Kefir making as alternative to yoghurt making.

Kazonline

Lovely poured over PYO strawberries and rasberries this eve.

larmy16

Kazonline wrote:

Lovely poured over PYO strawberries and rasberries this eve.

Kazoline how long has it taken you to get it to this "lovely" stage? I have only been working mine since Wednesday and the milk is still milk, though the curds have settled into two blobs - is this ok? I noticed someone said they separated theirs. Oh its all so confusing and so far I hate the taste of the milk. Some have said if you like greek yog you will like kefir. I love greek yog, but maybe I don't have kefir yet??? Is it kefir when it is like cream texture??

sorry for all the questions

I feel as if I have an alien in the kitchen, I just look at it and it seems to be milk with two blobs in!

Kazonline

I quite liked the keifir from the begining TBH. I had mine, um.... about 6 weeks? I find that it only takes 24 hours for my milk to be turned into keifir (stuff you drink). As I have so much of it the keifir I had this eve was about 2/3 days old (kept in fridge). Also I have moved it onto normal milk, and I seem to prefer that.
If the curds have settled into two blobs it's probably over keiferd. I personally don't like it so much when it gets to that stage. It's not a problem though - just put the kefir grains into fresh milk. In this heat it's keifering quite quickly - mine is slowed down a little by starting off with VERY cold milk. I find by keeping it in the milk containers it's easier to give it a shake to ensure it's done evenly, and also much easier to store in the fridge - at last I have all my pint glasses back!!!
Perhaps try drinking a small glass of it first (chilled is more pleasant). If you really don't like it you can then try disguising it in other things. Sorry it took me so long to post this - had visitors as I was typing it up!
Kaz x

wigginsmum

Do you shake it all up before you strain the grains out?

Kazonline

I do, yes.
Kaz x

larmy16

well I really don't know what to do with this stuff. I have milk with two blobs in, I keep reading about people with thick yoghurt type stuff, but all I have is milk!

I am obviously better at yoghurt - no problems there. Surely if it is over kefiring then the milk would be thicker??? Am I supposed to be breaking the blobs up into smaller blobs? Sorry to say I am fed up with this stuff and tempted to dump it in the bin :mad:

Could there be something wrong with my grains???

Sorry I sound such a grump, but everyone else seems to be getting on with it so well.:(

Kazonline

oooo no, don't dump it in the bin!!!!
How often are you changing the milk? What did you mean by curds?
How much milk are you keeping it in and what type? Where are you keeping it?

larmy16

I have changed the milk each day. It is full fat milk. The jar is in the kitchen.

Thanks for answering. It sounds pathetic but I am so disappointed! I have just mixed it in some fresh milk. When I got it it was in milk and the curds were like milk going sour bits, but now they have joined up together and look like tapioca but stuck together. They seem spongy??

PS. How much milk do you advise. I reckon its about 200 mls I have it in.

Should I just be leaving it longer in the milk. This is worse than having a Tamagotchi pet!!:D

Kazonline

Lol, I know what you mean Larmy!
I've been reading over some of my old posts on the other board to jog my memory, and I think I had exactly the same experience as you to begin with.
I think the 'curds' you are referring to may actually be the 'kefir grains'?
They look like a mass of tiny rubber bubbles and are spongy like you say. Curds are more like very thick cream ( I think).
I found mine 'picked up' when I put them in orgainc milk, and even more so when I 'treated' them to gold top (from tesco) - though I wasn't so keen on the taste.
Where did you get your grains from, and what size are they? Were they originally one or two (I think you mentioned it's 'become' two)

larmy16

Aaw Kazonline I really appreciate your helping me. I got the grains (?) from one of the very first posts, there was a link. I resisted for over two months! Of course seeing you all raving about it, I felt left out. If the blobs are the grains, then maybe I am on the right track??? It originally came in a little plastic envelope and as I say looked like milk going sour, with little curds, but not spongy, they were separate.

I honestly don't know how many were there originally, but I now have two tapioca style little round blobs!

Hope this makes sense.

I will try the organic milk. Maybe I am trying to rush the poor thing???

I have been snapping at my poor son all night, all because I am so worked up about the kefir!!!Ridiculous