First Batch of Water Kefir - Questions

[my_baby_love]

I got my water kefir grains today and I want to start my first batch right away. I was under the impression that I could just use water (boiled to remove the chlorine) and some sugar. The directions that came with them said I needed to use spring or mineral water. I was just planning on using the boiled tap water, but now I'm not sure. I don't want to kill them on the first batch! Do I need to go buy spring or mineral water?

Also the directions said I needed to add organic dried fruit which I have but I don't have a little bag for it. Do I need the little bag? I would actually prefer to not use the fruit at all and just add some flavor when it is done culturing.

Then, it says I have to add a slice of organic lemon to keep the pH at the right level for the water kefir to do its work. I don't have an organic lemon and I'm not entirely sure where I would get one. Do I have to add that too?

I'm also wondering if I can use my water kefir grains in juice. I was under the impression I could but now I'm worried it will hurt them. I know my DS will love it with juice, but is it something I will have to add after it is done?

Here I thought this would be so easy and I'm already overwhelmed! Plus, I have no little plastic strainer for when it's done! Do I really need to make a trip to the store to do this, or can I really just make it with sugar and boiled water and the little metal strainer I already have? Help!

[kallyn]

I did water kefir for awhile and I always got much better results when using dried fruit and lemon than when I tried it without. I also had some success with using fresh berries, especially blueberries and strawberries. As for the water, I use regular tap water but I added in liquid mineral drops (the brand was Concentrace, got it in the supplement section at the health food store). My grains wouldn't reproduce unless I used the mineral drops. If you do want to try a batch with juice instead of fruit, I would separate out some grains into a different "test" jar just in case in goes off, so you don't ruin all your grains. That's what I did the few times I tried juice and I did end up having to throw some of them away.

You shouldn't let your grains touch metal from what I've read, so I wouldn't use your metal strainer. Here is how I did mine. I would put the fruit right in with the grains (no bag needed), then I put cheesecloth over the top of the jar and held it on with a rubber band, then put the lid on. When the kefir was ready, I'd just take the lid off and pour the kefir out through the cheesecloth, which would catch all the grains and fruit. Then I picked out the fruit pieces, dumped the grains into a plastic strainer, and rinsed them under the water for a minute. Repeat ad nauseum.

[Razmatazz]

not sure about the water, but you can definetly use them in juice. I use mine in organic 100% grape juice and coconut water, and they grow really well in the juice, and it gets all fizzy and nice

[dogmom327]

While spring or mineral water are wonderful for kefir grains due to the high mineral content, it's not necessary to use them--you can use boiled tap water as you planned to.

You can skip the fruit (dried and lemon). In the future if you want to make a batch with dried fruit, those little cotton bags are often found at natural food stores in the tea section.

You can use your kefir grains in juice. I'd let them get used to their new environment first in sugar water. Juice does tend to be rather hard on kefir grains so if you are planning on making both juice kefir and sugar water kefir, I'd wait until your grains multiply a bit, split them into two sets and use one for juice and one for water. Also moving back and forth between juice and sugar water tends to make for some not-so-great tasting sugar water kefir. Let me know if you need more info on that

Metal tends to be hard on the grains but I know sometimes that's all that's around. Just try to pour off the kefir best you can and retain the grains in the jar. It's okay if a little kefir is left.

If you want to PM me you e-mail address I can send you a copy of the water kefir instructions I send out--they're simpler.

[elizawill]

i do use spring water. i add organic sugar, small amount of molasses, and a lemon with the peel cut off (since it isn't organic). if i want to add fruit, i would add it during this stage. i let it ferment for 36 hours (seems to be the magic number here). if i want to add juice, i add it after i remove the kefir & let it sit for another day. my favorite is pineapple juice. it taste like yummy soda. when i'm not using my kefir, i just use table sugar and spring water... maybe not the most popular, but it works great (it grows like crazy with table sugar). as for the strainer, i just use a nut milk bag. you could easily user a *new* pair of knee high stockings though (kinda gross, lol, but it would work perfectly). just double them up & turn the top over the lip of your container - then pour the kefir in the knee high as a strainer. then, remove the knee high & turn it inside out to put them in the new container. dip them in the spring water to remove excess, ykwim? i hope that makes sense. that's how i make mine with the nut milk bag. hth.

[mimi!]

keifer and candida

Hi all,
Does anyone know whether or not it would be good to use water keifer for candida sufferers? (We cannot tolerate milk protein, so I thought I'd look into water grains). Any thoughts? Experiences with?
Thanks!

[stephienoodle]

Mimi, water kefir is the only thing that keeps my yeast issues in check. I can't do dairy either. I drink a quart or two a day... but you might want to start small. I started off drinking a cup or so at first but I still had some funky belly issues for a couple of days.

[mimi!]

Originally Posted by stephienoodle

Mimi, water kefir is the only thing that keeps my yeast issues in check. I can't do dairy either. I drink a quart or two a day... but you might want to start small. I started off drinking a cup or so at first but I still had some funky belly issues for a couple of days.

So do you think the grains 'eat' all the sugar then? And just the good bacteria is left for the gi tract?

[WuWei]

Originally Posted by mimi!

So do you think the grains 'eat' all the sugar then? And just the good bacteria is left for the gi tract?

Yes.

Pat

[stephienoodle]

If you're concerned about the sugar content, you can let it go for a little bit of a longer ferment. I often let mine go for 48 hours and it is sour by that point. There's very little sugar left.

[mimi!]

Originally Posted by stephienoodle

If you're concerned about the sugar content, you can let it go for a little bit of a longer ferment. I often let mine go for 48 hours and it is sour by that point. There's very little sugar left.

That's very interesting! And the grains do not suffer as a result of being left so long? but still continue to thrive?

[WuWei]

Originally Posted by mimi!

That's very interesting! And the grains do not suffer as a result of being left so long? but still continue to thrive?

There are more beneficial microbials when it brews longer, up until about a week. After that, the sugar has turned to alcohol and could start pickling the grains. Max alcohol content is only 5%, so no worries unless you are drinking pints!

24-48 hour brew is less than 1% alcohol, per my recollection.


Pat