How to make Kefir at home

1. ACQUIRE KEFIR GRAINS.

These are not the same as the powdered starter culture which can be hard to get going yourself and require strict growing conditions. The best way to find someone who is already making Kefir and ask if they can share some live grains with you. I always have an abundance of grains ready to share, drop a comment below if you would like some.

2. PLACE YOUR GRAINS IN A CLIP TOP GLASS JAR AND ADD APPROXIMATELY ONE CUP OF MILK. USE A PLASTIC OR WOODEN SPOON. DO NOT USE A METAL SPOON.

Kilner jars or similar, with the flip top air tight seal are best.

Kefir grains thrive best between 68 and 77 degrees, so you may have to find a better suitable spot if your kitchen is especially warm or cold. For one week, strain using a plastic fine mesh sieve, discard the milk, put the Kefir grains back in the jar and refill with milk, continue this process for the week. Don’t feel discouraged when nothing magical happens. It will, just not yet… once the week is over, your grains should have grown and its possible you have double the amount of grains you started with. After this week, you can start making Kefir.

3. YOUR FIRST BATCH OF KEFIR SHOULD BE READY AFTER 24 HOURS, USE A STRAINER TO POUR THE MILK KEFIR INTO A ANOTHER VESSEL.

If the Milk has separated and looks clearer at the bottom this is completely normal, its the separation (Curds and Whey) Give it a stir and pour the Kefir through the sieve, into a bowl or jug, catching your grains in the sieve, you may need to use your spoon to move it around the sieve pushing all your lovely Kefir into the bowl/jug.

4. REPEAT THE STEPS AND DONT FORGET TO BURP!

When you have put your grains into another clip top jar and filled with milk, your ready to leave again for another 24 hours. Don't forget to burp it. Half way through or a few times depending on how lively your grains are fermenting, its good to lift the clip top lid and let out some of the gas, this prevents an explosion, no one wants kefir dripping from the ceiling. Its a ferment at the end of the day.

5. STORE YOUR KEFIR

When each batch is fermented, you can store in bottles or jars and keep in the fridge for 7-10 days. Naturally it will continue to ferment albeit very slowly, so the longer its in the fridge the stronger it will taste.

if you find your grains are growing too quick and you have too much Kefir than you can consume, you can pop your kefir grains in the milk and place in the fridge, this will not stop fermentation process but it will be considerably slower allowing you to consume what you have already made. To get going and make more Kefir, just remove from the fridge and leave on your kitchen worktop to start the quicker fermentation process.

If you are new to Kefir and using for probiotic health purposes, it is best to start with a small amount and work up.

For people who aren't used to the taste, add some fruit to make it a fruity probiotic drink.

Any questions, please comment below.

Happy Fermenting