A few kefir questions...

[maple_mama]

I received my first kefir grains on Monday, and have made a few batches of raw cow's milk kefir. (I'm assuming it was successful--it smelled and tasted kinda like runny plain yogurt??) I would like to try to make coconut milk kefir to soak oats/grains that I will be cooking, so I don't have to heat up and use up my raw milk. Can I switch my kefir grains back and forth between cow's milk and coconut milk? Do I need to wash my kefir grains off between switching? Also, when I'm cooking after soaking (like with pancakes and oatmeal), does the beneficial bacteria die off when it's heated? Thanks in advance!

[dogmom327]

Originally Posted by maple_mama

I received my first kefir grains on Monday, and have made a few batches of raw cow's milk kefir. (I'm assuming it was successful--it smelled and tasted kinda like runny plain yogurt??) I would like to try to make coconut milk kefir to soak oats/grains that I will be cooking, so I don't have to heat up and use up my raw milk. Can I switch my kefir grains back and forth between cow's milk and coconut milk? Do I need to wash my kefir grains off between switching? Also, when I'm cooking after soaking (like with pancakes and oatmeal), does the beneficial bacteria die off when it's heated? Thanks in advance!

It sounds like your kefir grains are working--runny yogurt sound right

You can switch back and forth between cow and coconut milk. Technically the kefir grains may need a batch or two to adjust but usually they don't and will kefir quite nicely. As they begin to multiply (usually after 6-8 weeks if they were dehydrated) you can also just split them and use one for milk and one for coconut milk although the CM grains will need to spend 24 hours or so in cow milk every few weeks to revitalize.

Temperatures above 115 start to kill off bacteria (same as if you heat raw milk) with the higher temperatures killing off a larger proportion of the bacteria. That being said, making kefir changes the composition of the milk leaving it with less lactose, etc. so ultimately even if you don't benefit from all the beneficial bacteria, there is still potentially an argument that you are better off with the kefir than you would be with just milk.