Lemon peel
Many years ago I discovered a way to make kefir not only taste better, but to increase the nutrients in it. It is the only way that I make my kefir now because it is so delicious. The process is called second fermenting. I have to admit that the reason I second fermented my kefir was because it tasted so much better. There are a ton more nutrients and the vitamins sky rocket, but it is the taste that makes me do it again and again. It takes away the super sharp sourness and mellows out the flavors. Everybody I have taught to second ferment has continued to do so because it tastes so superior to regular kefir. If you second ferment with a lemon or orange peel or a million other things it will flavor the kefir and make it taste unique and delicious. Where I got this information is from the kefir guru, Dom, who resides in the beautiful land of Australia. When it comes to kefir, he is the man. Nobody knows more about kefir than him. I even bought grains from him many years ago and still use them to this day. He said that second fermenting kefir takes away some of the sourness. It also increases certain B vitamins, like folic acid, and makes the calcium and magnesium more bioavailable which means that your body can take it in and use it immediately. Basically, it is predigested and loaded with enzymes.
The directions for second fermenting are below and they are super easy.
Second Fermenting
Second Fermenting
Make your kefir using the basic technique, removing the grains afterwards. Place the kefir in a clamp down jar but if you don’t have a clamp down jar, you can use a regular canning jar. Take an organic lemon or orange and using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin of the fruit into strips. If you don’t have an organic orange or lemon, you can take off the chemicals by placing the fruit in boiling water for 30 seconds, then rinse in cold water. Place the fruit peels in the jar with your kefir and clamp the lid down. You can add a couple of orange slices, if you like. Leave the jar on your counter for half of a day (up to a full day), then place the kefir in refrigerator and enjoy.
This kefir, flavored with lemon or orange, is so yummy. It is lighter and creamier than kefir made with the basic recipe and has a little more carbonation. The taste is worth the extra half a day and the nutrients sky rocket.
A lot of people I know will ferment kefir for long periods, leaving their grains in the kefir for days. Although this is not a bad thing, it makes for super sour kefir. You hardly want to drink it because it is so sour. Kefir is meant to be enjoyed. The better it tastes the more you will drink it.
The folic acid triples when you 2nd ferment.
Kefir: An effervescent liquor made from fermented milk,used as a food and as a medicine in the northern Caucasus.
There are lots of ways to second ferment your kefir.
Here are some of the things I have used:
Kefir with Lemon Peel and Fresh Basil
It tastes like sunshine!
Kefir with Orange Slices
You can also use the peel.
Kefir with Lavender
Place lavender buds, about 2 to 3 tbsp per 4 cups of kefir in a tea bag and place it in your jar to second ferment for 1/2 to 1 day with a lid. Then remove the tea bag, and place in refrigerator.
Kefir with Chai Tea Bags.
Chai Kefir Parfait
Kefir with Garlic Cloves.
My good friend Jennifer gave me this idea. A few garlic cloves in your kefir to second ferment for a day, can give your kefir a great taste for dips.
Ron’s Kefir Onion Dip
Kefir with Dates and Vanilla
Add a couple dates and a splash of vanilla.
Second Ferment Kefir with a Smoothie
This idea cam from my friend, “Sailboat Jeff”. When you make a kefir smoothie save a little of the smoothie to second ferment your freshly made kefir with. Let ferment for a half a day and it really flavors the kefir. Super Yummy!
Hi Donna, i tried second fermenting my kefir with lemon peel. After 12 hours i checked it. It kinda thinned down and bubbly. When i tasted it it seems to taste more sour and kinda tasted like bad milk so i tossed it out. Where did i go wrong?
Did you taste it before you second fermented it?
Hello,
I don’t drink alcohol and I’ve heard that if done right, Keefer isn’t alcohol (no more than vanilla anyway). Do you know if this is true? Also, does 2nd fermenting it cause it to become alcoholic?
This is true and second fermenting does not cause it to be become alcoholic. No more than orange juice is.
How long does kefir keep in the fridge once it is cultured? I am weaning myself onto dairy one tsp at a time.
What is the best way to store the grains when not culturing, or I between batches?
Thank you.
It will last at least a year in your fridge. Here is a blog on how to store your grains when not in use. Scroll to the bottom to see How to store you kefir grains on vacation? http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/how-to-make-kefir/
I have had my grains for about three or four years. Several times I’ve put them in a quart of fresh milk and put them in the back of the fridge for close to a year because the grains are eating me out of house and home. Everything I’ve read says that they will not be good, but I’m not so sure about that. I just took them out again and it took them 48 hours to culture on a seedling heat mat in my 60 degree home. The second time it took less than 24 hours. The third time was less than 18 hours. The fourth time, I took it off the heat mat and it was still under 18 hours, albeit there is 1/2 cup of grains to a quart. … And it is good! If they are dead, what am I making? Do you really think they are dead? I’ve just never seen anything written on the net that it is possible to store them in the fridge for a year and bring them back to life, but I think I’ve proven that wrong.
I have seen them culture after a month or two but not a year. They may last a little while but will not be very strong and will probably die out. What does it taste like? What kind of milk were they stored in and how cold was the fridge? If they keep producing thick sour kefir you may have super power kefir grains. Most will die in a couple weeks.
What do you do with the lemon juice? Do you just drink the kefir with the whole zest? or do you strain? or do you blend it?
I only use the peel. I leave the lemon in and blend it up or leave it in the jar for the ext batch of kefir.
I am lactose intolerant but I’m able to drink kefir because the lactose gets eaten up by the bacteria. Therefore, I ferment my kefir between 36 & 48 hours when the temperature in the house is around 72 during the day, down to 61 at night. It is tangy and I like it but I would like to try the second ferment and taste a milder kefir.
My concern is that adding a citrus (acid) will kill off some of the beneficial bacteria and therefore be less nutrient dense. What are your thoughts on this?
Caroline
I add this all the time and it does great. No worries, bacteria like the extra food and makes more probiotics when you second ferment.
Hi. I just got my first (and hopefully last) set of milk grains and made my first batch. Not remembering this post about 2nd fermenting, I put the strained kefir into the fridge last night. Can i take it out and do a 2nd ferment or does it have to be right after straining w/out cooling first?
I used 2% milk (what we drink and happens to be what my source for grains used) but it’s not as creamy and thick as the Trader Joes brand or Lifeway (?) brand which are both 1% milkfat. Do they do a 2nd ferment to make it creamy and thick too?
I’m wondering too if i didn’t leave it to sit long enough or if the temp wasn’t high enough I’ve (since) read to let it sit until it pulls away from the sides (I’m assuming that means like yogurt does when it’s set?) mine didn’t do that as it was past the 24 hour mark and was starting to get curds in it like cheese so I thought it was done. It does coat the jar when shaken and does not reple like fresh milk does so I know it’s doing something). I have another jar brewing since I strained last night and I’ll let that go a little longer and see what happens.
You can take it out and second ferment it again. I do this all the time.
great thanks I’ll give it a shot! What do you think about the texture of the kefir? did I not leave it long enough or temp too low? It’s been about 70-73 where I had it.
Has it thickened? It should be not runny unless it separated and then you will see whey and curds
compared to store bought it was still runny but coating the glass when tilted. I’ll let the next batch go a bit longer. i’m familiar with distinct curds and whey from making cheese but it was not at this stage yet so I think I was still somewhere in between.
thanks
AJ
second batch didn’t go any better. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong or right and don’t know it. It wasn’t thick like buttermilk or yogurt this morning so I let it sit til I got home (about 24-28 hours since starting) and it was separated and clumped together at the top but easily fell apart when moved. I strained of some of the whey and tried to salvage as much of the liquid milky parts as I could. I added about 1/4 cup or so of v8 strawberry banana to a bottle and let it sit in kitchen to 2nd ferment. Curds are looking cheesy but liquid never gets like store bought or even like cultured butter milk thikness to it (aside from what i strained off). Well the 2nd ferment seems to have worked. I had a little taste adn it’s much less whey tart and is even champaign-ey if you know what i mean. I put it in fridge for tomorrow. It’s still very thin though. Is it the grains or the type of milk? I’m using store bought 2% (my source said she also used 2% but didn’t say if it was raw or store) as I don’t yet have access to raw milk (which I’ve never had before but am excited to try). I’m not sure what else to do. I tried again with 2 cups of milk to about 3-4 tablespoons (eyeballing it) of grains. Again after about 4 hours grains are looking cheesy and milk is still thin. I’m hoping it doesn’t separate by morning.
Is it separating into curds and whey does it look like this? http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/help-my-kefir-is-separating/
re:
Donna Schwenk says:
April 8, 2013 at 10:18 pm
Is it separating into curds and whey does it look like this? http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/help-my-kefir-is-separating/
kind of. the top was not as curdle-y but not like yogurt either. I don’t know how to explain it and I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. I did the 2nd ferment with the juice and i did try a little bit it wasn’t rotten smelling but was so bubbly I wasn’t sure there was no alcohol in it. I ended up tossing it today. The last batch of milk did the same thing. The white liquid stays thin and little baby curds form almost immediately when I put it in milk. They usually start right around the grains but then end up in all the milk. I couldn’t even mix it or strain it with confidence because it just didn’t seem right. This is nothing like yogurt. I make that all the time and can get a hard set in 4 hours that pulls from the side of the jar clearly. For now I have them in the fridge in some milk because I ran out of milk to keep trying and I didn’t want to waste anymore until I could figure out what’s up. I wonder if I should try a cup or two and bring the jar with me to work rather than leave it home so at least I can watch it. Only thing is if its ready I have no way to strain it out…maybe I’ll have to wait until Saturday morning so I can watch it. I also bought whole milk from the store this time thinking maybe after their trip they just needed a little more food. They seem to be growing if not multiplying so maybe they were just tuckered out from being cooped up in shipping? The fermenting milk smells yeasty too, is that normal? The Lifeway kefir doesn’t have that smell and is more like buttermilk where mine looks like bad powdered milk lol. I appreciate your help in troubleshooting. My friend who makes cheese but is not familiar with kefir said it sounds like the acid is too high with the grains causing it to form the small curd. Sounds reasonable but IDK how to fix it.
Try adding more milk add an extra cup. How many grains to milk are you using. It is not bad if it is separating just more fermented. It is still fine to make into a smoothie or consume. 70 to 73 degrees will make it ferment a little faster. What are you using to 2nd ferment it with? Don’t get discouraged we will figure it out. Not enough milk or too many grains or too much fruit will cause a lot of these problems.
re: Donna Schwenk says: April 10, 2013 at 10:16 pm
Try adding more milk add an extra cup. How many grains to milk are you using. It is not bad if it is separating just more fermented. It is still fine to make into a smoothie or consume. 70 to 73 degrees will make it ferment a little faster. What are you using to 2nd ferment it with? Don’t get discouraged we will figure it out. Not enough milk or too many grains or too much fruit will cause a lot of these problems.
I bought more milk and this time I got whole milk. I used 1 cup and about 2 heaping teaspoons. No curdling this time and milk actually got to a soft yogurt set stage, but it’s taking about 36 hours. The next time I upped it to 2 cups and added another good 2 teaspoons (but these were from the fridge). Had minor separation but not like before and milk again did not get quite yogurt set but I’m thinking it’s because they were cold and they’re adjusting. I reset them in 2 more cups of whole milk and hopefully I’ll get back to yogurt set stage and can get it at or under 24 hours. 12 hours would be great because I could setup at 6am before I leave for work and it will be ready when I get home.
The 1 cup I added 2 small (+/- 1/8″ x 3″ slivers) lemon rind and did a 2nd ferment for 4 hours. It was nice but VERY lemony! I wasn’t expecting so much flavor. The last 2 cups I added 1/2 tsp of vanilla to and set back to 2nd ferment and will check them about 6pm tonight. I also strained off the remainder of my grains that I had in the fridge. I think I’m going to try to dry them out for emergency use as I seem to have more than enough right now (and they are growing so I must be doing something right) while i”m still learning and using only a few cups of milk at a time. I also moved my jar to the pantry where the temperature is more constant only fluctuating about 2 degrees versus in my kitchen which can go 10 either way.
I have a question though… should the new milk be room temperature or right out of the fridge? I’ve been doing the latter but wonder if they’re not going into a bit of temperature shock with each ferment.
Thanks so much! I’m seeing success on the horizon and I’m sure this troubleshooting will help many others who are going through similar frustrations.
AJ
The milk does not need to be at room temperature. Your doing good! Happy Fermenting!!!
Kefer was left out over night than refrigerated for a day or two. Than accidentally someone left it out over night. Is it still safe to drink? I had some was very sour. Little concerned
It will be just fine. It’s safe to drink.
Hey Donna~~I am attempting a second Ferment as I over fermented my grains today. I have strained & got the girls back in the frig with some fresh milk. My question is this~Before straining the whey had started to separated at the bottom. I went ahead & strained~~now can I use the cloddy Keifer Milk for the second ferment???
Yes you can. Just second ferment for 6 hours since it is already over fermented.
How long will the kefir milk stay good once placed in the refridgerator?
Thanks!
Nine months or longer. It preserves the milk but it will get more sour.
Hi Donna,
I am new to kefir and just started enjoying making at home. You suggestion of second fermenting is really good. It makes it more tastier. Can I second ferment with apple , pear or mango. I want an expert advise as I am new, I don’t want to spoil my kefir grains.
Thanks,
Rajani
Yes you can ferment with all of those!
Hi Donna,
Please forgive me for asking a silly question, but after you double frement your kefir and it’s seperates, do you strain the whey out?
No you do not need to strain the whey out. But you can if you want to make kefir cheese.
I have a question concerning the above question. The poster said their grains were in the fridge for a few months but made a new batch with them and it seemed fine. What exactly is dangerous or non working about the grains now if they seem to be in fact making more kefir? What does “not work properly” mean?
They will either quit working or not have as many different strains of bacteria but if they are culturing the milk you can keep using them. Won’t harm you.
Chai~ that is pure GENIUS Donna!
I am going to try that on my batch tomorrow! 
Can’t wait!
Please send me recipes on sourdough.
Thank you.
Here you go. http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/category/recipes/sourdough-sprouted-breads/
I’ve got kefir made with colustrum, can i do the same?
what about fermenting whey. There’s this product caled immunocal i tried making kefor with it, it was super sour. what are you thoughts of fermented whey?
http://www.immunocal.com/
many thanks
You can second ferment it, but it will be more sour because there is less lactose it it. To ferment bacteria likes the lactose which whey has little of. That’s why it is more sour.
Hi Donna
I was making milk kefir a few years ago with some success but stopped after the batches I was making started to taste terrible. I had been on holidays for a couple of weeks & had left the kefir in the fridge so don’t know why it seemd to go “off” I live in northern Australia & the summer time temperatures are quite hot. I am wondering how I make kefir successfully in the summer time here with temps way above your recommended temperatures of 72 – 80 F. I would love to start making it again but am reluctant because of this reason. I will have to purchase some more culture from Doms.
Thanks
Anne
What did it taste like? Did you feed in regularly when you weren’t making kefir. Refreshing them milk once a week and storing in the fridge?
Hello,
I have some kefir grains that got left in a jar with some milk and a lid on for a few months, I drained the milk and rinsed the grains they look fine so I started a new jar and they seem to be working. I am a little concerned about whether they are still safe? Can they go bad? The milk they were in had completely separated and smelled bad. But the fresh batch seems good, just nor sure if it is safe?
Amanda
They won’t work properly if they were not fed for months. You will need new grains and It is really important that you never rinse your grains it can damage or kill them. Sorry I hate telling people they need to get new grains.
The grains I received were very sour after I rehydrated them. The instructions I received said that if they were still sour after a couple of weeks to rinse them in a little water because they might have too much yeast. I did this and I am still having a tough time getting the taste right. Kefir is not so sour with only 12 hour ferment times for both first and second rounds, but it almost has a metallic bite to it. Any suggestions?
What kind of milk are you using? Try second fermenting them this helps with the sourness. It should get better with time. http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/how-to-second-ferment-kefir/
I am using raw milk after I have skimmed the milk off for my butter. I do a second fermentation and teh lemon and orange peel do help a lot, but the bite is still there.
is it possible that rinsing them damaged them?
Yes it can be but it is better than not having grains. Try adding a little more milk.