18. #18
    tails4wagging
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    Gorilla, do you add any flavouring to it, seems to have no taste to it. First lot I made was too dilute, second lot was better.

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    Oh dear! You have all put me right off. I was thinking about a Soya milk maker and I was going to ask you guys if you thought they are worth it? Does the milk taste nice, is it much cheaper than shop bought milk and is it convenient? I was also going to ask if anyone uses there home made milk to make tofu? If so what is it like? However I don’t think that you are going to convince me that they are a good idea after all the problems you have had.

    I also had what could be an interesting thought! I understand that you can make milk from a number of things like nuts, rice, soy beans and hemp seeds; can you therefore make milk out of other pulses and then make that milk into a tofu type thing? Imagine chick pea tofu, would it be nice?

  20. #20
    tails4wagging
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    Must admit I have been disappointed with the taste of the soya milk I have made so far.

    I am going to have a go making nut milks and see how I fare with that.
    The soya milk I have made so far, I have made into a rice pud, or used it in cooking.


    Going back to an earlier comment from gorilla, Can I ask do I need to soak the beans first?. Because I havent been!

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    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    oh dear Tails, you need to soak the beans for 6-12 hours before you make the milk with the machine i gave you!!!! that's probably why you've been disappointed with the milk you've had so far! i'm sure it said that in the instructions i gave you with the machine - my sincere apologies if it didn't

    Trendygirl, sorry you've been put off but my soya milk making was fine until the teething problems with the new machine. it tastes ok and it's not too much trouble, and it saves a lot of packaging waste. it costs about 8p per litre made with the machine, and cartons cost anywhere between 65p and £1.40 round here so it's quite a saving. i don't know if you'd be able to make 'tofu' with other pulses etc. i have a tofu making kit but can't be bothered to use it yet!
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

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    Default I want this soya milk maker!

    Well, I read Gorilla say that he makes his own soy milk. That sounds very interesting, nutritious, and delicious! I have a crappy $15 blender from wal-mart. On it's highest setting it's capable of making things chunky... So then I found this....

    http://www.ethicaljuicers.co.uk/milkmaking.htm

    AND they have a TOFO maker! I drink a lot of soy milk. I've actually acquired the taste, and now I drink close to half a gallon of soy milk a day. But, this is a good bit of money for me too. Do you guys think it would be worth it? What are the full advantages/disadvantages to making your own soy milk? Has anyone else usesd this milk maker? It can also make nut, and rice milks....hmmmm yummy. I could make hemp/soy/almond milk

    I'm just not sure if it's worth it? Would it really save me a lot of money?

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    "close to half a gallon of soy milk per day".

    I'm no expert on this, but that seems a bit too much to me.

    And for the saving of money..... what would soybeans cost (imho you need certified organic soybeans for it)
    Plus the cost of the machine...I didn't see a price on the site that quickly, but I remember the vegan society selling them once, and they weren't cheap.

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    hm.... 8 pence per litre, that sounds cheap, but is it only the soybeans they take into account ?

    70 pounds for the machine, add, 10 pounds for the stainless steel cup (which I would do)

    80 pounds = 120 euro = 155 usd *thinks*

    let's say it last three years....about a us-dollar a week, plus soybeans and electricity....

    Maybe it's not a bad deal after all.

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    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    heh heh, that Gorilla's a girl BTW

    yeah that's the machine i've got. are you planning to buy that exact machine? do you live in the US? it'll cost a lot of money to get it shipped out there won't it, that's if they'll even ship outside the UK. unless you can buy organic soya beans near where you live, it won't be as economical. the 8p a litre is only accurate if you buy their soya beans in a huge 25kg bag. i bought one of these bags not realising quite how much would be in it, and it's currently taking up a very large space in my kitchen!

    if you're not lazy like me you should find it ok. it's not that much hard work, especially if you get a model like that one where you can use dry beans so you don't have to remember to soak them beforehand. it needs a fair bit of cleaning afterwards though. it only makes a litre at a time, which if you keep drinking that much every day won't last you long. although i would tend to agree that you're perhaps drinking a bit too much...

    i had some trouble with mine as the machine i got originally was faulty and it took over two weeks for it to be repaired and returned to me. it seems to be working ok now hopefully.
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

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    Sorry for the gender mistake

    I've been drinking about 2/3 to 3/4 or more of my half gallon cartons of soy milk a day. I don't see why that would be unhealthy, except for budgeting reasons lol. I would drink more, but I do try and be conservative with it... a glass just goes down so fast! Anywho, I found another one here: http://www.soymilkmaker.com/ they have two models, the soyajoy, and the soyapower. They claim to have free shipping too, and both are cheaper than the one I posted above. I think I will get the soyapower, and if I like it I will post the results. I can buy organic soy beans in bulk from the health food store across the street, so I think it is for a worthy cause. I drink probably 9 or 10 dollars worth of soymilk a week. So in 12 weeks, that's 120. After that my only cost of soymilk will be the beans themselves, which are relatively cheap!

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    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    if you can get a decent soya milk maker from the US, and you can buy the beans close to where you live, i would say it's a great idea. you will save a lot of money, and there's the added bonus of reducing the amount of packaging needed in producing your milk. i don't think these machines use that much electricity. if you prefer sweetened soya milk, you may want to buy some sweeteners such as concentrated apple juice or agave nectar, which will of course push the price up a little.

    do make sure you're still getting an adequate supply of any vitamins and minerals that may be added to carton soya milk, from other sources won't you. many commercial brands are fortified with B12 and calcium for example. sorry if that sounds obvious.

    i don't believe the scare stories surrounding soya, but anything in excess can have possible harmful effects. if the machine you buy can make rice milk, nut milk etc. it'd be a good idea to try some of those and switch around so you don't have soya milk all the time.
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

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    Thanks. I will definatly be making lots of other milks. I try to eat a pretty wide variety of food, and my eating habbits change a lot.

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    THIS website was recommended on another forum. HTH.

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    I eve's Avatar
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    Thumbs up soymilk maker

    There is a great Australian soymilk maker, Soy Wonder, at http://www.greenhome.com.au/ and Soy Wonder has been through all the gruelling tests for Aust/NZ approval for electrical safety etc.

    It's an excellent website even if you don't intend buying the Soy Wonder!
    Eve

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    i'm as happy as a very happy bunny cos i just ordered a soya milk maker and tofu kit, including beans and nigari (coagulant), from ethical juicers. i mainly want it for making tofu, as i drink hardly any soya milk (maybe i will in future though).

    later on i'll post an update to let you guys know how i get on with both the milk and tofu making, in case you might be interested. although, given that my aptitude for making stuff in the kitchen is roughly on a par with that of an orang utan, it may turn out to be a complete disaster. we'll see.

    i just hope i don't get any 'technical problems' like some of you guys have mentioned.

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    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    Quote TofuMonster
    given that my aptitude for making stuff in the kitchen is roughly on a par with that of an orang utan
    ha ha ha at least you don't have the culinary skills of a gorilla

    my soya maker seems to be working fine now. it's a pain to wash up the machine so be prepared for that but it's probably worth it if only for the money you'll save and the packaging you'll avoid.

    i still haven't used my tofu kit i must make a point of making some!!!
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

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    Question Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Hi,
    I'm a newbie to this forum. I've just bought the Soya Fresh digital milk maker, and am in the process of experimenting with various options. I've so far tried dry and soaked soya beans (soaked are definately better), almond and sunflower milks. I am also experiencing the curdling problem with the addition of apple juice concentrate (though ordinary apple juice seems OK, but less sweetening). I have found that the addition of a tablespoon of sunflower oil followed by a blend with a hand blender makes the consistency more creamy.

    I do find that the stuff settles out/ separates in the fridge or just standing to cool. I read somewhere that you're meant to cool the milk down quickly after making it, and I wonder if this is the reason for the difference in flavour and curdling behaviour with commercial milk? It's a shame that there isn't some kind of readily available natural anticoagulant that can be added....

    The problem for me is my kids - they're used to the shop bought stuff, so won't accept home-made unless the flavour and texture is sufficiently similar. I've written to Soya Fresh to ask their advice. Looking at various fora in the States, folks over there are used to commercial soya milk that contains salt, sugar and various other additives, but over here, unsweetend soya milk appears to be made from just water and soya beans - so why the difference between shop-bought and home made?? I really hope someone can come up with a satisfactory recipe....

  34. #34
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    Default Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Welcome to veganforum jpcw

    The first time I made home made soya milk I spit it out and proceded to pour that batch down the drain. The next time I i used strawberry extract and a few tablespoons of raw sugar ... better, but still really gross. I now use a combination of coconut and strawberry extract, a generous amount of raw sugar, and sometimes maple syrup (a couple table spoons of maple syrup makes a great diffrence) and I would imagine corn syrup, and brown rice syrup would be nice too. I've found that the trickiest part of it is using the right portions of extracts. Too much and it tastes kind of "oily" if that makes sense, too little ant it has a bean taste. I combine straberry and coconut extract to fill about half a teaspoon.

    My advice is just to experiment. Think of the money your saving by making your own, you can afford some extracts and maple/brown rice/corn syrup

    EDIT: I think the strawberry extract only kind I made would have been much better if I had used food coloring.

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    Lightbulb Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Thanks for the reply Kimba. I'm trying to avoid using sugar/ sucrose based products and artificial additives, hence the use of apple concentrate (fructose), and ideally I'd like to add as little as possible. Also, things like maple syrup can be very expensive to use in a staple food like soya milk. I think there must be more involved in the process rather than adding sweetners to help with the flavour and texture. As I said before, commercially produced milk manages to be made with just water and soya beans and it tastes just fine and doesn't settle out on standing, so there must be some step(s) missing with the home made route.

  36. #36
    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    hi jpcw,

    i have the same digital machine as you and i'm still not getting very good results from it to be honest. i don't know what shop-bought milk you're used to but the ones i like have a small amount of sunflower oil added i think. i haven't tried adding that to my milk yet but i'll probably give it a go eventually.

    mine has been separating quite a bit and i let it cool naturally because i believe putting it in the fridge while still hot would cause the fridge to heat up, thus requiring a lot more electricity to bring the temperature back dwon again. it's apparently a bit of a health risk for the food in the fridge too.

    i've stopped using apple juice in it for now as it tasted too appley. i mostly use the milk on cereal so instead of adding sweetener i'm now adding extra dried fruit to my cereal.
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

  37. #37
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    Default Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Quote Kim[ba]
    The first time I made home made soya milk I spit it out and proceded to pour that batch down the drain. The next time I i used strawberry extract and a few tablespoons of raw sugar ... better, but still really gross. ... My advice is just to experiment. Think of the money your saving by making your own, you can afford some extracts and maple/brown rice/corn syrup
    Think of all the expense of buying a soymilk maker, ingredients, including the finished product that you tip down the sink, and the extracts that you have to buy to cover up the nauseating taste! Just do what I do, and buy a carton of Vitasoy every now and then. After all, how much soymilk can you drink? In other words, I really don't think you're saving money at all, as you suggest.
    Eve

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    Default Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Actually, shop-bought soya milk is one of the most expensive items we buy - we get through easily 12-14 1 litre cartons a week as a family and we tend to buy around 30 at at time to save frequent trips to the shop. At a minimum of 65p per carton (~$1.15) but as much as £1.20 (~$2.15) for some brands, this mounts up fairly seriously, so a soya maker for £50 will pay for itself within around 8 weeks, especially if you can find a cheap source of soya beans. However, I do take your point about taste - which is partly why I am experimenting at the moment before unleashing it on my kids .

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    Default Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Hi jpcw

    I've got the same problem with my kids..now they only like the Alpro fresh soyamilk, which we tried when it was on special offer and now they're addicted and don't like anything else, and it's £1.27 a litre.

    I've made soyamilk myself, but I know they won't like home-made because it tastes more 'beany'. That's the trouble. If they'd been brought up on home-made stuff, they wouldn't know any different, but the Alpro stuff is so delicious, even people who don't usually like soya milk will drink it...like my mum.

    Tofu Monster...

    I've started making tofu regularly now, it comes out less dense than cauldron foods stuff, but you can still fry it if you're careful. And it's great for blended things, like tofu cheesecake and mayonnaise. It's especially good because it's so cheap. My partner made a big pressing box, and we make about 2lbs (four ordinary-sized blocks) of tofu in one go...but it all gets eaten up far too quickly!

    You need an extra-large pan to do this, though.

  40. #40
    cedartree cedarblue's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    i bought one of the original milk makers from 'soya fresh', that gorilla had one too - and after many, many attempts at getting a 'right recipe' its now just sitting in the cupboard. if i make a batch then it curdles, no soy milk till i can wash up and make some more. sorry to sound defeatest but i just dont have time and energy to keep trying to keep pouring it down the chute. its either too bitter, too appley, curdles, too sweet.

    at the moment its easier for me to buy (cant remember the brand) red box, unsweetened with added calcium and vits, bout 79p per ltr from asda - easier on my time and patience more to the point.

    so.....i have a milk maker if anyone wants to have a go and make me an offer for it...

  41. #41
    snaffler's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Please don't shoot me for this but I really like the ASDA organic SOYA milk and I am not a fan of the sweetened stuff so it's costing me 65p a litre and in our house we get through 24 cartons a month so I need to buy for value as well.

    I was going to buy the digital soy fresh machine but I must be truthful I do not have the time or outright cash to buy one at present and I need to know 100% that its going to do what it says on the tin with no fuss or farting about for hours trying to get it right.

    I am only home at weekends and Tuesday nights so I like to make the most of my free time. The storys of misshaps have put me off a bit.
    Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

  42. #42
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    Default Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Tesco 'value' soya milk is actually organic, although they don't make a big fuss about it on the carton, and it's 65p litre too. I use it for cooking, but since having the Alpro fresh stuff, my kids turn up their noses at everything else for using on cereal

    Making tofu takes about 1-2 hours, so it is something you have to set time aside for, but it's very satisfying...although there are lots of 'wrinkles', like exactly how much nigari to add, how hot the soymilk is, etc.

    I don't use one of those milk makers, just a blender, and I filter the milk through a fine-meshed cloth.

    I've been making hempseed milk a lot recently, because it's SO GOOD for you, with a perfect balance of omega fatty acids and proteins, but that tends to curdle if I heat it up too much...I still drink it, though! I couldn't waste it!

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    Question Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    I just found the following snippit on a website:

    "It is very important to boil (bleach) soya beans before grinding, to prevent formation of beany flavour."

    Whether they mean bleach or blanch is not clear, but this might be worth a shot, although of course it takes the whole 20 minute convenience away and contradicts the instructions with the machine.

    Also found this:

    "Heating the soya beans will destroy enzymes which are responsible for
    the development of beany flavour. This heating can best be achieved by
    microwaving the wet soaked soya beans during 2 minutes."

    Microwaving might destroy a lot of the goodness in the beans though....

    We also used to buy the Tesco and the Granose milk from Asda, which are both perfectly acceptable, but look at the economics: 24 litres / month (in my household, double this) x 12 months x 65p = £187.20 per annum (or ~£375 in my case), just for milk!

    I have to say, so far the most successful milk I've made is almond milk - very tasty but expensive .

    Regarding settling, I wonder if the way to do it is to let the stuff settle in the fridge overnight and then decant the top layer of liquid off - the chances of further settling before use are then minimal and it might lead to a lower propensity to curdle when adding sweetners or using in hot drinks. I also wondered whether the UHT process used for commercial soya milk could be the reason for the different flavour and physical behaviour - any food scientists out there?

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    Lightbulb Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Ooo, just found this interesting article too:

    http://www.fao.org/docrep/t0532e/t0532e09.htm

    And another (this one's excellent):

    http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/park/gfm11/soya.shtml

  45. #45
    snaffler's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Cheers for those links very handy info
    Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

  46. #46

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    Lightbulb Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    BTW, if anyone does want to buy a soya milk maker, Energise for Life have got them with 10% off, and you get an additional 10% off if it's your first order (which is where I got mine for just over £50 incl delivery!):

    http://www.energiseforlife.com/item-...--JBP0008.html



    ----------
    update: huh! just got home and a second package was waiting for me containing 'filter cup B' for nuts and beans other than soya - how weird to have it sent separately. If you buy one, make sure you get this second filter included!

  47. #47
    I eve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Quote jpcw
    Actually, shop-bought soya milk is one of the most expensive items we buy - we get through easily 12-14 1 litre cartons a week as a family ... However, I do take your point about taste - which is partly why I am experimenting at the moment before unleashing it on my kids.
    Good grief, 12 litres of soymilk a week as a family - how large must your family be? Or do you drink soymilk at every mealtime? Phew!
    Eve

  48. #48

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    Default Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Well Eve, there's four of us, but both children drink two cups a day each (= 1 litre), we all eat porridge made with diluted milk every week day (=~250ml), my wife and I drink it in tea/ hot chocolate/ Nocaf (~100-200ml/day), and then at the weekends we tend to use more for things like baking and pancakes etc. OK, maybe we have a somewhat extravagant lifestyle, and we could consume less, but I still regard it as a staple food, and it soon racks up!

  49. #49
    kokopelli's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Thanks a lot for the interesting links!
    once in a while you can get shown the light
    in the strangest of places if you look at it right

  50. #50

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    Lightbulb Re: Soya / Soy Milk Makers

    Well folks, I think I've had at least partial success
    I made some soya milk last night, put it in the fridge over night, and this morning tried it, and I honestly can barely tell the difference between shop bought unsweetened and the machine milk. What have I been doing?
    Well, taking various snippits of advice, I have been adding a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the soaking water for the beans, and then doing the 2 minute microwave trick just before processing.

    Now the downside - because the beans become partially cooked by microwaving, the chopper grinds them so fine that most of the sediment gets through the filter. So you end up with a fair bit of sludge at the bottom of your coffee/ tea mug . However, I've ordered a reuseable coffee filter which I'm going to use to strain the dregs out when I transfer from the machine's jug to the fridge jug, so this should take out the 'fines'. Aternatively, you could use a jelly bag or if you can find one, and ultra fine sieve.

    The only other thing I've experienced so far of worry is the machine seems to occassionally go on grinding without stopping (this has happened twice) and so I've had to pull the plug . I don't know if this is a fault, or whether it's because there isn't enough resistence because of using partially cooked beans, but I might contact Living Earth to see if they have a clue. Has anyone else experienced this?

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