Looking to save some money and get more control over your fitness routine? Making your own natural whey protein is a great way to do both. Homemade whey protein is a great way to get exceptional purity at a much lower price.
As it turns out, whey is easy to make at home with just a few ingredients and a little bit of time. As a personal trainer, I have experimented a lot with the process, and while’ it’s not rocket science, it is quite time consuming.
Allow me to take you through the process and teach you everything you need to know about how to make your own homemade whey protein powder supplement.
Key Takeaways:
- Whey powder is easy to make at home using nine simple steps.
- Natural whey that’s made at home is free from additives
- Whey powder has fantastic benefits for our bodies and muscles.
How to Make Homemade Whey Protein
You’re ready to start making your own whey protein shakes, and the good news is that while there are a few steps to follow, it remains a fairly simple process.
Pro Tip: We recommend that you read through the instructions a few times first to familiarize yourself with the process. It will make things easier for you and also help to ensure you get excellent results.
Ready for a great protein supplement? Let’s get started.
What You Will Need
Based on many hours and days of experimenting, I have brought my gear down to just a few things:
- Fresh milk
- 2 lemons
- Flavourings (vanilla essence or cocoa powder)
- 2-gallon pot
- Food thermometer
- Cheesecloth
- Mason jar
Step One: Pour the Milk
Pour milk into the pot. The amount of milk you use will determine how much whey you end up with. For example, if you use a gallon of milk, you should get around 120 grams of protein.
Pro Tip: You can use other dairy products like greek yogurt or cream cheese, but these are not nearly as effective as pure milk. Furthermore, never use almond milk.
Step Two: Heat the Milk
Place the pot on the stove and heat the milk until it reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of the milk as it heats up.
Step Three: Lemon Juice
Once the milk reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit, take it off the stove and add the lemon juice. Stir well until the lemon juice is fully mixed in [1].
Pro Tip: we suggest using a full lemon for every half gallon of milk used.
Step Four: Rest
Now it’s time for the milk and lemon mixture to rest. Cover the pot with a lid and let it sit for 30 minutes. This allows the mixture to separate into whey and curds. Right now, you have liquid whey.
Step Five: Strain
After 30 minutes, it’s time to strain the mixture to get liquid whey. Place a cheesecloth over a mason jar and slowly pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-covered jar. The whey will drip through the cheesecloth and into the mason jar while the curds stay behind.
Once all the whey has dripped through the cheesecloth, rinse the curds with cold water. This helps to remove any lingering whey and makes the curds taste better.
Step Six: Drain
Place the bowl and the cheesecloth in the fridge for 2-3 hours to allow the mixture to cool down. Putting it in the fridge will also help prevent the mixture from spreading.
Pro Tip: to speed up the process, you can also place the mixture in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
Step Seven: Dehydrate the Whey
The best way to dehydrate whey is by using a dehydrator [2]. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use an oven set to the lowest temperature possible. Place the whey on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 hours.
Pro Tip: You will get optimal nutrition from your whey protein supplement if you use a dehydrator instead of going through the oven process.
Step Eight: Blend
Once the whey powder is dry, place it in a blender and blend until it’s a fine powder. This is also when you can add any flavorings if you want to give your powder a little something extra.
While pure whey protein powder is fine on its own, flavored protein powder makes things a little more interesting and can also make you more eager to down that protein shakes.
Pro Tip: We quite like putting matcha green tea powder in ours. Vanilla powder or dried vanilla beans can also be delicious.
Step Nine: Store
Once the powdered whey is a fine powder, you can STORE it in an airtight container. It will last for up to 6 months.
What are the Benefits of Whey Protein Powder?
Now that you know how to make whey protein powders at home, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of whey protein:
- Whey is a complete protein that contains all the essential amino acids your body needs.
- Whey protein is a quick and easy way to get more protein into your diet.
- Whey can help you build muscle and lose fat.
- Whey protein is a good source of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which are important for muscle growth.
- Whey protein can help you recover from exercise faster.
- Whey can boost your immune system.
- Whey protein is easy to digest and is less likely to cause digestive issues than other forms of protein.
All of these health benefits are backed by research, and it’s fascinating to see how much scientific study has gone into showing how beneficial this protein can be [3].
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Whey Protein Go Bad?
Whey powder has a shelf life of about 6 months. After this, it will start to lose its nutritional value and can also begin to grow mold.
How Should I Take Whey Protein?
You can take whey protein powder in a variety of ways. The most popular way is to mix it with water or milk and drink it as a shake. You can also add whey protein powder to smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt.
Is it Expensive to Make Whey Protein at Home?
No, whey protein powder is actually very affordable to make at home. You can find all the ingredients you need at your local grocery store, and the process is fairly quick and easy.
Are You Going To Invest The Time?
Making homemade whey powder at home is a great way to save money and get all the benefits of whey protein without any of the additives or preservatives found in store-bought powders.
The best part is that it’s a fairly simple and affordable project as well, making it more accessible to those who want to try out the benefits of more protein in their diets.
If the time and effort don’t suit you, then check out our guides to the highest quality protein supplements available:
These will transform your training efforts and make your diet plans a lot easier.
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3982015/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349147936_Innovative_low_temperature_methods_of_milk_whey_processing
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5537849/
