Milk kefir, grains vs. powder

[Rachel J.]

Are there any differences in kefir made from a powder starter and that made with grains? I have some grains coming but have been using powder. The powder starter made a nice, thick (thicker than my homemade yogurt) drink that is sour like yogurt with just a bit of fizzy taste, very good. Sounds like what has been brewing here but I'm wondering if I should expect something different with the grains?

[Prairiemother]

That sounds like ours, but I think the grains will make a renewable product. I think too I read it's healther?

[Taedareth]

Someone on this forum recently told me that the reason my kefir grains produce something very different from the store-bought kind is that the mass-produced kefir is made from powder, and it does not have all the probiotic health benefits of the grain kind. I have made 3 batches of grain kefir now, and the first two produced solid curds and clear whey. When I re-mixed these back together, they produced a drink the consistency of regular milk but kind of lumpy. My third batch of kefir turned out more like yogurt (soft, gelatinous curds) which perhaps just means I didn't ferment it long enough.

[Flowergirl~]

Yes, there is a huge difference. I started with kefir starter culture bought at the store where you get the powder and you have to leave it in a little container and let it grow for 1 month in the little container before taking it out. I did the 1 month and followed the instructions diligently and I was very disappointed when I opened it after 1 month and found that they had grown to 2mm in diameter and some of them were red in colour. Freak out! It did produce a nice tasting, smooth kefir though.

I threw that down the drain and got some real kefir grains from Dom. Now those things are kicking, alive and well. During the summer months they were growing like crazy, doubling in size every 2 days. And they are tough.

See this thread and start reading from a few paragraphs to the top, right underneath the kefir consistency picture:

http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/...tml#real-kefir

Kefir starter culture powder is a selection of bacteria put together in a laboratory and it is not as beneficial as the real, natural thing.

Regards, Sunflower