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Kefir making as alternative to yoghurt making.

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  • leonie_2
    leonie_2 Posts: 517 Forumite
    Well when I started drinking kefir I did notice that within two hours I needed the loo. I put this down to its cleansing colon effects. Apparently it grabs 'debris' on its way down the colon.

    I wasnt sick, but if I think of it as drinking 'live' bacteria then I come pretty close.

    How old was the brew, I mean how long fermenting? I leave mine for 24 hours, no longer.

    Also, im not sure that honey is the best thing to take with the kefir. Honey is a bacteriacide so surely that would kill the kefir?
  • patgc
    patgc Posts: 429 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    Have been reading this thread about Kefir grains and thought I would give it a go. Found someone who lived in the same town as me on Doms site who had grains to share. I picked these up on Friday. He said he had been resting them for a while. The 'lump' he gave me was a bit bigger than a golf ball. Started a batch on Friday night. Put about 1pt UHT milk in a jar with the grains, put lid on and left it for 24hrs. It didnt thicken at all, no change just tasted sour. Am trying again with less milk, about a glass, have put it on the back of the fridge, where it is warm where the heat comes up from the motor. That was nearly 10 hours ago, and it still looks the same, Am I doing something wrong ? I am presuming that should be something like the same consistency as the homemade yogurt that I make
    Edit
    Just in case thats not clear, I mean on the top of the fridge at the back, not inside
  • shykins
    shykins Posts: 2,768 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    i would guess that a pint was too much.. also if u intend to culture your grains in the fridge it will take much longer and in fact some do not seem to like a colder environment..

    try taking them out of the fridge and leaving them in the kitchen.. also as they are new grains it may take a while for them to wake up.. keep changing the milk every day until they get going

    good luck

    x
    When you know better you do better
  • patgc
    patgc Posts: 429 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    Thanks for that, nothing happened this morning to yesterdays lot, so will change milk and try again.
    NB see my edit, I meant on top not inside the fridge.
  • leonie_2
    leonie_2 Posts: 517 Forumite
    Start with a small glass of milk for the first few days. If the grains have been resting, they are going to take a little time to get up to speed.

    Mine turned thick in 24 hours and after about 36 hours they start separating.
  • patgc
    patgc Posts: 429 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    On my 3rd try now, in only a small amount of milk, in a glass jar with the lid on. On top of the fridge at the back. The 2nd lot didnt do much. There was a few 'lumpy bits' so perhaps its starting to work. I did have a tase of the milk, is it supposed to taste quite so bad !!!!!! sour, like 'off' milk !!!!!. I thought that it was going to be of a similar consistency and taste as my home made yogurt. Is it going to be aquired taste !!!! LOL.
  • bargainqueen_2
    bargainqueen_2 Posts: 597 Forumite
    shykins wrote:
    oh dear poor u... maybe u should try again but just a tiny bit to see if it was that or the honey that caused it

    maybe one of the experts might have more helpful advice

    I think the honey might have been the problem, as it was warm - maybe it caused a reaction. This morning I took some kefir, slopped it on a sandwich with avocado and tomato and it was really nice. But like Leonie as soon as I think about drinking live bacteria I feel queasy. Just keep telling myself how good it is for me. The taste is growing on me and I don't mind it being a bit thinner than yoghurt. What do you do with it if it separates? I leave mine at room temp for 24 hours and then take the grains out, put them in milk in the fridge and the kefir product in a bowl in the fridge. I read that metal kills it so try to use a plastic spoon, sieve and bowl etc rather than metal.
    Three years, six months, three weeks, 13 hours, 48 minutes and 30 seconds. 26011 cigarettes not smoked, saving $11,704.80. Life saved: 12 weeks, 6 days, 7 hours, 35 minutes.
  • leonie_2
    leonie_2 Posts: 517 Forumite
    Hang on BargainQueen, so you are saying you make the kefir, then put the grains in milk in the fridge as well as the kefir?

    Putting the grains in the fridge makes them go sleepy so they will need a couple of days to get going again. You are supposed to put the kefir in milk in a cupboard, then after 24 hours, take out the kefired milk and put that in the fridge, and start all over again with grains in fresh milk and into the cupboard.

    They are a living thing so really need to be working in milk everyday. Thats why you need to keep giving away the babies, otherwise you get too many and they need much more milk than you can use.
  • shykins
    shykins Posts: 2,768 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    pat.. maybe u need to leave yr milk in for more then 24hrs see if that has an affect... yes it sort of does taste a bit like sour milk so they are obviouslyt doing something.... it kinda tastes a bit like greek yoghure but a bit fizzier if that makes sense lol

    bargainqueen .. as leonie says dont put yr grains in the fridge u will send them off to sleep... i usually strain the kefir off and add it to the dish i have in the fridge.. i just top it up every day

    btw i am stil experimenting with the cream and it seems to be working so far
    When you know better you do better
  • bargainqueen_2
    bargainqueen_2 Posts: 597 Forumite
    leonie wrote:
    Hang on BargainQueen, so you are saying you make the kefir, then put the grains in milk in the fridge as well as the kefir?

    Yes the only reason I put them in the fridge is because I need them to slow down - they produce a lot of Kefir quite quickly (maybe you are right, maybe I was just given a lot of grains!) and I just can't bring myself to eat that much of it :o
    That Dom's Website says he recommends we eat the surplus grains if we can't give them away - does anyone do this? :pale: I do it 'cos it's good for me but it takes a lot of mental persuasion of myself...
    Three years, six months, three weeks, 13 hours, 48 minutes and 30 seconds. 26011 cigarettes not smoked, saving $11,704.80. Life saved: 12 weeks, 6 days, 7 hours, 35 minutes.
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