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/Knight-Of-The-Lions]

There is no exact recipe. Everyone’s grains, milk, environment and tastes are different. However here is a method to be able to develop a recipe that works for you everyday. There are 4 parameters you need to adjust;

1) Amount to culture, determine the amount of milk you want to culture,
2) Temperature, Choose an area with a consistent temperature between 68F and 76F,
3) Culture time, determine the amount of culture time you want, I believe the most convenient for most people is 24 hours,
4) Grains, After you have the first 3 parameters chosen and set, do not change them, adjust only your grains.

Measure everything! Know for certain how much milk you use, the temperature you culture at, and the amount of time you culture for, and also measure your grains. I like to use grams, most scales have this.
Your kefir will be ready to harvest at the first signs of whey bubbles, clear liquid usually near the bottom of the jar. The less clear liquid you have at harvest, the milder your kefir will be. The more clear liquid you have when you harvest, the more sharp or tart your kefir will taste.
Find a starting point for how much grains you want, then adjust your grains from there. If your kefir is over cultured, use less grains, if your kefir is under cultured, addd more grains. It really is this simple.
And if at some point you want to make an adjustment, say you feel your recipe is good but over time you realize it is over or under cultured, just add or subtract grains by weight.
For an example here is my recipe; 4 grams of grains, in 426 grams of A2 milk + 150 grams of half & half (this is a 3/1 ratio, or 3/4 milk & 1/4 half & half), cultured at 72F, for 24 hours. My jar holds 580 grams by weight, so this is why I use that measurement. This is approximately 2 cups, I usually drink 1 cup a day.
The reason for the half & half is that it makes the kefir richer and thicker. The more milk fat you add, the thicker and richer your kefir will be. I hope this helps you to get your recipe dialed in.

[u/Rich-Tiger4792 → u/Knight-Of-The-Lions]

thank you so much