kefir - looking for a good water recipe - lactose issues - Page 3

[xenabyte]

Originally Posted by JaneS

Heather

Kombucha also has the beneficial yeast strain, Saccharomyces boulardii, a popular treatment in Europe against candida infections ("yeast against yeast") and also c. difficile. It also increases the immunoglobulin IgA.

Yea, I'm liking my Kombucha for a 'non dairy' equivalent to my milk kefir, vitamin and nutrient wise (on days where I'm not in the mood for milk).

I had more info on it but was rushing off to my Midwife and was trying to type, tie the kids shoes and run out the door

I agree, it's all about fighting the bad bacteria and yeasts with the good ones...rather than killing off everything and letting who know what grow to fill the space...

Oh, tasted the 'orange slice' kefir water. It was very light. I think it needs either some pure juice poured in or the whole orange sliced up. It was good, but the fresh strawberry is my favorite over the orange, currently.

I ate the orange slice and it was good though....usually I toss the fruit, but yum...

Heather

[yitlan]

Originally Posted by xenabyte

Oh, tasted the 'orange slice' kefir water. It was very light. I think it needs either some pure juice poured in or the whole orange sliced up. It was good, but the fresh strawberry is my favorite over the orange, currently.

I ate the orange slice and it was good though....usually I toss the fruit, but yum...

Heather

Good timing. I had just set my orange slice batch to brew. I had put in half an orange's slices. I went back and squeezed another orange for it's juice and added it. We'll see how it goes!

[yitlan]

Originally Posted by xenabyte

Oh, tasted the 'orange slice' kefir water. It was very light. I think it needs either some pure juice poured in or the whole orange sliced up. It was good, but the fresh strawberry is my favorite over the orange, currently.

I ate the orange slice and it was good though....usually I toss the fruit, but yum...

Heather

Good timing. I had just set my orange slice batch to brew. I had put in half an orange's slices. I went back and squeezed another orange for it's juice and added it. We'll see how it goes!

[Gale Force]

I've got an orange slice batch brewing but I put about four mondo slices in there. I think it has potential. But the first batch is definitely better -- water+sugar for a day, remove grains, add orange juice. This morning I tasted it. Damn. That's good stuff. Of course I let mine nearly reach the vinegar stage before consuming too much. If I weren't so darned fat, I'd drink the whole jar full. Frederick had a glassful and took a serving to preschool. I won't tell them I'm calling it "hooch."

[Annabel]

So, I know how to tell when the milk kefir is ready, but how do you tell with water kefir? It's not like the water will seperate into curds and whey, right?
I made my first batch of water kefir last night, using well rinsed milk grains. I put them in a jar with water, sugar, ginger and lemon slices. How do I know when it is ready to drink?

[xenabyte]

With water kefir you will notice tiny bubbles moving from the bottom of the jar near the grains, and rising to the top, especially if you gently 'bump' or shake the jar.

In 12 hours you will have a fairly cultured (with probiotics) brew...and up to 24 hours is recommended. 48 hours is possible, but you are pushing the getting into 'hooch' realm...and a more vinagery drink...

Also note, if you are using a milk grain that you are converting to 'water kefir' brew...you might have to let it adjust a few brew cycles and toss the resulting water kefir, as it may have some off or unpleasant (but harmless) flavors.... Even once it's been used this way for a good week, there is still this 'under-current' of milk kefir flavor that I don't really care for.

If you hear us raving about water kefir brews...we are using the water grains, which will give it a much 'cleaner' pure taste. Just warning you...haha...you may think we are all soft in the head if you taste your first brew and go BLECH!!!

I think the converted dairy to water grains are best suited to stronger ferments, like pure juice (apple, orange, grape) as they will cover or mask that 'dairy' grain taste.

Heather

[Annabel]

Thanks I'll let my husband try it first...... he's not a big fan of milk kefir, so I thought a watery brew might be something he could drink. The water grains just seem too hard to get (took me about a year and a half to track down some milk ones....... finally got some from Dom the next suburb over from me ) so I thought I would try converting some milk ones first, since they are growing so quickly.

[xenabyte]

Annabel, I'd be happy to try to ship to Australia once I have enough of a batch of water grains to send...

You never know, you might like the flavor much better! Then you can send some over to the Dom...haha

Heather

[Annabel]

I'll certainly keep that in mind, thanks.

[artisticat]

ok, what does it mean when your milk kefir is not kefiring the milk, but just getting a thick coating around them?

[Annabel]

Are you shaking the jar at all? It helps to gently shake the jar especially in the first few hours so all the milk can get to the grains.

I have just tried my first water kefir brew..... it's not too bad. I'm wondering if maybe I didn't leave it long enough because it's still reasonably sweet. Is it supposed to be sweet? I left it almost 48 hours but it's not vinegary at all, and it had bubbles but not a LOT of bubbles. I have no idea what it is supposed to taste like, so even though it tastes nice I might have done it wrong

[Threefold]

Originally Posted by xenabyte

Annabel, I'd be happy to try to ship to Australia once I have enough of a batch of water grains to send...

could you ship to California

[xenabyte]

Originally Posted by artisticat

ok, what does it mean when your milk kefir is not kefiring the milk, but just getting a thick coating around them?

Trying to visualize....

Ok, the grains are getting little 'curds' or clumps of thickened stuff around them, but the rest of the milk seems still 'thin' like it's not turned yet?

I would say that you need to swirl the jar a few times during culturing to help distribute the probiotic goodies that will help convert it. You can swirl it now and let it sit a few more hours. If that doesn't help...

When you get the grains out of the milk, you gently press then with a rubber spatula or spoon and knock off some of the curd formation. Sometimes it gets too thick, and the probiotic goodness can't get out far enough to work on all the milk and it just makes curds right next to and surrounding the grains. It's ok...they just need a little help with 'distribution'.

If they continue to do this, I'd wonder about the grains. Usually a gentle 'cleansing in filtered (NO CHLORINATED WATER PLEASE) will help with any heavy protein build up. If that doesn't work, then it might be time for more grains....

[xenabyte]

Originally Posted by the_dalai_mama

could you ship to California

I've shipped to Canada and beyond...and anywhere in the states is fine.

Just warning you all...I've had so many requests (which I don't mind) but it is taking a bit of time to manage it all, so I might add on a few bucks to shipping costs to keep me in baggies, paper and ink for my printer for those info sheets and such. I'll let you know. I think I have you on my list already, too, Dalai Mama

[xenabyte]

Originally Posted by Annabel

Are you shaking the jar at all? It helps to gently shake the jar especially in the first few hours so all the milk can get to the grains.

I have just tried my first water kefir brew..... it's not too bad. I'm wondering if maybe I didn't leave it long enough because it's still reasonably sweet. Is it supposed to be sweet? I left it almost 48 hours but it's not vinegary at all, and it had bubbles but not a LOT of bubbles. I have no idea what it is supposed to taste like, so even though it tastes nice I might have done it wrong

It is a pleasantly sweet taste. You can go another day *try to stick to the 48 hours* if you don't like that much sweet. I like the sweet...

If you want something closer to hooch (you get more alcohol content with water grains, as the sugar goes away)...then you can go a bit longer...but keep an eye on it...haha... You don't want to starve the grains for too long, or they stop growing as well.

You can do as Amanda does, she removes the grains and starts a new batch in a new jar. Then she adds in fruit juice to the 48 hour brew, to help the fermenting even more, and continues to leave it at room temp to REALLY ferment the brew (I'm guessing for a day or two more). It will not be very sweet, closer to fermented wine or homemade 'hooch'.

Happy brewing.

[Threefold]

Originally Posted by xenabyte

I've shipped to Canada and beyond...and anywhere in the states is fine.

Just warning you all...I've had so many requests (which I don't mind) but it is taking a bit of time to manage it all, so I might add on a few bucks to shipping costs to keep me in baggies, paper and ink for my printer for those info sheets and such. I'll let you know. I think I have you on my list already, too, Dalai Mama

Of course you should be reimbursed for all supplies! I, for one, am greatful to be on the lists!





I've got my milk kefir grains, and am ready to go, but would like to know what sort of container you all have found to work best, and can I heat the milk in a metal pan?

[carnelian]

I just brewed my first batch of non-dairy kefir. I converted some milk grains using a quart of apple/lemon/thyme juice and let it ferment for 36 hrs. The resulting brew was barely sweet, more like ACV without the sharpness and very refreshing. Very popular here. The grains are now doing their work on some dark cherry juice.

I'm ambivalent about us consuming kefired juice because of the sugar. Do the grains break it down completely? I realize that dairy kefir will have milk sugars in it and I'm wondering about juice kefir. Does the lack of sweet taste mean all the sugar has been broken down?

[Gale Force]

Originally Posted by carnelian

I'm ambivalent about us consuming kefired juice because of the sugar. Do the grains break it down completely? I realize that dairy kefir will have milk sugars in it and I'm wondering about juice kefir. Does the lack of sweet taste mean all the sugar has been broken down?

It's all about how long it brews. Just taste it -- if it's approaching vinegar, it's very low in sugar. Same with the milk kefir.

[Gale Force]

Originally Posted by the_dalai_mama

I've got my milk kefir grains, and am ready to go, but would like to know what sort of container you all have found to work best, and can I heat the milk in a metal pan?

I use glass jars -- from quart to gallon size depending on the project. Are you heating the kefir after it's made? Why? Or before? Why? Regardless, just don't heat the grains and don't put them into a hot jar (like one just removed from a hot dishwasher.

[Gale Force]

Originally Posted by xenabyte

You can do as Amanda does, she removes the grains and starts a new batch in a new jar. Then she adds in fruit juice to the 48 hour brew, to help the fermenting even more, and continues to leave it at room temp to REALLY ferment the brew (I'm guessing for a day or two more). It will not be very sweet, closer to fermented wine or homemade 'hooch'.

I like the approach of removing the grains because then I don't get the grains mixed up with orange pulp and other such things. And after I remove the grains and add more juice, I can let it sit until it reaches whatever stage of doneness I desire.

I have yet to make any real serious hooch, but depending on my posting patterns this weekend, you may have some idea of my progress. My husband and son will be gone for two days and I'll have to keep myself occupied. :

My grains are now light brown from my unrefined cane sugar. Too bad -- they were like crystals before. But the flavor in the sugar is very nice.