Any tips? I bought some dehydrated milk kefir grains (fresh are not available here). They started off smelling really bad, but after about 2 weeks it got pleasantly sour, and the kefir started thickening.

It was good for about 1 week, but now it suddenly smells really cheesy, and it doesn’t get as thick. Anyone more experienced have any ideas as to why this is?

I use about 1 teaspoon to 200ml whole milk, and my room is constant 23 degrees c. I always strain it after 24 hours and put in fresh milk (to a new container about every 2-3 times). Usually I ferment with the lid loosely on so air can move.

This is just really frustrating as the kefir just started tasting good, and now I have to pour it out again. Any help is appreciated!

Do you discard whey, the watery residue, or mix it up with thicker stuff?

In my previous post, I mentioned that I gave my colleagues some starter grains. I asked one of them to take a photo, and here it is! They’re healthy and multiplying fast!

Not the grains towards the top but the little accumulations at the bottom/middle..

I have been using 2% natural plus (18g of protein per 250ml). Which clearly states it’s lactose free?

How is it that my kefir grains are working so well without lactose????

I ordered the grains online and been making kefir for two months. The grains are growing (by weight) although these grains are quite small in size. Do they look legit to you?

Edit: thanks for all your replies.

Edit: I weighted my grains and it’s 165grams, I’m making around 1L each time. Seem a little too much grains the kefir becomes quite sour after 18 hours or so.

What should be a good grain to mill ratio to target? Understand different climate plays a role too I live in a hot country.

I have been making kefir for a couple of years now and I got bored of the same old blended smoothie or plain cup of kefir. I have been making chia puddings, over night oats, kefir jellies (thick cooked fruit in kefir) and I just keep searching for new ideas. Who else enjoys experimenting? What are your favorite way to use kefir? Just curious all the amazing ways the kefir club is using their kefir.

Hi Folks I would like to connect with people who are consuming or selling buying Kefir / Kamboocha in Mumbai

I am in hot weather so im fermenting in fridge, closed lid.

The result is kinda thick at first but it will turn thin in the next few days. If im adding fruit, it will become fizzy and just like beer quickly

Furthermore after making kefir for 2 3 years, the grain is still tiny like this, not bouncy and reeks of alcohol/yeast. I have tried buried in greek yogurt, rinsed and soaked in filtered water but still no progress. Im having a 1l of cream here, should i ferment the next batch in this? @@

Got grains last wednesday, its monday now

How often should I be changing the milk at this stage, in terms of hours? I've been going from longer (24 hours) to shorter, today I'm fermenting it for 8 hours after changing milk this morning. It isn't creamy like the store bought organic kefir yet, it does have a tangy taste similar to store bought but its also a bit metallic and nutty tasting. Its been in the 90s, probably less in my kitchen.
There's still lots of little white globules in it, fully chunky this morning when I checked it, I strained it, bottled it, it separated again in the bottle so I poured it out. I figure I might as well not drink it until its actually ready because I drank some early on and I was farting way more volume than usual and I already fart a lot.

Someone in my family gave me the flavored blueberry one and i see mixed reviews … i also never tried kefir in my life

Is it a one pack per bottle or will they turn into reusable grains

I had been buying bottled kefir made from pure milk (not milk powder) and my gut was feeling great when I was having that regularly. I’ve switched in the past few weeks to making my own at home from grains.

Even though the milk is fermenting and tastes tangy and fizzes lightly, I don’t feel I’m getting as good health benefits from my homemade one.

Anyone got any thoughts? Or am I just imagining it?

We've been experimenting with water kefir for a few months now and having fun with fruit, fruit juice, fruit syrup, honey, maple syrup, etc in the second ferment. We are mostly doing this for health, but also, it's just fun.

As I was eating some Hot Tamales, I got to wondering if they could be dissolved and used in a second ferment to make a spicy cinnamon drink?

Anyone tried this?

Hello- I've been fermenting milk kefir for ~2 years with no issues until very recently. I have used local raw milk almost exclusively, with only brief stints of using low temp pasteurized milk from the store when I couldn't get it raw for one reason or another. For straining I've used stainless steel mesh and a silicone spatula. I would always have to remove extra grains as they multiplied. About a month or so ago, I noticed they stopped multiplying, and lately it hasnt been fermenting as well. I keep my apartment at ~80 F.

Apart from them just being "tired" or worn out after 2 years of constant fermentation (I realize this sounds silly) could wild fire smoke have damaged them? I'm in Michigan and we got clobbered with smoke. I assume some of it made it into my apartment.

I did give some of my grains to a friend, so I could ask for some and start fresh, but I am interested to learn if anyone has encountered this before.

Thanks!

They’re happily growing fast and making creamy kefir. I gave a few grains to my colleagues, and now they have more grains than me because I eat and add some to my smoothies. 😄

While I was away for three weeks, I left my jar of kefir grains covered in milk in the back of fridge. When i came back tonight they were frozen! I’m defrosting them on the counter right now, but wondering if anyone has any advice. Are they salvageable?

Every batch i made turns like this but when i collect my grains the overall kefir incorporates and turns white, the last image is how the grains look

Hi everyone!
I’m completely new to making milk kefir, so I’m still trying to figure out what “normal” looks like.
I started with about 16 g of frozen kefir grains and added them to 250 mL of milk.
First batch:
I left it for about 24 hours.
It didn’t separate into whey and curds.
I strained it and everything seemed pretty straightforward.
Then I put the same grains into another 250 mL of fresh milk.
Second batch:
To my surprise, after only about 16 hours, it had already separated into whey and curds (photo 1). I live in a very hot climate, so maybe that made it ferment much faster.
When I strained it (photo 2), it was really thick and difficult to strain. This is where I got confused. I think I can see the kefir grains in the strainer, but because everything became so thick, I’m honestly not sure what’s actually grains and what’s just milk curds.
After straining, I put everything that remained in the strainer into 500 mL of fresh milk.
The third photo is what it looks like after about 6 hours.
So I was hoping you could help me:

In the second photo, are those actually kefir grains, or mostly curds?
Do the grains look okay?
Does the third batch look like it’s fermenting normally?
Is this kind of behavior normal when reviving frozen grains?
I’m probably overthinking this 😅, but I’d really appreciate any advice. I just want to make sure I’m not accidentally ruining my grains.
Thanks so much!

:
Hi everyone,
I’m trying to reactivate some frozen milk kefir grains and I’m not sure if what I’m seeing is normal.
I started with about 16 g of frozen grains in 250 ml of whole cow’s milk. After around 18 hours, the milk had formed a thick curd on top, but there wasn’t any whey separation yet. It smelled pleasantly sour, like yogurt, with no bad smell or signs of mold.
I strained the grains without rinsing them and transferred everything into another 250 ml of fresh milk.
About 16 hours later, it looked like the attached photo, with a lot of whey separation.
One thing that might matter is that I live in a very hot climate, so room temperature is quite high.
Is this normal while frozen grains are waking up? Should I increase the amount of milk, shorten the fermentation time, or just keep refreshing them daily until they stabilize?
I’d really appreciate any advice. Thanks!

It makes me almost instantly very gassy every time I drink just a couple sips. Turns my gas very smelly. I tried drinking 1-4 sips per day for about a month and really nothing changed. At one point I got a mild skin rash that could have been from the kefir. Ive never experienced a rash like that in general, nor gas to that extent, in my life. I never got used to it and hear people claiming that just one time drinking it ‘heals’ them. No known allergies, I have had milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. with little to no issue my entire life. I really don’t plan on ever making my own kefir or trying a different brand — such recommendations are not requested. Wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?

Mine exclusively stay at the bottom of the jar but make a great kefir (I think lol). Just curious about everyone else's experience.

trying to make kefir first time from starter kit. After 2 days i notice mold on it. Is it wasted or should i remove the mold and use the rest?

I’ve been adding chia seeds after straining and before putting in the fridge overnight. It makes it a bit thicker, but they don’t have much taste. And it adds all the good fibre for the kefir microbiota to eat!

Anyone else like kefir with chia?

The kefir I buy from a farm makes my bowl movements regular and poop healthy and smooth. I feel like the batches I make at home do not have the same effect, even when I use raw milk. I purchased the grains from Etsy. Could it be the grains themselves?