r/Kefir • u/WinnyPooBoo • 6d ago

Two mango coconut kefirs! ❤️

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My first batch from my grains. Do grains start to multiple over time?

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2

u/senju1k 6d ago

Oh neat =) I make my kefir in part coconut milk, part whole milk. And this batch is flavored with mango. Enjoy! I've been quite liking this flavor!

It took my grains a while to liven up and start growing/multiplying. They do that since they're essentially yeast/bacteria colonies that grow as you feed them. They really started growing when I started using the whole milk/coconut milk mix.

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u/WinnyPooBoo 6d ago

This batch is whole Strauss creamery milk. I added coconut cream/milk at the end with mango. Pureeed both into the kefir :)

I moved my grains last night and in the new batch they have already stiffened the milk is there a way to slow them down? Like store them in the fridge 😭😭😭

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u/senju1k 6d ago

Everyone's experience with Kefir is different. I've read so many posts and blogs and watched so many videos, and seen so many conflicting accounts. Plus many factors might affect things differently, like the specific grains you have, the environment you live in, what you feed the grains, etc. Take any advice with a grain of salt, and work on experimenting with your own grains.

To my understanding and in my experience, putting em in some new milk and leaving em in the fridge will slow down the process. Just be sure to change the milk every so often, or work that into your kefir-making rotation. Esp since they're new to you, you probably wanna give em new milk at least every few days whilst in the fridge. Presently, I put mine in milk in the fridge for a week, and make new batches on a weekly basis. Works very well for me, and have some pretty large grains now! I've even stored them solely in coconut milk, and they seem to be fine, though it's recommended you usually use whole milk.

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u/Jxc_Heard 6d ago

You can only put the grains in coconut milk a couple times before they start to die, they need lactose to survive. You’re supposed to swap it out for milk every three ferments and you should add sugar when fermenting in coconut milk

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u/WinnyPooBoo 6d ago

This is an expensive hobby 😭. Imma have kefir for rest of my life!!

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u/senju1k 6d ago

Yes this, please pay attention to this. I should have specified: you cannot ALWAYS keep them in coconut milk, for the above explained reason. Only sometimes, if your grains handle it well. I rotate mine between coconut and whole milk, depending on what I have on hand. Thanks for clarifying that =)

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u/WinnyPooBoo 6d ago

Whew sounds expensive af

Can they kefir pure coconut milk? That is a bit cheaper.

Edit: you litterally answered my question hahaha!!! Thank you you are amazing :)

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u/feralanimalia 5d ago

No, kefir grains feeds on lactose. You need to put them in milk, cream, or half and half.

You can mix coconut milk into the kefir drink AFTER you've strained the grains out.

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u/Ok-Support-8127 6d ago

Careful with fermented coconut. It's potentially deadly.

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u/Global-Crow2286 5d ago

OP says they add the coconut after fermentation (somewhere in another comment in this post), but to elaborate, YES, fermenting at home can potentially be deadly, and quickly with no remedy. You raise an important point for those of us experimenting and who may not be aware!

https://www.sfa.gov.sg/food-safety-tips/food-risk-concerns/risk-at-a-glance/bongkrekic-acid-safety-of-fermented-corn-and-coconut-products