You can view this and all my other videos by becoming a Biotic Pro
Sorry! You need to be an active Biotic Pro Member and Login to see this part of the post.
Click to purchase your Milk Kefir Grains
49 Responses to Video: How to Make Kefir
Leave a Reply
Featured Products
“Cultured Food for Life”
Learn to make probiotic foods in your home!
“The Trilogy” DVD
Come into my kitchen where I teach you to make kefir, kombucha and cultured vegetables.Get Starter Cultures!
Body Ecology
Register Today!
Kombucha Kamp Kombucha Cultures
Does milk’s fat content decreases when you make it into Kefir? I know the sugar content is decreased.Thanks.
No, I don’t believe that it does. But you can use any type of milk to make kefir. So if your concerned you can ferment with low fat milk or any kind you want.
Hi Donna,
If i am going away for a month and can’t make kefir, how do i store the grains to keep them alive? Do i need someone to baby sit them while i am away? I don’t want to lose them and start from scratch all over again.
It would be best to get someone to baby sit them or you can store them in quadruply the milk you normally would to make kefir. They have to have food to eat. They eat the lactose out of the milk and when it is gone they die.
Do i need to put it in the fridge if i will do the latter?
You need to put it in the fridge.
Hi Donna, I got dehydrated Kefir grains and used goat’s milk to rehydrate it. It’s been making Kefir now for a week but i noticed that it is a little more sour than the Kefir from the grocery store. I remove the grains after 24 hours. I am wondering if it has something to do with the goat’s milk. If i want to switch to cow’s milk, will the culture slow down until it get used to a different milk? Right now they look like tiny grains of sand and i haven’t really noticed any growth. Is it safe to change milk at this time? Thank you Donna. I learn so much from your site.
Yes it is a little more sour. If you don’t like it try second fermenting it. Is is fine to switch types of milk. It doesn’t slow down because of this.
They will grow give them time. http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/how-to-second-ferment-kefir/
i tried second fermenting twice. First with lemon zest and the second with dates and vanilla. I think the lemon zest made it even more sour (12 hours) . I didn’t notice much change in taste with the dates and vanilla (6 hours). I will switch to cow’s milk after i finish the jug of goat’s milk i have. I just find it a little too sour though it looks really perfect, same like store bought consistency. Thanks Donna:)
What kind of milk I could put in my kefir, is skim milk ok? or whole milk is better?
You can use whatever you like. They all work.
Donna, can you make kefir with milk that has been frozen and thowed out?
I wouldn’t recommend using this.
Donna, i bought my kefir grans on the internet and it said that if they were yeasty to rinse them-i did and now i think they are dead. the raw milk is now sour or thick after 24 hours and it is not sour. it looks like the milk is skim milk now and little flecks of -i think fat- are floating on the top. i killled it didn’t i.
i meant to say it is not sour or thick
How much did you rinse them? Give them a little more time and see if they work. I hate telling people this. Just give them another day and see how they do. I even wrote a blog on this. Don’t rinse your kefir grains. Usually they survive if you only do it once. Hopefully yours will be okay.
I rinsed them 3 different times. The instructions said to rinse them. I waited another day and the milk smelled bad. I am going to buy new ones and this time not rinse them. I found your site too late. After reading your book i feel better about being able to make this right. Thank you for all that you do.
Did you try them? They might still work. Try them and see if they thicken the milk and make it tart.
ok
Just wanted to say the first time I ever had kefir was in a hospital in Russia! I had emergency gall bladder surgery, and they put me on restricted diet after the surgery and kefir was on my tray. They insisted I drink the kefir and didn’t care about anything else. Turns out, I loved it. Didn’t know it was working against infection!
I just signed up as a member tonight! i AM so excited!
Donna, I ordered my milk kefir grains through your site…..they have been working and I have had several batches of kefir and a couple of curds & whey…..my concern is that my grains are so small, like sand! nothing like these big grains you have in the video. i am afraid that i am losing them all each time i strain because i ca not really identify all those tiny grains. what is happening?
i
How long have you had them? Are you using a small strainer? They should grow in time. Do you see them in the strainer
Donna,
I got them maybe 2 months ago….maybe 3. I do use a plastic strainer. They are making the kefir well enough but no, I do not really see them. I have some very small gritty feeling things that I assume are the grains? Should i get new ones? I would feel better being able to see them, like the ones in your photo for the video. Thanks.
You can get new ones if you like or just wait until they grow which they should do.
Donna, i got my milk kefir grains in the mail and followed the instructions that came with them. I changed the milk every 24 hours and rinsed the kefir grains with purified water. I noticed you did not rinse with water or metion anything about it. I hope I did not do anything to the grains to stall the process. I should have watched your video before i started. you really simplified the process much more than the instructions that came in the mail. Thanks
It’s okay if you only did it once. Just keep making kefir and they will recover. Rinsing your grains washes off the protective bacteria they live in.
I actually rinsed them 2 or 3 times as this is what the instructions said to do that came with them in the mail.
I think they are growing after watching the video last night i seperated the grains from the kefir i fermented for 24 hours and the grains looked like yours did as far as i could tell. I started a 2 fermentation today and added orange slice. the kefir has separated. is it supposed to do that during 2 fermention. it looks like there are layers of whey?
Are these dehydrated grains or live grains?
These are live grains. My batch today seems better. And I started a 2nd fermentation tonight. My kefir seemed much thicker tonight. I let it ferment 36 hours instead of 24. Maybe they just needed to recover after i rinsed them. I will see how the 2nd fermentation that I added orange to tonight turns out tomorrow. The first batch was really thin and had a lot of whey separation.
[...] Kefir made into a smoothie or a breakfast pudding. Usually about 1/2 cup to a [...]
Hi , Donna
I have about 3-4 tablespoons . After you make the kefir milk how long can it stay in the frigerator ?
My kefir grain have finally grown
For at least 9 months. It preserves the milk and does a great job.
How long did it take until you noticed the growth? Mine started as dehydrated grains which i bought online. It’s been making Kefir for a week now but they’re pretty much the same amount and look like grains of sand.
It can take a few weeks after they get going. The they should start doubling in size every week.
I poured my kefir milk into the strainer to seperate the whey from the kefir milk and as its seperating the whey looks milky white . Was the kefir milk not done enough ? Should I throw the whole thing out or will they whey turn clear as it sits longer in the refrigirator?
Did you use a coffee filter when you strained it? If you did and it was still milk then yes, you will need to let it culture longer. Just but it back in the jar and let it culture longer, don’t throw it out. It is still good.
Hi…..Is is possible to keep your dairy kefir grains alive in an emergency with non-fat dry powered milk? thank you!
It really is not the best and I have not tried this. Lactose being the important factor here. Are you making the powder into milk? This would be ok if it was a liquid but not dry powder.
Hi Donna, I would only use the non fat powered milk in cases of emergency where we are stranded due to flood waters or other weather related activities that ensure you can’t get to the store for supplies for an extended time. Yes I would add water and make the powered milk into a liquid. Thank you, Susan
Donna,
i recieved my kefir grain about a week ago and have been hydrating them. The kefir milk doesnt seem as thick as what i have seen on the video, is that ok. Can I start drinking the kefir milk now after a week even if it isnt thick like drinable yogurt?
Is the milk sour or tart. It should get thicker and thicker over time. If the milk is sour it is working.
It is sour but not that thick . Its been a week ,can I drink it ?
Have you left it on the counter for a week? It is fine to drink but will be really sour. This could also be why it is thinner.
No i only left it one the counter 24 hours and then switched the milk evry 24 hours . i did make a smoothie yesterday and it tasted fine. guess the kefir grains still have to grow larger to make it creamier. the grain are getting bigger every 24 hours i switch the milk over . getting very excited about this . i just ordered my cultures for the vegetables. i did buy Bubbies pickels and they were delicous.
As the grains grow it will make it thicker.
Mine started making Kefir on the 5th day of rehydration.
Donna—I am waiting for my grains to arrive in the mail. Can’t wait to try this! You make it look so easy!
Yea Pat! Let me know if you need help.
[...] How To Make Kefir Video [...]