Kefir Grains - Living Probiotic Enriched

I have been using pro-biotics for years trying to battle digestive and skin issues. So far no luck or improvement in the conditions, despite good eating habits. I have spent a lot of money on those pills and don't even know if they contained any live cuItures when I consumed them. After reading about Kefir and not finding a ready made product that impressed me, because of all the added sugar and the high price, I decided to make my own. That way I know what is in it and it will be fresh. I received my Kefir grains about a week ago and they are already producing good Kefir and appear to be growing. They arrived in a small plastic container and looked very healthy, just like a piece of fresh cauliflower. The seller had also included a flyer with information about activating the grains which was very helpful. I immediately placed the grains into a glass mason jar added approx 3/4 cup of milk, covered the jar with a small piece of cloth, held in place by a rubber band, left it sit on the kitchen counter and let them do their thing. The first few batches separated into whey and curds and I have since figured out, that, since I live in Florida and it is very warm (my house stays around 78-80 degrees) the grains don't need 24 hours to ferment. There are lots of videos on YouTube with helpful information about making Kefir. Yesterday I made a batch with 1 1/2 cups of milk and after approx 18 hrs I noticed a sign of slight separation and whey at the bottom of the jar and decided to remove the grains at that point. Removal is easy. Just pour the contents through a plastic strainer, use a wooden or plastic spoon to gently stir the contents through the mesh until only the Kefir grains are left behind. Use the grains to start your next batch of Kefir, or place them into a small jar, cover with fresh milk and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to make more Kefir. The Kefir from this batch was very good and I plan on making many more batches. The process could not be any easier.. Definitely a good product and if all goes well these grains will continue to thrive and multiply and hopefully I will notice results in my digestive tract and overall health with regular use of homemade Kefir.

I had been looking for ways to improve my gut microbiome, and all my research pointed to fermented foods. I also occasionally have acid reflux, and fermented foods are usually make it worse. I tried store bought kefir, consumed it in tiny quantities for a bit and my gut seemed to like it, so I ordered these grains. When they came in the mail, they were very nicely packaged, and came with instructions. They seemed super sad looking though, but I thought I’d give them a go anyway. The best tip I read somewhere was to start with just 1 cup of milk rather than the 1-2 cups like it says in the instructions. Start small, give the grains time to adjust. In about 8 hours I strained the grains out, put them in another 1 cup of milk. Also, ultra pasteurised milk works just fine, all the grains need is lactose, which this milk has. Raw milk is likely better for quality, but honestly I’ve been using ultra pasteurised for a month now and it works perfectly. Over the first week I slowly increased the fresh milk quantity to about 2 cups. I also ended up throwing away no milk, none at all. I’m not sure why a lot of people recommend throwing away the first few batches. I usually let each batch ferment for about 18 hours each time, 9 hours on the counter and about 9 in the fridge. It’s probably not the best way to do this, but only a couple weeks in and the grains more than tripled in size, and they eat through the milk really fast. The best way to slow them down is in the fridge. They’re quite robust. I would definitely recommend this seller, although I doubt I’ll have to buy from them again just because I’m already struggling to keep up with my kefir grains 😅

When these grains, I say that with tongue-in-cheek, because there were no "grains" in the small plastic envelope, that arrived in my mail box but what I saw was about 1/4 tsp. of a small mushed up paste in the bag. I doubted whether the grains were alive and would they do anything once I put them in milk, which I did right away. The first three 1/2 c. batches of milk didn't yield much but by about the 4th effort I started to get something happening! Hooray, they were alive! I probably have made at least two dozen or more batches now of the Kefir milk and I have about 1/4 cup of the gains that are big white fluffy pillows of what looks like large curd cottage cheese. So, the moral to this review is don't give up because it might take 2-4 batches or more before they become fully active. I suggest while waking these guys up to not waste a lot of milk so place them in 1/4 to 1/3 c. of milk, leave over night or for two days and check by sight and taste until you see something happening. Not much happening after 2 days? Then strain your milk into a glass bowl and capture the knifer grains in a plastic sieve to place in another fresh cup of milk. Don't see any grains, then pour another small amount of milk into what you have already, cover and wait another day or two. Once you see activity or grains then start a fresh container of milk to maybe 1/2 c. and then eventually you can fill a whole quart or even a half gallon jar almost to the top with milk and drop in your grains. The way to tell if your knifer is ready is to check the bottom and sides of the jar and if you see clear patches in the milk next to the glass then it has clabbered. I might also note that milk kefir tastes very much like buttermilk so if you don't like buttermilk then if you plan to use it then think smoothies, pancakes, waffles, salad dressings or where you might use some form of milk where you won't taste the clabbered buttermilk flavor. My husband likes it with a little sweetener and vanilla added and he's happy otherwise he won't drink the stuff! I happen to love thick, rich buttermilk so I love the finished knifer. Keifer will also continue to ferment in the refrigerator and become more sour so don't be alarmed by the taste. I frequently have numerous glass milk bottles filled with kefir in my refrigerator and I have yet to open the last of the batch and found anything but healthy, sour tasting kefir. Another suggestion: If you have never consumed milk kefir or even water kefir before start out slowly drinking this because it can really upset your gut and you will wind up paying for it. Start with 1/4 cup the first and second day and if you don't have any problems then you can up the amount you consume on a daily basis. Better to be safe than sorry and wind up spending a lot of time in the bathroom for a couple of days! Chill the milk kefir and use it to drink, make salad dressings and hundreds of other tasty treats! January 2015 Update: Here are a couple of tricks I have learned along the way with a growing supply of grains and making kefir: 1. I keep 1/2-1 cup of grains and give away or throw out the rest. 2. I fill a glass half gallon jug with my grains and top off with milk, stir. Cover with a paper coffee filter and a rubber band and sit on counter to ferment. 3. Best results for taste and thickness to my liking has been about 48 hours in a 64 degree kitchen in the winter in Maine. Might be shorter in the summer months. 4. Strain off kefir grains from liquid in a large glass measuring cup through a plastic sieve. Spoon unwashed grains into another clean 1/2 gallon jug and top off with milk. Some people say to never wash the grains but if you have left the grains too long in milk in the refrigerator and the milk has started to spoil then washing will remove the tainted milk so you don't contaminate your next batch of kefir, just make sure you use cool/cold water. Fill smaller glass bottles with fermented kefir milk. Start the process all over again. 5. If you have more kefir in the refrigerator than you can drink in the next week then put the grains along with milk in the 1/2 gallon jug with a lid screwed on in the refrigerator for no more than about a week. The grains will continue to ferment the milk but at a much slower rate cutting about 24 hours off the process of sitting out on the counter and you don't waste any milk that they are being kept in. If you leave the grains in the refrigerator more than a week or longer you might find they will start to spoil so stay aware of how long your grains and milk have been in there. Label the jug with a date to remind you. 6. I usually make kefir for about 3 cycles which gives me approx. 1-1/2 glass bottles each time that holds 32 ounces each (Bormioli Rocco Quattro Stagioni 33 3/4 Canning Bottle). After 6 days or 3 cycles I then put the full half gallon with fresh milk and kefir back in the refrigerator for no more than a week. Remove the milk/kefir jug to the counter and let sit for approx. 12-24 hours, stir. If nice and thick then strain, bottle and refrigerate and start the process over again. 7. Only one person drinks the kefir in my house and I drink about 6-8 oz. per day but I also use it to make waffles and pancakes for two, salad dressings, ice cream, smoothies and anywhere I can substitute the kefir for regular milk or buttermilk. Kefir doesn't work well in scrambled eggs because it has a tendency to curdle and separate when cooking. Remember also that if you use heat you are probably killing the live bacteria in the milk. Mostly the texture will remain the same, except the cooked eggs, but otherwise I avoid putting the kefir milk in things that will be baked or cooked on the stove. This method of cycling of the fermentation process has worked out great for me so take from it what works for you, how many people in your home and how much you drink or use the kefir.

Excellent seller and product! Obvious care in shipping, packaging and presentation. Grains arrived in excellent condition and today I got the first perfect batch of Kefir. I would definitely buy again from this seller.

They came in a tiny container but we're healthy and started making kefir quickly. It's as fully expected. The only advice I have is to order in spring or fall if you can. I really don't think they were transported where the risk of severe temperature changes would be a thing but it might increase your chances of a good batch - though I'm sure it's fine year round. Raw milk or goats milk might yield better results but I mean i just used pasteurized whole milk and it was perfectly happy. Not sure it would work with lower fat milk but I think it should, it's more after the lactose than the fat I think, but I would start with whole and when the grains grow try a jar with lower fat as an experiment.

Worked right away. I had full on Kefir in 3 days. Shipping to Canada was very fast. Thank you.

I have them over a year, they have grow too much, the directions were easy to follow and after the year the tase of my kefir is great.