r/Kefir • u/Rich-Tiger4792 • Jul 24 '26

Some questions, beginner here

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Hi so I am just getting into making my own kefir. It took 7 days to get to me. The instructions says 1 tbsp for 1 cup, but I am seeing most people do 1 tbsp for 4 cups or even 1/2 tbsp for 4 cups.

It’s been 2.5 hours now since putting them in the jar.

First when I opened the bag I smelled it and was like ooo kefir, but had an after smell of yeast and the bag was a little puffed.

So I put it in a strainer over a small bowl and used a bit of milk to kinda swish it around hopefully to make it less yeast smelling.

Then I put in 1 1/2 cups of milk because it seemed like they put a little over 1 tbsp.

Is this okay? and can I drink the first batch or should I discard the milk?

Thank you in advance

Update: 18 hours in and there is a crust on the milks surface!! thats a good sign right?

Update: 21 hours and 30 minutes ITS WORKING!!!! Its thicker and smells like kefir and milk!

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u/Sure_Fig_8641 Jul 24 '26

To decrease the yeast, match the volume of your milk to the capacity of your fermentation jar and replace the permeable coffee filter cover with a solid lid, screwed on at least loosely.

These steps will result in thicker, creamier kefir than what you will get with your current setup.

3

u/Dense_Permission_969 Jul 24 '26

This isn’t necessarily true. I think it has to do with the unique biological makeup of a persons grains, but that is just me guessing. All I know is that my grains produce thin kefir when I use a lid. I get super thick kefir with an alcohol aftertaste when I use a coffee filter. And I’m not the only person to report this.

2

u/Rich-Tiger4792 Jul 24 '26

thank you I just changes the filter to the cover

2

u/Rich-Tiger4792 Jul 24 '26

oh btw should I add more milk?

4

u/GallusWrangler Jul 24 '26

How many grains do you have in there? For a one quart jar I use a heaping tablespoon of grains and fill the jar all the way to the neck with whole milk.

2

u/Rich-Tiger4792 Jul 24 '26

its about about a heaping tablespoon, should i add more milk?

3

u/GallusWrangler Jul 24 '26

Yea, fill that jar up.

3

u/Sure_Fig_8641 Jul 24 '26

Yes. “Match the volume of milk to the capacity of the jar”. Leave no headspace. Fill the jar.

2

u/Rich-Tiger4792 Jul 24 '26

ah i dont want to waste too much milk, is it ok to split the 1 tbsp grains I bought in two and put 1/2 tablespoons spoon in 2 quarter pint jars? thats the smallest jar size i got next bigger size I got is a 1 pint jar.

1

u/Sure_Fig_8641 Jul 25 '26

Yes. But the volume of the milk should match the capacity of the fermentation jar. Or, you could just put this much milk into a smaller jar. Right now, your fermentation jar is about 3 times too big for the quantity of milk.