I am so excited! I located a milk kefir grain supplier in my area who uses raw milk for his grains. I am going to try and pick up the grains tomorrow! The last time I felt this excited was when my parents told my sisters and I that we were going to get two puppies!
You may think they're puppies once they proliferate and start eating you out of house and home.
Seriously, good luck and enjoy your grains ... they're a lot of fun. Plus, dogs LOVE kefir.
Compliant, me?!? ... I even attended a university whose mascot is one of my ◆ Superfoods! What is food to one man is bitter poison to others.~ Titus Lucretius Carus
Hi passionprincess, if you're referring to "cha" as the Japanese word for tea, I'll tell you how I use the water kefir grains to ferment full-strength green and/or white tea. Basically, I steep four (4) tablespoons of loose green and/or white tea leaves in 32 ounces of spring water (important for the kefir grains, as they like mineralized water) for 90 seconds. Strain off the tea leaves (but be sure to keep; you can use them again to do a secondary 'yin' brewing). To your tea liquid, put in one-quarter (1/4) cup of organic agave syrup or similar less-refined sugar (e.g., rapadura or dark muscovado), one (1) teaspoon unsulphured blackstrap molasses, one (1) tablespoon of liquid trace minerals (optional, but helpful), one (1) inch of peeled ginger, sliced thinly, one-half (1/2) organic lemon, sliced thinly with peel intact, and eight (8) organic, unsulphured raisins (alternately a dried fig, cut in half). Stir all ingredients until sugar/syrup has thoroughly dissolved into solution. Set aside and let mixture cool to room temperature. Add water kefir grains and allow to ferment for 48 hours. After 48 hours, strain and refrigerate tea kefir (kefir cha).
By the way, if yerba maté is one of your superfoods, it (especially the San Mateo air-dried varietal) can be used in place of green/white tea with equally good results.
Great idea. I make kombucha but never thought about making a tea for the water kefir that I make. Now this sounds interesting, also with the piece of ginger. I juice ginger for the kombucha though. Thanks for sharing! :)
here s something I have done using a polyflora.......I have made great faux yogurt out of practically all grains nuts and seed milk I was taught to make in these extraordinary forums!!!
I have also used 'bulgaros' for that purpose......those tiny brain looking things......I believe those are kefir grains?
I think hemp yogurt would be fabulous! Have you made that, Lola? If you have, could you give me some hints?!
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I make both, and my stomach doesn't agree, with water kefir, It is for my familie's O members.
Efxaristo, Alek. Glad to know other type Os do well with water kefir. SWAMI doesn't list it, so I treat it as a neutral. Also, I thought I'd have to avoid dairy kefir for good but SWAMI listed it as a black dot avoid, so in a few months I can still have some on occasion. (:
Compliant, me?!? ... I even attended a university whose mascot is one of my ◆ Superfoods! What is food to one man is bitter poison to others.~ Titus Lucretius Carus
I located a milk kefir grain supplier in my area who uses raw milk for his grains. I am going to try and pick up the grains tomorrow! ....
Hi passionprincess, how did the kefir grains work out? Are you having fun yet? (:
Compliant, me?!? ... I even attended a university whose mascot is one of my ◆ Superfoods! What is food to one man is bitter poison to others.~ Titus Lucretius Carus
I am still tweaking my grains. The lady I got it from grew hers in raw milk (same as my first set of grains when I was in the midwest). North L.A. county experienced temperature fluctuations where the inside of the house would not go beyond 71-72. I think it was a bit chilly. I am trying to make milk kefir with organic, non-homogenized milk (locally produced at Whole Foods) - I suspect it is low vat pasteurized. The kefir smells "sour" but it is totally watery! I looked online and people wrote that watery kefir is result of cooler temps. I have 2 quarts of watery kefir (can't really drink it - not as good)... I might use it as fertilizer and facial toner.
It is supposed to get really hot soon, so I am hoping that I can get a less watery kefir but one with a creamier consistency.
Hope you had a lovely holiday weekend! .... I am trying to make milk kefir with organic, non-homogenized milk (locally produced at Whole Foods) - I suspect it is low vat pasteurized.
Thanks and, likewise, hope yours was also enjoyable. I was able to have some uninterrupted peace and quiet which, after getting over the surreal strangeness of it all, was great. (:
If you're at all close to Santa Barbara, a store there named Lazy Acres carries raw dairy products. If you're not, their head dairy person is Lorenzo, (805) 564-4410 x158, and he might be able to advise you on where to look in your area for raw milk.
I recently switched my grains over to raw goat milk from raw cow milk and, it may only be interesting to me, the kefir almost immediately had a creamier consistency. I think it might have to do with the average fat globule in goat milk being smaller than that in cow milk, allowing the milk fat to remain more uniformly dispersed throughout during fermentation. Plus, I seem to recall from years past that the cream in springtime cow's milk especially seemed to separate more readily, and there was also more whey separation. I'd have to agitate the kefir jar multiple times in a 24-hour period just to reduce separation. For whatever reason, the cow milk from this time of year hardly ever produced a thicker, creamier kefir. It always seemed a bit on the thin side to me and, like you, I didn't find it as palatable.
Compliant, me?!? ... I even attended a university whose mascot is one of my ◆ Superfoods! What is food to one man is bitter poison to others.~ Titus Lucretius Carus
Santa Barbara is almost 2.5 hours away from me. I live in the Santa Clarita Valley (grew up in the San Fernando Valley).
I read that milk kefir is excellent for gardening so I put some aside for that - except dad felt like he had to play "favorites" with certain plants and trees. The second ferment actually made the kefir thicken a bit although there was a substantial separation of whey. I took the thickened kefir (creamier) and put it in a bowl. I am going to throw some berries and agave syrup for a breakfast smoothie in the morning. As for the leftover whey and curd bits, mom and I bottled it into a small 8 oz bottle. She put some on a cotton pad and used it as facial toner. She is in LOVE with it! I will try it tomorrow since I am probably going to pull an all-nighter.
My second batch seems to be creamier. I get cream top low vat pasteurized milk from Strauss Creamery. It is about 3.00 per quart in a glass bottle. I get 1.50 back when I bring the bottle back to Whole Foods. I might keep one of the bottles - I LOVE the way it looks!
I might try goat milk. There is a local taco joint that makes goat meat taco. I am going to give that a try...
Thanks and, likewise, hope yours was also enjoyable. I was able to have some uninterrupted peace and quiet which, after getting over the surreal strangeness of it all, was great. (:
If you're at all close to Santa Barbara, a store there named Lazy Acres carries raw dairy products. If you're not, their head dairy person is Lorenzo, (805) 564-4410 x158, and he might be able to advise you on where to look in your area for raw milk.
I recently switched my grains over to raw goat milk from raw cow milk and, it may only be interesting to me, the kefir almost immediately had a creamier consistency. I think it might have to do with the average fat globule in goat milk being smaller than that in cow milk, allowing the milk fat to remain more uniformly dispersed throughout during fermentation. Plus, I seem to recall from years past that the cream in springtime cow's milk especially seemed to separate more readily, and there was also more whey separation. I'd have to agitate the kefir jar multiple times in a 24-hour period just to reduce separation. For whatever reason, the cow milk from this time of year hardly ever produced a thicker, creamier kefir. It always seemed a bit on the thin side to me and, like you, I didn't find it as palatable.
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Hi passionprincess, just in case you're still thinking about goat milk, wanted to give you an update on how it went switching mine from cow to goat. Seriously, goat milk must be like kefir crack or meth! They've gone a bit crazy, in a good way. To prepare for an easier transition (hoping), I rinsed the grains thoroughly in fresh goat milk and then I water fasted them in spring water for two days in the refrigerator. (If you ever do this, be sure to save the fasting water because it's slightly more viscous than water and is very soothing to the face, especially the lower eye area.) After fasting them, I put them in a half gallon or raw goat milk and they just freaked. Within 18 hours, they had added about 20 percent more to their mass. Some of this was increased growth of existing grains, but there was definitely new growth, too. (:
If you can't find raw, maybe Meyenberg or Red Hill Farm milk would work, as they're only pasteurized but not homogenized?
Compliant, me?!? ... I even attended a university whose mascot is one of my ◆ Superfoods! What is food to one man is bitter poison to others.~ Titus Lucretius Carus
By the way, before I was SWAMIfied and milk became a full-on avoid, I'd drink Strauss' milk on occasion. Pretty tasty stuff. (:
Compliant, me?!? ... I even attended a university whose mascot is one of my ◆ Superfoods! What is food to one man is bitter poison to others.~ Titus Lucretius Carus
Thanks for the update on the goat milk. I have to check the rating and see if I can drink it.
I just finished pouring new milk onto my kefir grains. I use milk from Straus Creamery. I wash the bottles out and bring back them to Whole Foods so the bottles can get reused/recycled. One of the bottles did not look clean after rinsing it out with hot water several times. I looked closer only to realize that there was a congealed mass of hair and milk at the bottom and side of the bottle. It was on the inside. The had noticed a fiber of hair in the milk when I poured it onto the grains. I fished out the hair but... UGH! It is just gross! I wrote Straus an email regarding the situation. My parents also started drinking kefir and has warmed up to it. I am hoping they do not see the dirty bottle before I return it tomorrow.
I know that kefir grains and cultures are good at killing bad bacteria so I am not worried about getting unwanted guests in the fermenting bottles but this is just yucky!
Simplifying my life. Only the best for my body, mind, and soul!
I looked closer only to realize that there was a congealed mass of hair and milk at the bottom and side of the bottle. It was on the inside ... I fished out the hair but ... UGH! It is just gross!
Oh, yeah, that'd gross me out, too (I've seen, and smelled, some nasty stuff before so I don't get a quesy stomach that easily, but yuck).
Maybe Strauss will send you some coupons, though. Here's hoping.
Compliant, me?!? ... I even attended a university whose mascot is one of my ◆ Superfoods! What is food to one man is bitter poison to others.~ Titus Lucretius Carus
That would be nice. Or, if Whole Foods carries 1 gallon plastic bottles from Straus, I will just buy those from now. My parents are drinking more kefir than ever before so we go through a quart and half a day. I am planning on making kefir ice cream and sourdough starter... so I think it would be better to buy the gallon bottle if they have it.
My only consolation is that the gunk was pretty solid and did not dissolve into to the milk. I also know the kefir grains will kill whatever germs that was on the gunk. Ick!
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I don't drink Coke or Dr. Pepper anymore because I've replaced those with a homemade ginger ale that I make by doing a second fermentation of the water kefir with fresh ginger and other spices.
Can you include a recipe??? I've never made kefir but am planning to try it and I don't know anything about "second fermentation".
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The second ferment actually made the kefir thicken a bit although there was a substantial separation of whey. I took the thickened kefir (creamier) and put it in a bowl. I am going to throw some berries and agave syrup for a breakfast smoothie in the morning. As for the leftover whey and curd bits, mom and I bottled it into a small 8 oz bottle. She put some on a cotton pad and used it as facial toner. She is in LOVE with it! I will try it tomorrow since I am probably going to pull an all-nighter. 
