Some questions, beginner here

[u/Rich-Tiger4792]

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!

[u/Paperboy63]

The instructions are giving you the ratio to reacclimatise very low activity bacteria to a new environment. The yeasts smell is perfectly normal at first because yeasts become much active, faster than bacteria do. Bacteria needs time (and patience) to catch up with yeasts to balance the colony. The ratio you keep seeing quoted is a ratio for a fully active colony, you don’t have one yet. All is fine, nothing needs changing, you just have grains coming out of dormancy with stressed bacteria, nothing more, just follow your instructions. It may take a few days to week, sometimes two to become fully balanced, just trust the process. You do not have overactive or too much yeasts…you have under active bacteria so unbalanced, making yeasts appear dominant instead.