Kefir (pronounced KEE-fur or Kay-FEAR, depending on your preference) is a drinking yogurt that is bursting with probiotics. In the past few years, it has become a grocery store staple here in the US, but it is ridiculously easy to make yourself. Besides the obvious cost benefits, there are the added benefits of DIYing, such as choosing the quality of milk you want, knowing your bacteria are the real, live deal and making whatever “flavors” suit your palette.
There are a couple of tiny hurdles to overcome before you make kefir. First, you need kefir grains. If you don’t know a hippie or a fermenter, you can order them online. I got some from Cultures for Health to test them, and after rehydrating, they worked just like the grains I got from a fellow fermenter. GEM Cultures sells fresh grains that also work like a charm, without the pesky need to rehydrate them. I like the idea of getting them from a person, because it creates community and as any kefir maker knows, you will eventually have way too many grains to know what to do with, even after you make a batch dedicated to kefir sour cream and try some in non-dairy milks and unpasteurized juices. So getting them from a friend prevents waste, too! If you live in Philly, I am HAPPY to provide you with extra grains. Just shoot me an e-mail or post it in the comments.
Second, kefir grains and metal don’t mix! Just like with your kombucha SCOBY, you can actually harm your grains by putting them into contact with metal. This means you need a non-metallic fine mesh strainer (mine cost $1.99 at my local kitchen supply store) and something to stir your grains with. I usually use the rounded end of a chopstick. If you kefir or store your kefir in a canning jar, it might be a good idea to get plastic caps to minimize the risk that your grains will touch metal, and the risk of corrosion. You certainly do not need to use a canning jar to make your kefir. I’ve used everything from half-gallon glass milk jugs to pyrex bowls. The only important thing is that you are able to easily secure a cover to your container.
Third, the most important variable here is temperature. Your grains will kefir best at room temperature. Below say, 68 degrees Fahrenheit, fermentation will get very slow which isn’t super for milk kefir. Above 78ish, it will kefir too fast which can throw the balance of your bacteria and yeast out of whack. Do not leave your grains in for longer than 24 hours. If your milk hasn’t kefired by then, strain out the grains and discard the milk. Try again. I have literally never once had this happen, but in colder months, I’ve had to wait a full 24 hours for a batch to complete.
A grain against the grain
“Recipe” (quotes intentional):
1 Tablespoon of kefir grains
1 pint to 1/2 gallon of your preferred milk
- Put kefir grains in container
- Attach covering
- Move container to a room temperature spot out of direct sunlight
- Gently agitate when you remember to
- When milk is thickened (anywhere from 12-24 hours later) and smells a bit yeasty, strain the grains out of the kefir, put them into fresh milk, and stick the grain-free kefir into the fridge
- Begin process again*
*If you have made enough kefir, you can keep your grains stored in milk in the fridge for up to a week before starting your next batch. Even at the low fridge temperature, the milk will kefir, albeit very slowly, so be sure to start your post fridge batch at a time when you will be able to watch closely.
Puttin’ all kinds of strain in that grain you got
7 Comments
Hi Amanda – I’m going to embarrass myself with some super basic questions… First – am I drinking the strained milk (ie: I’m straining out the grains, THEN I’m drinking the milk?) and in the meantime, I’m adding the grains to another batch of milk to make my next drink? I know I can use cow and/or goat’s milk – will soy or almond milk also work or is there a dairy component required to the process? Can I change my mind and use grains that were in cow’s milk to goat’s milk and back again?
Okay, second (or maybe that’s fifth by now)- will the grains be increasing each time? So by, say, the 4th batch I’m going to want to divide them/give some away? Is there a rule of thumb for how much grains to how much milk? Can I overdo it?
Thanks so much for the grains – can’t wait to get it going!
Totally great questions!
Your first part: totally right! You strain the grains, then drink (or refrigerate (it’s better cold!)) the strained milk which is actually now kefir.
Second, yes, grains then should be added immediately to another batch of milk. I tend to make small batches every day, just to keep my grains vital, but you can also just cover your grains with milk and stick them in the fridge for up to a week, so you don’t have to deal with them every day. (ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOUR GRAINS DO NOT TOUCH METAL)
As for the type of milk, if you use store bought soy or almond, it will probably not work because of the degree of pasteurization. Go ahead and give it a try, though! If it doesn’t work within 24 hours, give your grains a rinse, put them back into cows milk until they kefir, and keep experimenting with other kinds of milks! Even with cow’s milk, you definitely do not want to use ultra-pasteurized (regular pasteurized is fine!!). You can totally switch milk types. I would recommend switching back to cow’s milk every so often, because these are cow’s milk grains, so they will always be happier there. You can even do it with sweetened water or unpasteurized juices, for a better-than-soda product! Just make sure that your grains go back in milk after that so they’re getting their favorite food and can thrive.
As for the growing grains: they don’t multiply that quickly, especially in colder weather. If you’re making batches every day, maybe 2-3 weeks? I gave decent quantities, so just eyeball it. For me, once it gets to be more than a tablespoon, things move too quickly. Definitely pay attention to how long your process takes. Although I’ve read that temperature is the only thing that impacts the kefiring speed, I’ve found that when there are too many grains, it also kefirs too quickly. So if things start moving quickly and the temperature is the same as it has been, you’ll know it’s time to separate your grains.
Sorry for the long-winded response, and don’t hesitate to contact me with any more questions. I’m happy to help! Also check out my posts on flavoring kefir and Kefir FAQs if you’re in the mood!
It was so nice to meet you and good luck with your grains!
Thanks Amanda – I appreciate the info – things have been going (growing?!) great – I have been using the kefir in my breakfast shakes and in bread baking (although I imagine I’m losing the benefit there but the sourdough taste is GREAT!) – I def have to put in the fridge tho – too much too fast!
Two more “newbie” questions – rinse the grains? So it’s okay to “wash” them off? And how about chocolate milk – that would be delish! I’m assuming it’s okay since you mention using even juice, etc. but there may be a reason not to.
Rinsing the grains is fine! If your tap water smells like chlorine, definitely use filtered, since chlorine could damage the grains. You do not need to rinse the grains. I only do it when I’m changing them from one medium to another (like if I’m taking milk grains and throwing them in to juice). I would actually not recommend rinsing them too frequently.
As for chocolate milk, I am not sure. I would recommend doing one of two things: either wait until your grains have doubled and try it with your extras, or do secondary fermentation with cocoa in normal milk (see post on flavoring kefir). The one caveat I would give you there is that I used to work in the food industry and a chemist I worked with alway wanted to avoid using cocoa in yogurt due to unspecified microbial issues. Probably not a problem, since you are culturing in order to get microbes in your milk, and commercial production doesn’t have the same intent, but I would still be a bit on the cautious side when you try this.
So happy to hear that everything is working well! Please let me know how your experiments go!
Yes, it is wonderful to give your grains away! I think I’ve given away 20+ sets of grains just this year. Now that home fermentation is getting more popular, I’m thinking this trend will grow!
Happy fermenting!
My kefir grains are not “coalescing” into the tiny cauliflower shapes; they’re still kind of grainy and not clumping. I only started a week ago. Do they take longer to clump. My mother used to make kefir in Chile and I remember that she used to take the clumps and put them in muslin and then squeeze the kefir milk. Then she’d rinse the grains and add the milk. Is that ok?
Hi Chela,
Hmmm, they don’t generally change shape in my experience. First question: do they make kefir every day? If so, they’re fine. After a couple weeks, they should have doubled in quantity. If your grains are just small cottage cheese curd-looking things, you just didn’t get a big guy. That doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with them, just that they are smaller bits.
To answer your other questions: The grains will break/fall apart under pressure, so I wouldn’t necessarily squeeze them too hard (although I’m not going to argue with your mother
. I find a fine-mesh strainer works a bit better for my dad to day (no metal), but if you have a bit more time, I’m sure cheesecloth will do the trick just fine! I’ve used the same plastic, fine-mesh strainer for years. It cost me $2 and I think I’ll have it forever.
Many people do rinse their grains, but it isn’t necessary, and it does add a bit of risk to the health of your little bacteria and yeast community. That said, I think I rinsed my grains for the first few months I had them and they were totally fine.
I hope this is helpful. There is a FANTASTIC site devoted to kefir that you might want to check out for further info (although I’m happy to answer any further questions if I can). It’s Dom’s Kefir in-site, and here’s the URL: http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html
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