Making kefir

[wendy1221]

I got kefir grains from a great mama here (thanks so much!) and I've had it for 2 days. THe first batch I meant to keep for making pancakes, but I took a sip and I was so horrified, I poured it down the sink without thinking. That was yesterday. Today, it wasn't yet a full 24 hours, but when I went to swirl the milk, it was in a solid clump. Is that normal? THe poor kefir grain blob was drowned in cream (again, is that normal?) I tasted it again and I thought it tasted AWFUL. Is this an acquired taste? I LOVE yogurt, but I HATE milk. This kefir was a solid mass that turned to the consistency of thin yogurt when I shook it. So I assume that means it was done? I had ds 1 taste it and he said it tasted ok, but he wouldn't drink more than that one sip. So I made it into ice cream (lots of fruit--pears, apple, banana frozen cherries, and stevia to sweeten.) All 3 of my kids ate it up, but I could only eat one bite. It tastes so nasty to me. Not sour at all like yogurt. It tasted SLIGHTLY yogurty, but it mostly tasted like milk, which I think is nasty. Should I let it go longer? Even if it's pretty solid? I think part of the problem is the milk I get is 100% grassfed and I think the flavor is just too strong for me. I can eat other yogurt plain, but yogurt made from this milk has to be sweet and flavored for me to eat it (I LOVE the vanilla yogurt they make!) Any ideas here? I have been milk and most dairy free for about 8 years now, so this is a big step for me. Should I try Organic Valley milk first and slowly work my way to this good milk?

[velcromom]

Your description sounds normal to me, I'm no expert though! It sounds like maybe you have a lot of grains for the amount of milk you used, mine ferments in less time when I use less milk or there is a lot of grains. The consistency sounds right, like thin yogurt once you mixed it all up & strained?

I don't like the taste much either, I don't like the taste of milk itself and am not even crazy about yogurt unless it's sweetened to death. But as an ingredient in other things, I'm ok with it. I think that yes, it is an acquired taste. I do like the dips I can make with it by draining it in cheesecloth, you get a thick stuff like yogurt cheese which is really tart but can be seasoned to create a veggie dip or sandwich spread. Somehow I don't mind a cheesy thing being tart, I just don't like it in a milk beverage.

One thing we did that we are enjoying a lot is that I separated a bunch of grains and converted them to juice/water kefir. That is not so much of a stretch taste-wise, and my ds2 will drink it happily too.

[memory maker]

this sounds normal. I cant drink milk kefir straight. I have to mix it into a smoothie to be able to drink it. I actually prefer water kefir to milk kefir now though

[wendy1221]

So you can use milk kefir grains to make water/juice kefirs? Somehow I though t they were 2 different things. Thanks!

[saratc]

Originally Posted by wendy1221

So you can use milk kefir grains to make water/juice kefirs? Somehow I though t they were 2 different things. Thanks!

You can convert milk kefir grains to water kefir grains, but once you do, you can't use them for making milk kefir anymore. They also will not proliferate. You can get water kefir grains, which are clear instead of white.

[wendy1221]

Oh, by the way, my kefir yesterday was too thick to strain.I just scooped the grain clump out.