why does soy milk curdle?

[Rblamey]

I am lactose intolerant and always order by coffee with soy milk. However, I'd say that 1 in every 5 soy flat whites I buy is a disaster because the soy milk seems to curdle and the solids separate from the water. I end up with a coffee I could strain to make a cake and it tastes terrible. Does anyone know why this happens or know a site where this is discussed in detail? Thanks Russell

 

[wulf]

I don't know why it would tend to curdle. However, have you tried taking your coffee black? I've always drunk it that way (thanks to my parents) but I can think of several friends who've "moved to the dark side" because they've been in situations where fresh milk was hard to store. Maybe black coffee is the simplest answer to a reliable hot drink solution that doesn't cause problems for your lactose intolerance or present you with a curdled mess?

Wulf

 

[MikeTheBike]

Soy Milk?

Soy milk has a tendancy to curdle when boiled, so make sure to keep the heat down if you are heating the milk. I guess that could also be the case if you add the milk to a VERY hot coffee.
The other thing I guess is if you use a lighter roast, the coffee will be more acidic, which could be an issue?

Mick

 

[tintinet]

Whiteners with low lactose....

Ya could try some lactose reduced milk. Heavy cream should have pretty low lactose content, also.

 

[joolee75]

curdled soy milk

I have an allergy to casein, a milk protein. I use soy milk in my coffee, but have also found that it often curdles and tastes funky. I have written to Silk to find out why this happens. I love Starbuck's Silk vanilla soy milk, but it seems to curdle more often than the regular Silk. Will post whatever I find out from Silk.

 

[tintinet]

Soy whitener

I've tried some Westsoy Soy Slender Vanilla. Doesn't appear to curdle in my Kenya brew, but is a bit sweet and not so thick or rich, so it takes a bit of quantity to achieve lighter mixes.

 

[joolee75]

Thanks, tintinet. I am using Kenya now, so will try the Westsoy and see how it goes. Try, try, again!

 

[donlp37]

After testing it for weeks, I have found that soy curdles due to a chemical reaction from the milk and the coffee together. Temperature may affect it even more, but I am sure that the source of the problem is some type of flavoring that is added to the soy milk. If you are using flavored soy, the problem becomes even larger. We found that adding sugar free syrups to the milk makes the problem even worse. A solution has not been found by us yet so my only suggestion is to take it black like some others have said.

 

[joolee75]

curdling soy milk

This is part of the response that I got from White Wave, the makers of Silk Soy Milk. I did receive 12 coupons for free Silk soy milk from them, shortly after receiving this email.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We are concerned to hear of
your report. Our Starbucks formula is made specifically to work in
coffee and it should not be prone to curdling. Upon receiving your
report we had our Research and Development team run tests on cartons
with the same date and time stamp that you provided for us. In the tests
they made coffee three different ways using our product. Once by making
a latte, once by microwaving product first and then adding coffee and
then by adding the product directly to hot coffee. In all three tests
the product did not have a tendency to curdle. [/b]

 

[notmuffy]

Instead of taking it black, have you guys tried any non-dairy creamer, either powdered or fluid?

 

[tintinet]

Gakkk!!!

Most non-dairy creamers are made of trans-fatty acids and sugar! I avoid those assiduously!! :x

I do use Westsoy Soy Slender low carb sugar free soymilk, when I feel I've ODed on saturated fat via heavy cream!

 

[notmuffy]

Re: Gakkk!!!

Most non-dairy creamers are made of trans-fatty acids and sugar! I avoid those assiduously!! :x

I do use Westsoy Soy Slender low carb sugar free soymilk, when I feel I've ODed on saturated fat via heavy cream!

Sorry, I wasn't actually talking to you.
I was talking to the two Milk-allergy people, Rblamey and Joolee75.
A person who is trying to cut fat and sugar from their diet should definitely take their coffee black.

 

[topher]

you know...that is probably the only funny thing you have said! :grin:

 

[joolee75]

Unfortunately, all non-dairy creamers contain casein, the milk protein. Not really non-dairy at all!

 

[tintinet]

Re: Gakkk!!!

Sorry, I wasn't actually talking to you.
I was talking to the two Milk-allergy people, Rblamey and Joolee75.
A person who is trying to cut fat and sugar from their diet should definitely take their coffee black.

Still, the answer remains valid. No milk in Soy Slender. Good fat (no trans fats; no saturated fats); no sugar. Tastes OK. Not bad for a lightener, when one wants one.