Homemade Yogurt

Well I am tired of paying a high premium for whole milk yogurt for Q. I had seen this recipe a while back, so I decided to give it a try. It seems easy enough and so far it is! It is still making itself as I type...Another reason I am making this is I am finding I have been getting headaches from "fake sugar" so out the window that goes. Although I was on a mission to get rid of that too!

Homemade Yogurt-shared from A Year of Slow Cooking
8 cups of whole milk
1/2 cup store bought natural plain yogurt
heavy beach towel

Place milk in slow cooker and cook on low for 2.5 hrs. Unplug slow cooker, leave cover on, and let sit for 3 hrs. After 3 hours scoop out 2 cups of milk and whisk in yogurt. Dump back into slow cooker. Stir to combine.Put lid back on and cover with a heavy thick towel all the way around the crock. Let sit for 8 hrs. In the morning it will be thickened. Not as thick as store yogurt.

*You can add in pureed fruit or serve over fruit. Another option is to use unsweeteend jelly or presevers(Polaner All Fruit)

I have been experimenting with getting the yogurt thicker to no avail. It tastes like yogurt but right now the only thing I'm really able to do with it is make smoothies out of it. It's really to soupy to eat with a spoon...a straw would work well! I have homemade granola that is begging to be eaten with it. I've tried pectin, but that hasn't seemed to help. Does anyone think it needs to be warm so the pectin activates?(i have never used pectin), I could also try gelatin, but the little boy I watch can't have it...so right now I have some sitting in a paper towel/strainer in hopes that will help thicken it and I froze the rest for now. Any other insight is welcome!