Juice Kefir question!

[cjr]

I took some of my milk kefir grains and put them in 2c of concord grape juice. How long do I leave it there? On day 2 it was still tasting like grape juice, today on day 3 it tastes like sparkling grape juice. Is it supposed to loose the sweetness? How long can I leave it?

[xenabyte]

Dom Quote:

"Water-kefir may also be cultured with milk-kefir grains, by transferring the grails to a sugar solution.

When doing so, the initial first three or so batches may take 3-5 days to ferment the new water and juice-based media [this is known as a Lag phase].

Within 7 to 14 days one should find that the grain's microflora have adapted to the new media. From then on, the microflora should be able to complete the fermentation within 48 hours.

This is because the microflora of milk-based kefir grains needs some time to adapt to the new type of medium [sugar/water]. So one should expect this to occur, so it is recommendable to brew with patience when deciding to transfer milk kefir-grains to a new medium such as any recipe for preparing water-kefir explained below."

Here is his [edited]recipe for Grape Juice Kefir using Milk Grains:

"To culture Kefir d'uva use 1 part grape juice to 1 part water as a general base.
Fill the jar 2/3 add the kefir grains then fit a tight lid on the jar and ferment for 24 to 48 hours at room temperature.
Strain the Kefir d'uva.

When brewing Kefir d'uva, one may use bottled grape juice only as long as the juice is 100% pure juice, without any added preservatives.

Although using juice from freshly squeezed grapes has an advantage not just due to freshness but on a microbial level by providing friendly bacteria and yeast, which are part of the native microflora of fresh organically grown fruits. This microflora is evident as a white film found on the surface of grape skins."

So after your initial 'lag' phase, you should be brewing about every 48 hours.

[cjr]

How do I know when it's ready. I went back to Dom's site and could not find the answer to that one. Is it ready when it's fizzy, or when it looses it's sweetness?

[xenabyte]

Well, it should be 'ok' to drink by 48 hours. If it's 'fizzy' that's a good sign that it is 'active' with cultures (the good stuff you want to be drinking, besides just grape juice). If you go a bit longer (which is safe, as long as it's still 'active') then it will get less sweet, but it's a matter of 'taste' then, not 'doneness'...if that makes sense?

I have let mine go a minimum of two days, and up to a week. It's all 'ok', but it does tastes less 'sweet' the longer it goes.

[cjr]

Well, the first batch was fizzy after two days. However, then I read on Dom's site to cut the juice with water. So, I ditched it. Now, it's been 24 hours and the new stuff is really fizzy. I added half the juice of a lemmon as one of Dom's suggestions. I think I will leave it until tomorrow. If it's still sweet then the girls will drink it because I can get away with telling them it's my own home made soda pop. :LOL

[mountain mom]

We have let our juice kefir (converted milk grains) go as long as 7 days and and as short as 24 hours depending on demand etc.

The 7 day stuff Dh and I mostly drink because it gets pretty sour.

I have used concord grape, white grape, apple juice, and apple cidar with the converted juice grains. I have never used a cut lemon with them only with the water grains.

DD affectionately calls the grape kefir, fizzy now. :LOL

[Ilovelife]

I cut my first couple batches with water & tried lemon a couple times, too. Also tried the ginger kefir water recipes (with converted milk grains). But I prefer just straight grape juice with grains left in for anywhere from 2 to 7+ (that was an oops! the kefir is hiding behind the crock pot & I forgot about it!) days. It's always fizzy & yummy. Dd loves it, but I don't let her drink *too* much.

[Hibou]

I just made some with pure grape juice. It was fizzy after 2 days so we drank it. I diluted ds's a bit and put it in a wine glass and gave it to him with dinner. He called it "kid wine". He loved it.

[clothdiapermama]

i don't know the advantages of using kefir. could you please educate me? why use it in juice? (what benefits?) my small knowledge of kefir is that it is a yogurt alternative - although it sounds like i am misinformed.
tia!

[cjr]

Well, I'm trying to get my kids (particularily the oldest) to drink kefir. My youngest will try anything, but the oldest won't. She will drink smoothies, but she doesn't alway want a smoothie. The benefit is that the kefir grains produce the lactic acid in the juice, so you still get some good probiotic benefits from drinking it.

The lemon in the red grape juice made it more tart after 2 days. The youngest dd loved it, but the oldest was at school and now it's all gone. So I will brew up some more tonight. It's good that you can leave it for more than a day or two, that's the only PINB thing with the milk kefir. If I let the milk kefir go to seperation then I get a very curdy tart kefir, and we all like the thicker, creamier milk kefir.