Yogurt · Greek Yogurt Yield Calculator
Greek Yogurt Yield Calculator
Enter your milk volume, milk fat, and straining time to see how much Greek yogurt you get, how much whey drains off, and how long to strain for your target thickness.
1 L whole milk · 4 h strain
≈ 620 g Greek yogurt
Longer straining = thicker yogurt, smaller yield. Set your own numbers below.
Live calculator · updates as you type
Straining yield
Straining leaves you with
Classic Greek yogurt. 1.00 L of whole yogurt strained for 4 h makes about 618 g of Greek yogurt.
Whole-milk yogurt strains to the richest, creamiest Greek yogurt and holds the most yield.
Straining changes texture and yield, not the starter. Set the yogurt fully and chill it before you strain.The rule most people learn the hard way: Greek yogurt costs you volume. Straining to a classic Greek thickness roughly halves what you started with.
- 1 L whole yogurt, 2 hours → about 770 g of thick, spoonable yogurt
- 1 L whole yogurt, 4 hours → about 620 g of classic Greek yogurt
- 1 L whole yogurt, overnight → about 390 g, heading toward labneh
Yield by strain time (whole-milk yogurt)
Figures assume whole-milk yogurt. Low-fat and nonfat yogurt yield a little less. Save the strained whey — it is protein-rich and works in bread, smoothies, and soups.
Greek yogurt yield guide
How much Greek yogurt from your milk
Milk sets into about the same volume of plain yogurt, and straining removes whey to concentrate it into Greek yogurt. The final yield depends on how long you strain and how much fat the milk carries — this table shows the classic 4-hour Greek result by starting volume.
| Milk volume | Plain yogurt | Greek yogurt (~4 h) | Whey off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 quart (0.95 L) | ~950 g | ~580 g | ~370 g |
| 1 litre | ~1000 g | ~620 g | ~380 g |
| ½ gallon (1.9 L) | ~1900 g | ~1180 g | ~720 g |
| 1 gallon (3.8 L) | ~3800 g | ~2350 g | ~1450 g |
Figures assume whole milk strained to classic Greek thickness. Strain 2 hours for a higher yield and softer set, or 8–24 hours for extra-thick yogurt and labneh.
Download the free Yogurt Starter Log
Track milk volume, straining time, and yield across batches in one printable sheet.
Greek yogurt yield questions
How much Greek yogurt you get from your milk, how long to strain, and what to do with the whey.
A litre of milk sets into roughly a litre of plain yogurt, and straining that to a classic Greek thickness (about 4 hours) leaves around 600–650 g of Greek yogurt. Strain for only 2 hours and you keep closer to 750 g; strain longer for extra-thick yogurt or labneh and you keep less.
The yield scales with volume. A US quart (0.95 L) of milk strains to roughly 550–620 g of classic Greek yogurt, and a gallon (3.8 L) to about 2.3–2.6 kg. Whole milk yields the most; nonfat the least. Set your exact volume in the calculator for the figure.
About 2 hours gives thick, spoonable yogurt; around 4 hours is classic Greek; 6–8 hours makes extra-thick yogurt; and 24 hours takes it into labneh, a spreadable yogurt cheese. Chill the yogurt first and strain it in the fridge.
Less. Straining removes whey, so the longer you strain, the thicker the yogurt and the smaller the final yield. That is the trade-off — Greek yogurt is richer precisely because it is concentrated and the whey is poured off.
Whole-milk yogurt yields the most and strains to the creamiest result because it carries more fat and solids. Low-fat yields slightly less, and nonfat the least, since more of the batch drains away as whey. The calculator adjusts the yield for each.