Here are some kefir instructions I wrote, based on what I've learned on Dom's site and other places. Truly, making kefir from a live grain is not involved
at all. You just drop your lump of grain into a mason jar, screw the lid on, and forget about it for 24-48 hours. Then scoop the floating grain out with a spoon and put it in a new jar of milk. That's it! But here are the extended instructions if anyone wants them. FWIW, I have mailed grains and instructions to dozens of people and none of them had any difficulty making kefir with them
You will need:
1 quart-sized mason jar with lid (a mayonnaise jar works great)
Milk of any kind (cow/goat/sheep, raw or pasteurized)
Fill the glass jar 2/3 full of milk and drop in your kefir grain(s). It's fine to use cold milk straight out of the fridge. Screw the lid on tightly and set on your kitchen counter for 24 hours. When you come back the following day, the milk should have solidified into the consistency of yogurt. (If this hasn’t happened yet, let sit for another day.) Use a spoon to scoop out the kefir grain if it’s floating on top. (If it sinks, you may need to pour your kefir through a colander to retrieve the grain.) Put the grain in a fresh jar of milk and repeat process. Kefir may be consumed right away or stored in the refrigerator in a glass or plastic container. Kefir will stay fresh in the fridge for many months. (Note: Once you stir up the kefir, it will be a more liquid consistency than yogurt.)
In warm weather, kefir may culture quickly. You’ll notice that the milk has separated into curds and whey. This is normal. If you want to, you can shake the jar to mix the whey and solids before consuming.
Cultured milk products such as kefir are on the acidic end of the pH spectrum. When kefir comes into prolonged contact with metal, it tends to corrode the metal and take on a metallic flavor. So if you use a metal lid on your mason jar, just be careful that the kefir doesn’t touch the lid.
Ripened kefir (as per Dom’s site
http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/Makekefir.html ). After the kefir has been culturing for 24 hours, you may wish to remove the grains (place them in fresh milk) and put the lid back on the jar of kefir. Allow to stand another 24 hours at room temperature. (The active enzymes in the kefir will protect it from going bad.) This ripening period burns off most of the lactose, thus rendering the kefir more suitable for people with difficulties digesting lactose. It also greatly increases the folic acid content (great for pregnant moms!) and gives the kefir a more sour flavor. If you let your kefir ripen for a few days, you may notice a fuzzy white layer on its surface. This is known as the "flowers of kefir" (according to Dom) and is simply evidence of natural yeast. Stir it in before consuming.
Taking a break from kefir: If you are going on vacation or just want to take a break from making kefir every day, grains can be stored in your refrigerator. Simply put them in a jar of fresh milk and cover tightly, then put in the fridge. The grains will go partially dormant and slowly convert the milk into kefir. In a quart-size mason jar, it will take 2-3 days for the milk to become kefir. So if you’re going away for an extended period, put the grains in a larger container of milk.
Grain growth: As your grains grow, you’ll need to separate them into smaller pieces (otherwise the grain will be too big for the quart jar of milk, and production will slow down.) To separate grains, simply pull them apart of cut with a clean knife.
Extra grains: After separating your grains, you’ll have some extras. You may wish to give these away to friends. They can also be dropped in the blender with your kefir to create a smoothie (the grains are packed with probiotics and good for you to eat.) Or you can dehydrate some of them as backups in case anything goes wrong with your active grains. To do this, simply rinse the grains in cool water (hot water will kill them!) and lay on a clean cloth with another clean cloth covering them. Leave for a few days and they’ll dry out naturally. Or put in a food dehydrator at very low temp (no warmer than 95*F). When you want to reactivate them, simply put the dry grains in a small amount of fresh milk. The first few batches will not have the full balance of kefir yeasts and bacteria because the grain has been dormant. Simply toss these out and put the grains in fresh milk again. After a few days, you’ll notice the kefir tastes and smells normal.
Health benefits: Kefir is excellent for repopulating a healthy digestive tract after a course of antibiotics. It also helps correct candida overgrowth and generally strengthens your immune system. More information is available at
http://www.mercola.com/forms/kefir.htm and
http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefir-faq.html
. So, for those of you cultivate this goodness, how much time and energy does it actually take?
Not what I was expecting.
Yeah it was a culture 
Thanks, mama! Wow I feel so appreciated 
