Kefir - Page 3

Durgan · March 24, 2013

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?EVYYO 24 March 2013 Kefir

Typical daily batch of kefir produced from 500 ml of skim milk, fermentation for 30 hours at 79F. Pictures depict the process.

halleone · April 11, 2013

My kefir, from recently received grains, is pretty runny at 24 hours. Should I be using less milk? Would a higher fat content (I'm using skim) make it thicker?

Durgan · April 11, 2013

I just put a tablespoon of the grains in about half litre or slightly less of skim milk and it precipitates out at about 30 hours at 79F. Precipitation doesn't happen until after 24 to 30 hours of fermentation. I drink the whey and eat the lumps. I always have a batch going. I never tried stopping the fermentation and making a milk drink.

Actually I don't particularly like the mess. But I don't like yogurt either. I eat the kefir assuming it has health benefits, but I have my doubts. Maybe one of those media hyped nonsense with no real testing having been done. I will try dehydrating the kefir and seeing how it vacuum packs for camping. At least it has a few nutrients.

raindrops27 · November 2, 2013

I have a question, I use to brew Kefir daily, but started making greek yogurt instead. I have left kefir grains in the fridge in organic milk for a month. Do I need to buy new kefir grains or can I still reuse these? Would I need to rinse the grains, ( I heard you should never rinse) How would I proceed if these grains are still good to use? TIA

Labradors2 · November 2, 2013

Hi Raindrops27,

I'd give it the old sniff test and see if you feel like drinking it. You will probably find that it's very acidic and it may smell like nail polish remover. However, the grains will probably be ok as they can go for much longer than a month without being killed.

If it smells terrible, then it would be a good idea to rinse the grains in non-chlorinated water. I don't normally rinse my grains if I can help it, but sometimes rinsing can help. Afterwards, you could brew the grains in small amounts of milk just to make sure that they are still viable.

HTH,
Linda

November 2, 2013	#34
raindrops27 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: long island Posts: 327	I have a question, I use to brew Kefir daily, but started making greek yogurt instead. I have left kefir grains in the fridge in organic milk for a month. Do I need to buy new kefir grains or can I still reuse these? Would I need to rinse the grains, ( I heard you should never rinse) How would I proceed if these grains are still good to use? TIA Last edited by raindrops27; November 2, 2013 at 04:44 PM.

March 24, 2013	#31
Durgan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Brantford, ON, Canada Posts: 1,341	http://www.durgan.org/URL/?EVYYO 24 March 2013 Kefir Typical daily batch of kefir produced from 500 ml of skim milk, fermentation for 30 hours at 79F. Pictures depict the process.

April 11, 2013	#32
halleone Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Walla Walla, Washington Posts: 360	My kefir, from recently received grains, is pretty runny at 24 hours. Should I be using less milk? Would a higher fat content (I'm using skim) make it thicker?

November 2, 2013	#35
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,895	Hi Raindrops27, I'd give it the old sniff test and see if you feel like drinking it. You will probably find that it's very acidic and it may smell like nail polish remover. However, the grains will probably be ok as they can go for much longer than a month without being killed. If it smells terrible, then it would be a good idea to rinse the grains in non-chlorinated water. I don't normally rinse my grains if I can help it, but sometimes rinsing can help. Afterwards, you could brew the grains in small amounts of milk just to make sure that they are still viable. HTH, Linda