[tboroson]

This is really wierd. I've never seen anything like this happen before.

I seem to make my kefir slightly faster than I use it, so I frequently put a finished jar, with the grains, in the fridge for a day or two before straining it to use. I just took a jar out that I'd put in there two days ago and opened it. The top looked... different. Drier, slightly fuzzy, mottled. I think my kefir grew mold!

I'm going to pitch this batch (really sucks because that means no smoothie today or tomorrow) and rinse my grains. Boy, I hope this hasn't affected my grains

 

[Leilalu]

I don't know...

but lately i have gotten lazy with mine and need to brush up on m reading about kefir. I do that too, where I put it in the frdige before straining. Then in the morning I strain and put it in the blender with whatever flavoring.

I think I had a bad batch too. Dh accidentally infected the grains and i rinsed them off in milk. Are they okay do you think? I made a batch since, but haven't strained or drank any of it yet....

 

[tboroson]

Ya know, if I'd been smart, I would have scraped the questionable top off before straining it, so I could have sniffed/tasted it. I'm just guessing it was mold because it didn't look quite like normal. But it wasn't discolored...

Well, I couldn't bring myself to pitch it. But, neither could I drink it this morning

I put it in a jar and stuck it in the fridge. If it was mold, it'll be moldy on top again by tomorrow. Then it'll be obvious.

 

[gardenmommy]

You could try rinsing your grains with water (filtered only, as even well water can have trace amounts of chlorine if it has ever been treated), then letting them sit in some fresh grape juice for a day or two. I've done this a time or two when the bacteria/yeast balance got a bit out of whack.

Then, just transfer them directly to fresh milk.

 

[Gale Force]

Yep, this is the velvet look. That's a good sign that it sat too long. I have consumed it before and it didn't kill me, but maybe I got lucky.

 

[gardenmommy]

I've let mine sit so long that the top was completely covered with a nice velvety thick goopy yuckiness. I just strain out the grains, put them in fresh milk, and use the kefir in smoothies or baking. I've done this more times than I can recall, and we're still kicking! (some of us more than others!)

 

[tboroson]

I've seen it look velvety before, but this looked a little different - kind of splotchy. But, I wonder if I was just too sleepy and overthinking things