reducing sugar content of water kefir

[tolovemercy]

My water kefir grains are reproducing very slowly, and I'm a bit worried about the sugar content of my kefir (yeast issues, avoiding sugar really strictly). I got the grains right before Christmas and they reproduced really well for the first few brews--from 1/3c. to 1 cup. They're now hovering around 1 1/4 c., and have been there for several weeks.

I'd been using them all in one jar (2qts, 3/4 cup of sugar, handful of raisins, and half a lemon, 1/2 tsp. of blackstrap molasses) until this past Sunday, when I divided them into two jars, gave each jar 1/2c. grains, 1/2 c. sugar, half a lime, and a handful of raisins. Not much growth, still--maybe a little. I bottled the kefir and let it sit 24 hours, and it is still very, very sweet. I'll let it go another 24 on the counter, but I'm just wondering:

Is there anything I can do to make them hungrier?

[dogmom327]

I personally achieve the least amount of sugar by using just 1/2 cup sugar per two quarts of water (even with a lot of grains) and letting it ferment for a full 48 hours. I am really sensitive to sugar and I've never reacted to water kefir doing it that way.

For growth, I have the best results using water with a high mineral content (such as well water), sugar and molasses. I don't use raisins or any citrus. One thing to consider too is that a lack of growth isn't necessarily bad and isn't required for water kefir to ferment properly. With the amount of grains you have, I wouldn't worry too much about them growing at this point. It's common to have rapid growth in the beginning and then have them slow down substantially.

Ultimately, I would pull the raisins and lime out (if you need them for flavor, add them after you remove the grains) and ferment for a full 48 hours.

[tolovemercy]

ah, just the person I was hoping to hear from! thank you so much, that's very helpful.

[dogmom327]

Always feel free to PM me directly too...sometimes I'm a bit slow about looking at all the posts for the day.