water kefir help

[desertpenguin]

i got some water kefir grains awhile back and they were doing fine for awhile, but then they started to disintegrate. i wasn't using mineral water, but filtered water and would add molasses and baking soda. i stuck them in the fridge for awhile and have taken them back out to try to fix whatever is wrong. i don't have any molasses, but have been doing the filtered water, baking soda, and coral calcium as i've read per Dom's instructions on his kefir site. however, the final product has a strange syrupy consistency now. it smells and tastes fine, and a few of the kefir grains seem to be plumping back up but it's only been 2 days. is the syrupy water kefir safe to drink? why is it syrupy? any advice to get my kefir grains healthy again?

[ltlmrs]

I would rinse the grains in water without sugar first, just let them soak in filtered water for about 30 minutes to an hour. Then proceed to make a batch of kefir. I would definitely get some blackstrap molasses though.

Brew for 2 days and discard the kefir. After that proceed with your typical routine..