Here’s some runny yogurt fixes:

• Add Adequate Water
  

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• We recommend putting water at the same level as the yogurt mixture. We do this because water helps evenly distribute the temperature inside the machine.
  

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• Increase Incubation Time
  

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• We can also set the timer to go up to 36 hours to achieve the maximum potential of the probiotic strains.
  

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• Warm milk
  

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• Though this is not required, it can help with the consistency of our batches. You can heat your milk to 180°F then cool it down to 100°F before adding the starter or dry ingredients to avoid killing probiotics.
  

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• Add a thickener
  

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• You can add arrowroot, guar gum, pectin, etc., especially when using plant-based milk. Or you can also consider adding more inulin.
  

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• Mix the ingredients well
  

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• Make sure the​re are no lumps, as they also contribute to separation (curds and whey).
  

Generally, curds and whey are very healthy, and we can either strain them to make Greek yogurt or start a new batch using them.

However, you also mentioned that the previous batch looked rotten and disgusting. In those cases, we highly recommend throwing them away and cleaning the jars/containers thoroughly before starting a new batch.

It is essential to check the smell and taste of the yogurt before consuming it for safety purposes. So, if the yogurt tastes off and smells like cottage cheese, we can throw it away and start a new batch with fresh ingredients.

You can also check our guide for more recipes and cool stuff about yogurt: Ultimate Yogurt Maker Guide