kefir - looking for a good water recipe - lactose issues - Page 5

[Gale Force]

Oh man, I just went to buy Full Moon Feast but I can't use paypal right now. Our car was broken into Tuesday night and the checkbook was in there. The checkbook was found, but we started a new account anyway and so the paypal is not funded yet. But if this is the biggest impact on me personally, it ain't bad.

[Boadicea]

Originally Posted by Gale Force

Do you find that straining the grains is a lot harder or is it just the fact that you have to keep them going?

It's not harder to strain the grains, it's just that I'm not so worried about doing everything "just right" to keep them alive and flourishing. KWIM? And there is no guess work, really, with the powder. The kefir turns out perfectly every time, as long as you don't let it ferment for too long. Plus, I would shake it up really well when I first started the kefir, and then maybe one more time, and I wouldn't have to worry about it again until it was ready to go in the fridge. Just less hassle, and lately, I feel like pretty much everything about trying to eat in this manner is a hassle. (Especially as I have no "community" here IRL ... no one to can things with, no one to talk natural gardening with, no one who is the least bit interested in whole foods or cares at all about poisoning their bodies with HFCS and PHVO and the like. I'm feeling pretty sorry for myself these days -- just ignore me.)

Sorry to hear about your car/checkbook, though glad you recovered it! Where were you going to order the book using PayPal?

[Gale Force]

Boadicea,

Don't worry one more minute about your grains or stirring/shaking the concoction. Everything will be fine. People have done horrible things to grains and they have survived. They are very resilient.

Some days the only adults I talk to are you guys. But my mom lives with us and that helps a lot.

Amanda

Originally Posted by Boadicea

Sorry to hear about your car/checkbook, though glad you recovered it! Where were you going to order the book using PayPal?

She has her own website and takes paypal orders.

[ChristieB]

I'm glad I found this thread. I've been following it for awhile now. I'm one who used honey with my water kefir grains. And I believe the person who sent them to me used honey, too. I only did it twice with honey, so I'm trying to revive the grains using the method described by Heather. I have a few larger grains now (most of them are still very small), and the kefir is a lot less alcoholic now, so maybe the grains are reviving??? I realize that some of you are *trying* for alcohol (try using honey as the sweetener for the kefir, that worked for me ), but we avoid alcohol in this house, so we're relieved that this kefir now tastes like something we can drink.

But, how do I know if the grains are revived? How do I know if their mix of probiotics is back to what it's supposed to be? And the last batch of kefir was still sweet after 72 hrs. Is this normal? For that batch, I used 6 Tbs. sugar for 1 quart of water. This latest batch, I used 4 Tbs sugar, and we're not quite to 48 hrs., but last time I checked, it was still pretty sweet. Since I haven't been exposed to kefir before, I don't really know what to expect. I only have my earlier (honey) batches to compare with.

I really want this to work. We've got gut issues here, and from everything I've read, this will be a good thing. If I can get it working right, that is.

Christie

[Gale Force]

Christie,

It's hard to say about the actual probiotic environment. It's possible it's changed a bit and hard to know if for the better or worse.

I just started with this and the batches from the first two weeks were very sweet for many days. I'm just starting my third week and things are picking up. The weather is getting warmer now which helps.

I would say that the grains are OK if you start getting some fizz and if they start growing. I would think within a week of brewing everyday that you should start to see a noticable change in the amount that you have and their size. If this happens, I would just keep brewing.

Amanda

[ChristieB]

Amanda,

You brought up something else I've noticed. There's not much fizz anymore. And some grains (esp. the bigger ones) used to float to the top, and I only have one or two at the top now. I guess I'll just keep on brewing and see what happens. And I've asked Heather to add me her list (which I understand is long), just in case. Hopefully things will improve. Our kitchen is pretty warm, I think (about 75 degrees or more during the day, dropping to about 69 or 70 at night). It will get a little warmer, but not a lot, since we're in the mountains. Thanks for helping!

Christie

[Gale Force]

Christie,

Give them one more week.

Amanda

[carnelian]

Originally Posted by Gale Force

I would say that the grains are OK if you start getting some fizz and if they start growing. I would think within a week of brewing everyday that you should start to see a noticable change in the amount that you have and their size.

Amanda

Gale Force, my understanding of water/juice grains was that they would continue to ferment things but would not grow any bigger. What's the scoop?

[Gale Force]

Originally Posted by carnelian

Gale Force, my understanding of water/juice grains was that they would continue to ferment things but would not grow any bigger. What's the scoop?

Do you mean milk grains that you convert to use for juice drinks? In that case, they don't grow.

If they are the water kefir strain of grains, then they do grow. Unless you've tormented them, then they may not grow.

[ChristieB]

Originally Posted by Gale Force

Christie,

Give them one more week.

Amanda

I can do that. I can give them more than that if need be. It's not like I have any others. And I feel so bad that I gave them the wrong thing. It's funny (and not what I expected), but knowing that they're living things weighs on me. I guess it's the mama in me.

Christie

[carnelian]

Ok Amanda, that's what I thought. Yes, they're converted grains. Any ideas as to why the straight water grains grow and the converted ones don't?

I just pulled a batch of lemon juice/agave soda out of the fridge today. It has some real fizz to it just like regular soda and is tasty. It's hard to imagine it has all the benefits that dairy kefir does. Is all the good bacteria still in there in the same amounts it is with the dairy kefir? I'm kefiring for 2 days and then letting it ferment, bottled, for another 2 days in a warm place then chilling it in the fridge.

[Gale Force]

Originally Posted by carnelian

It's hard to imagine it has all the benefits that dairy kefir does. Is all the good bacteria still in there in the same amounts it is with the dairy kefir?

I don't think they are in the same amounts only because the bacteria and yeast will react differently in a different medium, but it is still health-promoting. I make both dairy and water kefir, the dairy with the dairy grains and the water kefir with the water grains. I wouldn't just use the soda in place of the milk kefir because I have had really good luck health-wise with the milk kefir.

[carnelian]

Do you mean health-promoting in the sense of there being the presence of beneficial bacteria? Or are there other aspects to it beyond that? I do know that with the rose hip soda there is the addition of large amounts of natural vitamin C from the rose hips.

[Gale Force]

Originally Posted by carnelian

Do you mean health-promoting in the sense of there being the presence of beneficial bacteria? Or are there other aspects to it beyond that? I do know that with the rose hip soda there is the addition of large amounts of natural vitamin C from the rose hips.

There will be the bacteria which in itself is health-promoting, but different strains might thrive in different liquids with the same grains. And the bacteria will add to the folate content of the beverage. Rose hips are high in C, so they are making that contribution to the soda.

[caedmyn]

Can you make water kefir with just plain water and no sugar? I'm afraid the sugar in the kefir soda recipes is going to feed my candida overgrowth. I know I could culture it longer but then I doubt I would like it!

[Gale Force]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

Can you make water kefir with just plain water and no sugar? I'm afraid the sugar in the kefir soda recipes is going to feed my candida overgrowth. I know I could culture it longer but then I doubt I would like it!

The grains need the sugar. On the diet you are on I think you will be surprised at how you will like the final outcome. I have had juices that turned to vinegar and I winced on the first drink. Then I wanted more. It sits in the stomach well.

[carnelian]

How do I rest my water grains? They're 'converts'

[auntieM]

Oh My!!! What did I do? I have the powdered kefir & made my 4th batch innoculated with a cup of the sugar-kefir-water from my last batch. I had boilled some ginger root to make beer, noticed it still tasted great & threw it in w/ some fresh mint from my back yard. It's sat for 2 days, so I was going to strain of the mint & ginger & put it into bottles. It was totally jelled! :

To illustrate what I mean by jelled:

I overflowed the funnel a couple of times & it followed itself out onto the counter the first time & the floor the second time.

I was able to scoop it up with a pastry scraper. It was liquid enough that I had to use my hand to prevent it from running off.

It doesn't smell off. It smells nice, in fact (minty-gingery). The tiny bit I was brave enough to taste tasted fine.

What happened? Should I chuck it?

[Brookesmom]

I'm dying to hear more about the gelled kefir and want to try water kefiring juices and coconut milk soon. I'd love to hear more of your experiments. I have Full Moon Feast and my empty Gerolsteiner bottles ready to go- I just need water grains now.

-Kelly

[auntieM]

Originally Posted by Brookesmom

I'm dying to hear more about the gelled kefir ...

I was too chicken to consume more than a taste.

I've finally started to let my concoctions sit at room temp long enough to get some fizz. Yummmm! My favorite so far has been the rosehip hibiscus cooler in full moon feast.