Water Kefir
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,654
    For those of you that are unaware, kefir is a fermented milk product, similar to drinkable yogurt. It's chock full of probiotics and all that good stuff, but it tastes like sour yogurt unless you mix in some honey or fruit juice or whatever. I like to make cheese/dip/etc with it, but I'm not big on drinking it. The kefir grains are a polysaccharide sort of 'ship' for the bacteria/yeasts to live on and get funky. After a few successive batches, these grains start to grow. You can split it into multiple batches of traditional kefir, or you can switch the grains over to other fermentables.

    There are water kefir grains that are already adapted to non lactose sugars, but milk grains work just fine. They won't grow once they're off milk, as the water kefir grains would, but they don't really need to. I've found that for the milk-juice kefir grains work the best with grape juice. You can use other juices, or lemonade, whatever, but grape juice tastes the best.

    Just rinse the milk off and plop them in some juice. No fuss, no muss. I like to use a mason jar with a lid on it so I can drink it with just a little fizz. Bottling is probably a bad idea, as these bugs will ferment out all sugars, all the way. I usually only ferment for about 24 hrs, as if you wait longer than that, all the sugars will be gone and the drink gets a little vinegary.

    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,654
    Anyhoo, pictures:

    Milk grain, recently rinsed off, Dunked in the juice, and ready to drink.
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    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,654
    You can see how the grains absorbed the dark purple color from the juice in that last picture.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,418
    Stupid question alert... Where do the "grains" come from originally? Looks like cottage cheese.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,418
    Fermented grape juice in 24 hours sounds pretty good.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • JayrizzleJayrizzle
    Posts: 90,043
    Another stupid question; are you a vegan douche canoe?
    "I don't have TP, but I do have ammo."
    -Some guy in Ohio
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,654
    C_B said:

    Stupid question alert... Where do the "grains" come from originally? Looks like cottage cheese.



    the grain is a byproduct of one or more of the bacteria. it's just a lump of polysaccharides.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,654

    Another stupid question; are you a vegan douche canoe?



    vegan is that thing where i murder animals with my mouth? then, yes.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • JayrizzleJayrizzle
    Posts: 90,043

    Another stupid question; are you a vegan douche canoe?



    vegan is that thing where i murder animals with my mouth? then, yes.


    Sounds like you're more of a "raw diet" guy.
    "I don't have TP, but I do have ammo."
    -Some guy in Ohio
  • JayrizzleJayrizzle
    Posts: 90,043
    a lot of overlap with the vegans and raws but the raws are worse.
    "I don't have TP, but I do have ammo."
    -Some guy in Ohio
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,654

    Another stupid question; are you a vegan douche canoe?



    vegan is that thing where i murder animals with my mouth? then, yes.


    Sounds like you're more of a "raw diet" guy.


    i love raw stuff. once it's been grilled.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,568

    C_B said:

    Stupid question alert... Where do the "grains" come from originally? Looks like cottage cheese.



    the grain is a byproduct of one or more of the bacteria. it's just a lump of polysaccharides.


    Looks like clumps of spoiled milk to me.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,568
    So, I'm still confused, did you just take clumps of spoiled milk and drop it in grape juice?
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • JayrizzleJayrizzle
    Posts: 90,043
    Lakewood said:

    So, I'm still confused, did you just take clumps of spoiled milk and drop it in grape juice?



    Shush, it's called probionics, it sounds better that way.
    "I don't have TP, but I do have ammo."
    -Some guy in Ohio
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,654
    Lakewood said:

    So, I'm still confused, did you just take clumps of spoiled milk and drop it in grape juice?



    cheese curd? no.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,654

    Lakewood said:

    So, I'm still confused, did you just take clumps of spoiled milk and drop it in grape juice?



    Shush, it's called probionics, it sounds better that way.


    as a robot, i'm very probionic, but the word you're looking for is probiotic.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • JayrizzleJayrizzle
    Posts: 90,043

    Lakewood said:

    So, I'm still confused, did you just take clumps of spoiled milk and drop it in grape juice?



    Shush, it's called probionics, it sounds better that way.


    as a robot, i'm very probionic, but the word you're looking for is probiotic.


    Shut up I'll cut you
    "I don't have TP, but I do have ammo."
    -Some guy in Ohio