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summer kefir help--it's one big goopy mess

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894 views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  kelluna  
#1 ·
Ever since the weather turned warm, I can't get my kefir to turn out. When I pull the grains out they have these long strings of snot-like milk on them, and the kefir itself is one gelatinous mass that I can't get through the pasta strainer. (I can't stand the consistency, so my grains are dormant in the fridge right now.) I've tried putting it in a portable cooler with two or one ice packs to vary the temp, and I've tried altering the number of grains. It's either almost completely runny or a big blob. Any tips?

TIA,
kelluna
 
#2 ·
The snot like milk is normal. Try giving the jar a good shake, or take a chopstick or narrow wooden spoon and give it a really good stir. Making sure you use a strainer with adequately wide holes, drain the kefir a little at a time over it. Thump the strainer over your bowl or run a nylon spatula back and forth over it. The hard grains should stay in the strainer and the soft kefir curds should fall into your bowl.

I actually love the summer kefir. It's so thick and makes the best smoothies. The runny batches are underdone. But your done batches will be very thick and curdy, so you'll need to follow the above process.