Yogurt Instead of Sour Cream?

Progcat · Post by **Progcat** » Sun Aug 14, 2005 9:52 pm

Hey Guys,

Is it possible to use yogurt instead of sour cream in the bowl coating? I'vre experimented with both and find the sour cream to be a little "runny" as I have had to go back and recoat the bowl where it didn't grab. I seemed to have less difficulty with the yogurt. Does it make a difference?

Progcat

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:21 am

I've never mixed up a bowl coating with yogurt, so I can't say what the difference in the recipe might be, but I do have both stocked in the fridge right now. Yogurt has a "tangy" taste, and is usually sweetened with sugar of some kind. My guess is that yogurt would impart a flavor to the first few smokes that might not be wanted. I'd say, give it a try and see what happens.

The runny mixture with sour cream might not be solved by using yogurt though. At least with the yogurts I buy, the yogurt is thinner than sour cream. Maybe try backing off on the buttermilk? I usually mix the sour cream and charcoal together, then add buttermilk until it reaches the desired consistency.

LexKY_Pipe · Post by **LexKY_Pipe** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 11:12 am

I agree with Kurt. The runnier sour creams might be light or non fat. Use the high test full fat kind and I'm sure you'll see that it's not runny. Also, don't overdo the buttermilk if you're using that in your mixture. That will make the mixture runny too.

RadDavis · Post by **RadDavis** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 2:09 pm

What I would like to know is, who first came up with the idea of sour cream and buttermilk as a base to mix with charcoal to coat the inside of new pipes?

It just seems like a bizarre idea. I know it works, but what in the world originally made someone *think* it would?

Enquiring minds want to know....

Rad

LexKY_Pipe · Post by **LexKY_Pipe** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 2:23 pm

I got the scoop from Tyler . . .

Okay the investigation continues . . .

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:45 pm

RadDavis wrote:What I would like to know is, who first came up with the idea of sour cream and buttermilk as a base to mix with charcoal to coat the inside of new pipes?

It just seems like a bizarre idea. I know it works, but what in the world originally made someone *think* it would?

I don't know. It's a similar mixture to the milk paints that I used to make in college, so I wonder if some enterprising soul decided it would work in this capacity as well. Just substitute charcoal for zinc oxide, yelow ochre, or whatever else....

bscofield · Post by **bscofield** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 10:44 pm

RadDavis wrote:What I would like to know is, who first came up with the idea of sour cream and buttermilk as a base to mix with charcoal to coat the inside of new pipes?

It just seems like a bizarre idea. I know it works, but what in the world originally made someone *think* it would?

Enquiring minds want to know....

Rad

Ya know, when Crosby asked a chemist at the university he works about the mixture of the two, he knew off the top of his head that chemicals in sour cream and buttermilk cancel each other out and eliminate the "rotting" you would expect to get from either by itself. I would guess that it was someone who had heard of this and just thought, "Hmmm... that could work."

That's my theory...

Progcat · Post by **Progcat** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 11:05 pm

Hi Guys,

Thanks again for the help. I'll try to use a little less of the buttermilk and the fat loaded sour cream. Yes, it is interesting how this recipe came about. Maybe some pipemaker from years ago wanted a bowl coating and sid to himself..hmm maybe sour cream, buttermilk and charcoal would do the trick!!!

Tim

jeff · Post by **jeff** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 8:34 am

According to him, Tonnie Nielsen came up with the mixture. In fact, when I last spoke with him, he was quite surprised to discover that other people used it. Of course, it is quite possible that several people independently arrived at a similar recipe.

I've heard that it tastes pretty good on toast too.

Jeff

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 1:07 pm

jeff wrote:I've heard that it tastes pretty good on toast too.

It would probably be good on a baked potato - and have the side benefit of completely grossing out your tablemates.

ArtGuy · Post by **ArtGuy** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 1:32 pm

Actually the chemist I spoke with was pretty drunk.....

Just kidding, he wasn't, but he did say that both sour creme and buttermilk were very chemicaly stable and that the edition of the activated charcoal might be neutralizing it even further. Or something like that.

PS. It tastes nasty on toast, gritty and bland for the most part.