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FERMENTING WATER KEFIR
Water kefir is a fermented beverage, filled with probiotics and other healthy ingredients. Kefir is made by leaving special reusable living cultures, called kefir grains, in water and sugar solution to ferment for about 48 hours. Kefir helps boost your immune system, improves your digestion, helps regulate your cholesterol, and has other numerous beneficial effects.
How to make Water Kefir?
1. You need 30 g of activated water kefir grains.
2. 600 ml of water.
3. And 30 g of sugar.
1.
Put 600ml water (non-chlorinated) in a jar.
2.
Add 30g of sugar.
3.
Dissolve it.
4.
Put activated water kefir grains in a jar and cover it.
5.
Ferment (20-24°C) for 24-48 hrs.
6.
Strain the kefir and use the grains for the next batch. Water kefir is ready to be consumed or second ferment.
How to activate dried water kefir grains?
You need to activate only dried kefir grains. Fresh kefir grains are suitable for immediate use.
5 gram of dried water kefir grains reconstitutes into 30 grams of fresh water kefir grains.
1.
Dissolve 30g sugar (use ½ of unrefined sugar) in 300ml non-chlorinated water.
2.
Add kefir grains.
3.
Cover and ferment (20-24°C) for 3-4 days.
4.
Strain and repeat the first 3 steps (5-7 times) until there are signs of activity. But ferment for only 2 days.
See answers to the FAQ about water kefir below.
WATER Kefir Fermentation
How to
Surrounding room temperature is very important factor of fermentation process. For best results, prepare kefir at room temperature (20-24 degrees C). If you have slightly more warm temperatures or in summer months you might notice it takes less time for kefir to ferment. The opposite is also true. When in colder temperatures, the fermentation slows down and it can take longer for kefir to ferment.
Get your kefir making supplies here:
Water kefir usually ferments 48 hours. Taste the kefir during fermentation. If you prefer more sweet taste, stop the fermentation earlier. Otherwise you can ferment it even longer than two days. Note, after the sugar is consumed by live microorganisms, the level of alcohol in the beverage can increase.
Other / Troubleshooting
Fermentation is a process that happens when you leave kefir grains in water or milk. Fermentation is a metabolic process where live cultures consume sugar and produce organic acids, gases and alcohol. Traditionally we use fermentation to produce wine and beer, to preserve food (pickled vegetable, kimchi) and for lacto-fermentation (kefir, yogurt).
Live cultures are essential
We need live cultures for fermentation – kefir grains are combination of yeasts and bacterias. Lactobacilli, for example, is the bacteria that converts lactose in milk (milk sugars) into lactic acid in yogurt and kefir giving it its sour taste.
First, you need to figure out why kefir does not have bubbles then you will see if anything can be done to increase the amount of bubbles in your beverage.
Why there aren’t bubbles in my kefir?
- Maybe your grains aren’t active yet. Sometimes, especially if we just started preparing kefir, grains need some time to reach full activity. This is done by regular feeding of the grains with right ratios sugar : water.
- Too much water for the amount of water kefir grains. It’s best to use approximately 30 g of kefir grains for 300 ml of water and sugar solution.
- Low environmental temperature, too short fermenting time. These are both reasons that you kefir does not produce enough bubbles. During winter time, it can take up to 4 days to ferment water kefir.
How can I increase bubble formation in my water kefir?
If you considered all the reasons your kefir isn’t fizzy, there are some other things you can do:
- Feed your grains regularly. Proper routine makes grains more active. This also means they produce more bubbles.
- Close the lid. This will prevent airflow, which means gas will not be able to come out during fermentation. Be careful for bottle explosion if you ferment longer than 48 hrs.
- Longer fermentation. If you like more sour, less sweet taste of kefir, you can leave it to ferment longer time. This will also increase bubble formation.
- Second fermentation. This is the part of the process where you can even increase the bubble formation. Usually by adding fresh juices and/or fruit to the strained kefir. Keep the lid closed during second fermentation.
Second fermentation means fermenting without the cultures. Second fermentation gives your ferment a full spectre of live microorganisms. Many claim that only with second fermentation you can really benefit from fermented beverage.
This is also the time when you can add some flavoring and make your kefir more fizzy. Even though it is important, it’s not obligatory. You will still benefit a lot from freshly made kefir.
Kefir Grains
How to
In specific case of kefir we need to introduce yeast and bacteria into the milk with help of kefir grains. Alternatively, you can culture with starter culture – lab made powder – which will introduce needed cultures in order to trigger fermentation process.
Generally speaking, powdered kefir starter has 7 to 9 strains depending on the particular brand of starter. Milk kefir grains and water kefir grains contain a long list of bacteria and yeast strains and subspecies, making kefir grains the more probiotic-rich culture for making kefir.
Kefir grains …
Fermentation with kefir grains is traditional natural process and therefore produce better results. There is also difference in how we use each. We put the kefir grains in the milk before fermentation and then simply remove them after (12 to 48 hours later). From there, we can use same grains to ferment a new batch of kefir.
… or starter culture?
We add starter Culture to milk and mix. Then we leave the mixture to ferment for desired amount of time. At the end, we can use directly the kefir. If you wish to maximize the use of one starter package, you can save small portion of kefir and use it to culture next batch. This will only work up to 4 or maybe 5 times (depending on the brand) before the live organisms get too weak.
Traditionally, kefir cultures were shared among family and friends. Kefir grains are growing with every new batch and sooner or later people had abundance of cultures that they gave away. Nowadays, many companies are selling the grains since the demand exceeds supply.
Sharing is caring!
We have established a platform on Kefirhood.com where everyone can easily search and share cultures among other fermented food enthusiasts.
We produce quality ORGANIC cultures: fresh and dehydrated milk kefir grains and fresh and dehydrated water kefir grains.
Kefir grains consist of proteins, polysaccharides and a mixture of several types of microorganisms, such as yeasts and aroma and lactic-acid forming bacteria proven highly beneficial to humans.
Milk kefir or búlgaros is a result of the inoculation of milk with milk kefir grains.
Prepare milk kefir …
We use milk kefir grains to make milk kefir and water kefir grains to make water kefir. The milk kefir grains are small white blobs that look a lot like cauliflower florets.
… or water kefir!
Water kefir, also known as tibicos, is a result of the inoculation of sugary water with tibicos (water kefir grains). To make water kefir we need a bit more of water kefir grains than milk kefir grains. The grains are translucent and crystal-like in appearance.
To prepare kefir we need live kefir grains. But to allow storage and easier transport, grains are sometimes dehydrated or freeze-dried. We have to activate these grains before you can prepare kefir with them.
Dehydrated kefir grains
Dehydrated kefir grains are dried with dehydrator and being left dormant. It’s easy to store dehydrated grains in the cool space, fridge or freezer for longer periods. Dehydrated grains are also easier to transfer, ship for longer distances. To start using them again you have to follow the manufacturer instructions for re-hydration. Usually it takes a few batches until your grains are active enough to produce kefir.
Freeze-dried grains
Freeze-dried grains have the same benefits as dehydrated grains regarding storing and shipping. You need to re-activate the grains by manufacturer’s instructions before making kefir with them.
To make grains freeze-dried they go through a special procedure called lyophilization or freeze-drying that preserves biological material by removing the water, it involves first freezing then drying at a very low temperatures. Many microorganisms survive the freeze-drying well and the culture will be easily reactivated and grown after longer periods of storage.
Always follow the instructions from the manufacturer when you’re buying kefir grains. Usually it takes a few batches for grains to acclimatise to your environment and ingredients.
Activation of grains
When you got the grains as a gift or someone from sharing communities like Kefirhood send them to you, you should activate the grains too. Make sure to ask the person who gave you the grain for as much information regarding the fermentation of these grains in the past as you can. What kind of milk/water was used? What temperature they were fermented on? How often were they fermented? For how long were they inactive.This will help you acclimatize the grains faster. Try copying the information with your fermentation as much as you can at the beginning. If you want to make some changes (use coconut milk instead of cow etc.) do that a bit later, when grains become fully active and do it slowly not to shock the grains.
You can either prepare a new batch of kefir or store the kefir grains for a period of time. If you want to store your extra milk kefir grains, put them in a small jar and add some milk (for a shorter period – up to 7 days) or add water with a pinch of sugar (for a longer period – up to 2 months) and store the sealed jar in the refrigerator.
Other / Troubleshooting
Give away your extras!
Kefir grains are constantly growing and multiplying and it is common practice to share your extras with others. Measure the grains periodically by using the measuring cup and give your extras to other kefir fermenters.
There can be many reasons why the growth of your grains is slower or non-existent. Here are some possible reasons for that:
The fermentation is too long
If you make more consecutive longer fermentation, the grains might starve. When grains don’t get enough food for longer periods, they won’t grow.
The temperature is too low
Slower temperatures are slowing down the fermentation and the growth of grains. It’s best to leave the grains on optimal temperature and not changing it all the time, that puts stress on the grains and they will not grow.
The milk is not providing enough food for the grains
We recommend using full fat fresh organic milk to enable enough food for grains to grow. You can prepare milk kefir with raw or pasteurized milk but avoid over-pasteurized milks.
Get kefir grains here:Cultures
Firstly you should avoid all the things written above (why my grains are not growing). Kefir grains are a live culture and it’s ok to leave them to grow at their own pace. If you are still not satisfied with the speed your grains grow at, you can try different things.
Enable optimal and consistent temperature around 20-25 degrees celsius.
Water kefir grains
Use sugared water instead fruit juice to help them multiply.
Give your grains mineral-rich environment (water, raisins or sugar can help) but prevent over-mineralization. Adding mineral supplements like concentrace can also be a way to encourage grains growth.
Get milk or water kefir grains: https://kefirko.com/cultures/
Water kefir
The proper ratio between the grains and water is important, when making water kefir. With a full strainer lid of tibicos grains (approx 30 g) you can prepare 0.6 l of water kefir.
Water and milk kefir grains: https://kefirko.com/cultures/
If you notice your grains going a bit slimy you should not be alarmed. Your kefir grains have not gone bad. This is a natural thing that occurs when making kefir. This slime is actually a complex sugar or polysaccharide, called also kefiran.
1. After washing the grains, place them in a small plastic zip bag. For 1 tsp of grains use 3 tbsp of cold water.
2. Add a pinch of sugar. Push out as much air as you can and close the bag.
3. Put bag with kefir grains in one or two more plastic bags. It’s now ready for shipping.
4. For more safety you can use mail with air bubble protection. With these techniques kefir grains will stay alive for about two weeks for sure.
Ingredients, accessories, recipes
How to
The activation period follows long or short time storage of kefir grains. Grains aren’t active because of vacation, taking a break from kefir, shipping and other reasons. Meanwhile kefir grains are stored in a cool place in water with sugar. While they are being shipped they are also exposed to low ambient temperatures during winter time. They slow down their activity.
When we want to use them again there is an activation period before the grains become fully active as before.
The duration of this process depends on how long they were stored and the conditions of this storage. Usually activation time takes 7-14 days. In some cases it can take more, even a month for grains to regain full activity.
There are some signs that the kefir grains are active enough so you can use them to prepare kefir:
- Smell and taste. Distinctive smell and taste of kefir is a bit sour, there can still be some sweetness to it.
- Bubbles. You will see bubbles flowing in the kefir, once the kefir starts fermenting. This does not mean it will actually be fizzy when you taste it, but it’s a sign of fermentation.
To prepare kefir at home you need a glass or plastic jar, sieve and lid or cloth to cover it. Kefirko is all-in-one tool made of glass jar (0,6 l or 1,4 l), plastic strainer and top lid that enables slightly open jar during fermentation.
Use proper supplies for fermenting
Always use a glass jar with a lid to prepare kefir. Live cultures are very sensitive to the different substances that can transfer from materials and affect the quality of kefir or even damage the cultures. It is not recommended to use any metal or plastic in long contact with the kefir because it can expose it to BPA and other toxins from plastic. All plastic material used in Kefirko Kefir Maker are certified BPA free and food safe materials.
It’s important to use non-chlorinated water when you are making kefir. The chlorine in the water can kill the live microorganisms in the kefir grains.
You can use filtered water but be careful with that. Filtered water is usually very low in minerals which are important for the growth of grains, especially when you are trying to revive them. It’s very important to add minerals to the water in this case (sugar, baking soda, molasses, etc.).
Use lukewarm water when you are activating water kefir grains and later on when you are making kefir regularly. All big temperature changes may negatively affect the kefir grains.
When you are trying to activate kefir grains, it’s important to boost their growth. For this reason add some unrefined brown sugar during this initial steps. You can use 25g white and 5g brown sugar during the activation.
It’s important to use at least a part of sugar that is rich in minerals in the process of activating the grains. Later on you may need to reduce the amount of minerals by using white sugar, especially if your grains are becoming mushy. That shows over mineralisation.
Other / Troubleshooting
Kefir grains need minerals to thrive. Sometimes there is enough minerals in the water you use, other times it’s necessary to add them.
When you may need to add minerals:
- during activation of the kefir grains,
- when grains are not growing,
- when kefir does not ferment in over 48 hrs.
What minerals can I add?
- Baking soda – less than a teaspoon.
- Molasses – less than a teaspoon.
- Unrefined sugar – to replace part of white sugar.
- Mineral drops – few drops per liter.
Make water kefir with organic water kefir grains:
When water kefir grains get too much minerals they usually become mushy and are starting to degrade. If you notice this happening to your grains, act quickly, otherwise you may lose your grains.
Your grains do not need added minerals every batch you make. Especially when the water that you use is already rich in minerals. Using unrefined sugar and adding molasses, baking soda or mineral drops every batch may be just too much.
General
Kefir is a traditional fermented beverage with numerous health benefits: but to get the best of it, it has to be fresh – and for this home preparation is the best.
Start making kefir at home
Making kefir by yourself allows you to enjoy all the richness and health benefits of the beverage. Since no preservatives are added, you have better control over the quality of your kefir. You can also tailor it to your own taste. You can make as much or as little of kefir as you need. Compared to the kefir you can buy in stores, the homemade beverage contains a much higher degree of kefir-specific active substances which are important for your health. By culturing and storing homemade milk kefir in a glass jar you will avoid unwanted exposure to BPA and other toxins from plastic. You will save money and create less waste.
The word kefir is believed to have originated from the Turkish word “keif” which means “good feeling”. It’s pronounced many different ways, most common are “key-fur”, “keh-fear”, “k’fear”, “kuh-fear”, “kee-fer”.
There are many positive benefits for health and general well-being when drinking kefir.
Here are listed benefits of kefir
- contains easily digested proteins
- full of good bacteria helping digestion
- contains antimicrobial strains of lactobacilli
- boosts immunity
- supports detoxification
- helps balance gut bacteria disturbed by antibiotics and can heal the skin after severe burns
- heals the inflammatory bowel disease
- helps fight allergies
- can be consumed by the lactose-intolerant
- lowers the blood pressure
- helps in building bone density
- kills candida
- can help combat anemia
- used in preventing and treating cancer
Start fermenting with Kefirko
Start your dose of kefir gradually by drinking about 100 ml of kefir a day. You will start noticing the effects of kefir quickly. It depends on how sensitive you are and what your nutrition is like until starting with kefir. Reactions can be huge and they can become more intense until your body adapts.
Side effects of drinking kefir:
- stomach cramps/gurgles,
- constipation,
- bloating …
If you have no experience with consuming live food the effects will probably be more obvious. You should not stop drinking kefir if the effects aren’t too overbearing. If you don’t manage to overcome them, stop drinking kefir and get medical advice. It is possible that kefir is not for you.
Increase the amount of kefir
When you manage to overcome these effects your body adapts to daily drinking kefir. You can slowly build up to the desired amount of kefir. It’s recommended to drink about 200-300 ml of fresh milk kefir a day (1 cup) and you can add a bit more if you drink water kefir (350 ml/1,5 cup). The Kefirko glass jar has tactile markings on the side that indicate 300 ml – 1 dose of kefir.
You will start to experience the benefits of drinking kefir soon. It’s best to drink kefir non-stop for at least 3 months to feel the desired effects on your well-being.
It’s possible you have to limit your kefir intake if you experience serious side effects. This happens when you have some health conditions that recommend consuming less proteins, probiotics, acidic food, etc. You should always seek advice from your doctor when you feel discomfort. You should find your limit where you feel good and stick to it. Whether it is less or more than 1 cup it depends on you.
Start slowly
Once you get used to drinking kefir you will not feel the uncomfortable symptoms anymore. This should happen in approximately 2 weeks when you will be starting to feel positive benefits of kefir. But note, for best results you should drink kefir every day!
Fermentation is a process that happens when you leave kefir grains in water or milk. Fermentation is a metabolic process where live cultures consume sugar and produce organic acids, gasses, and alcohol. Traditionally we use fermentation to produce wine and beer, to preserve food (pickled vegetable, kimchi) and for lacto-fermentation (kefir, yogurt).
Live cultures are essential
We need live cultures for fermentation – kefir grains are a combination of yeasts and bacteria. Lactobacilli, for example, is the bacteria that converts lactose in milk (milk sugars) into lactic acid in yogurt and kefir giving it its sour taste.
Fermentation is a process that happens when you leave kefir grains in water or milk. Fermentation is a metabolic process where live cultures consume sugar and produce organic acids, gasses, and alcohol. Traditionally we use fermentation to produce wine and beer, to preserve food (pickled vegetable, kimchi) and for lacto-fermentation (kefir, yogurt).
Live cultures are essential
We need live cultures for fermentation – kefir grains are a combination of yeasts and bacteria. Lactobacilli, for example, is the bacteria that converts lactose in milk (milk sugars) into lactic acid in yogurt and kefir giving it its sour taste.