Bought Kefir Grains!
1154 days agoSo I finally took the plunge and bought myself the Kefir grains. No, not the Kefir starter but the real Kefir grains. For those who don’t know the difference between the commercial Kefir starter and the Kefir grains, let me enlighten you. Kefir starters are actually made from cultures extracted from the Kefir grains and made into a powdered form. However, the process to extract all the cultures and yeast is very difficult and thus most (if not all) Kefir starters do NOT have all the cultures and yeast that the Kefir grains have. Kefir grains are the authentic mother culture to produce Kefir and they don’t come in powdered from. They are sort of like a mess of cultures and yeast combined together into something that resemble grains, thus the name Kefir grains.
Okay, I purchased the Kefir grains online from someone in Germany. His name is Michael-Paul Patterson and his website is Timeless Health. The main reason why I purchased from this website is because the owner seemed very knowledgeable about Kefir and Kefir grains. He has tons of video on his website talking about Kefir and the health benefits it provides to the consumer. And his pricing is pretty reasonable. I actually wanted to purchase the Kefir grains from Kefir Dom, but his pricing is a bit on the high side. So, to save some money, I bought from Michael. Anyhow, I think both of them should be suitable sources of Kefir grains but checking out Dom’s website, I am guessing that Dom is the God of the Kefirs. His site has tons of information on making Kefir, growing Kefir grains and well, everything about Kefir and other fermented products. This guy must be bathing in Milk Kefir everyday of his life! If you want to know more about this probiotic cultured milk, you can do no wrong by visiting Dom’s website. The information he has on his site is just mind boogling and might be just a little too much for someone who doesn’t know much about Kefir. And if you are thinking about making Kefir, you should spend a few minutes or maybe an hour browsing through Dom’s website to help you get started. I read nearly the entirely website already and I read it once again. Hey, I need all the information to make the perfect Milk Kefir.
I think it should take about 7 to 10 days for the Kefir grains to arrive. Once it does, I will take a few photos of it. I will, of course take photo of the Kefir making process for you guys to enjoy. I read from Dom’s website that I might need to rehydrate the Kefir grains because it took so long for the grains to arrive. The process is pretty simple – just add milk to it. Then after 24 hours or so, strain the “milk Kefir” and change another batch of milk till the taste and the smell of the Milk Kefir is aromatic instead of stale smelling. It should be producing good tasting Milk Kefir in just about 7 days. I might be also making some Grape Juice Kefir as well. I read that you can use the Milk Kefir grains (spare grains) to make Juice Kefir from most types of juices, isn’t that just amazing?
PS: I came back late today and thus left the yogurt to ferment for more than 24 hours. When I came home, I checked the yogurt I made the day before and found that it was a bit too sour. I guess what they say is right, the longer you ferment the yogurt, the more sour it gets. The trick is the find the right mix of sourness and firmness for the yogurt. The longer you ferment, the more sour and thick the yogurt will be.
It’s such a pity that I only read your post now… coz I am beginning to have spare kefir grains and thinking of sharing them with someone who might appreciate them.. haha!
Well, I only started drinking kefir really recently… maybe 2 wks ago? I was introduced to this by my student’s mum, who is an ardent fan of kefir as well and she has been telling me its benefits and how it has made her gd since she started drinking it almost 20 yrs ago!
I was thus more fortunate in a sense that I got live kefir grains from her, which I start culturing. It’s quite fun, having the first few times as experiments… as I recall my 1st batch of kefir milk was so sour until i had to pour away after a sip. it gets better… and now i am enjoying my kefir milk almost everyday!
tell me when you get your kefir grains and start culturing yah? would love to hear from you on your experience…
p/s: i use the left over kefir on the sieve as my face mask…. it’s quite gd! live AHA. lol!
Ahh…too bad.
I wonder due to the transportation time (7 – 10 days), I wonder whether how many batches of kefir is needed before the kefir tastes decent. I read that the yeast overgrowth will produce a very unpleasant taste in the beginning. Hope that it doesn’t turn me off from kefir!
Did your health improve after taking kefir?
I bought the kefir grains for US$13 (including delivery).
Actually, I think that drinking and enjoying kefir is an acquired taste. I didn’t enjoy the first few batches of kefir that I cultured…mainly too sour, and yes, it does smell a bit like milk turns bad. After a while, when I am used to it, I begin to really like it… I guess it’s like drinking red wine. haha
Oh yah, I have read Dom’s site, and many other sites about culturing kefir… many of them recommended 12 hrs and more, so when I first tried, it was very sour. I thought about it and realise it must be due to different climate and temperature… SG is a tropical country and very humid… so I recommend culturing your kefir for about 6 hrs only for a start ( that is after you “wake up” for dried kefir grains). You can gradually increase and adjust to your liking… so experiments are important to get your personalised kefir milk!
There are many recipes around to making kefir milk… but due to time constraints, and to make my drinking kefir a gd experience, I put some Ribena in….and it is superb! Not the best way, i think, but it is really yummy. Other things that you can put in to make nicer kefir milk is honey or maple syrup… but personally, I still prefer Ribena.
Oh yeah… regarding health… after drinking kefir, I do experience clearing my bowels more regularly and thus a more refreshed and “cleanse” feeling. I believe there are more benefits, just that I am still a young kefir drinker to really see them now. But using it as my face mask is sure beneficial! After a few tries, I already can feel and see that it’s more moisturized and not as dried as b4.
Tried Water Sugar Kefir? I heard that it tastes like soda with just a little alcohol.
How long have you been taking Kefir? I have taken the commerical kefir for about 1 week and, yes it seems that I do go to the toilet more regularly then before, which is a good thing. I hope that the Kefir can help in my current poor state of health.
Anyway, how about yogurt? I am very very keen on yogurt as well. Been making yogurt since last month but it is really killing me financially. The Easiyo sachets cost about 5 -6 bucks per pack for 1kg of yogurt. Tastes quite reasonable and I believe that this is the freshest you can get.
Took kefir for about 2 weeks plus only… almost everyday.
Nope.. never tried water kefir… but maybe I would. After all, my kefir grains are growing so fast… so I may use the spare grains to try water kefir since I also dunno who to give my grains to at this moment. hehe
hmm.. no, never tot of trying yoghurt…and prob will not attempt… at the moment, i m happy with the kefir… taste a bit in between yakult and yogurt…
just out of curiosity, how much did you pay for the kefir starters? n i really wonder if the kefir starters taste different from the actual kefir milk itself… hmmm
For the commercial starters, I paid about US$6 for 2 x 5g packs + shipping. For the difference in taste, I will tell you about it in 1 weeks time when the grains arrive. lol
You mean you don’t eat yogurt or you don’t make yogurt? For making yogurt, just the same as Kefir, but you will need a heating source. I use the Easiyo Yogurt maker but most people call me silly to buy such equipment for making yogurt. Seriously, fresh home made yogurt is much much better than store bought ones both in terms of providing health benefits and taste (in my opinion). I think of it as a dessert after lunch or dinner.
You like Yakult? I find it just a bit too sweet. Anyway, I have not drank yakult for ages already. I have been thinking of making yakult myself by using a little of the yakult and milk to make more yakult. Not sure whether it will work or not.
Haha! When you received your freeze dried grains, you still have to “wake” them up b4 you can start enjoying them.
But hey, rem, to take photos of the dried grains and post…. I never see dried ones b4.
I take yogurt… not a big fan though but will take it once a while. So, no… prob will not think of making yogurt in the near future. As it is, I already find making Kefir taking up quite a bit of time… Just realised this morning that the fruit flies are actually attracted to the wooden spatula that I used to stir my kefir milk when sieving… so I used hot water to “sterilise” it… see if that works… seems like using just plain water to wash is not enough.
i love yakult… drinking it almost every other day since young… but now, i stopped drinking yakult ever since i start on kefir… they taste quite similar ( esp with my ribena… hahaha!) but with much more benefits.
Yakult is indeed quite sweet but no choice as I prefer it to Vitagen. But now with Kefir, I am much happier as I get to control the taste of the cultured milk I want… the sweetness or sourness of it. 
Make Yakult? How do u do it? Tell me more!
Really? Kefir taste like Yakult?? I like Yakult too! hahaha, that would be great.
But the problem is that the yakult we drink is full of sugar and flavourings, so the actual “yakult” taste we have no idea what is it. The only bacteria I know of in Yakult is the lactic bacteria Casei Shirota. And it is supposed to be a good quality of these bacteria in every bottle of yakult. So to make yakult, just add some yakult to milk and ferment. I believe that the ferment temperature should be the same as yogurt (since probiotic yogurt now comes with the casei bacteria as well). Well, this is me guessing of course. No idea how they ferment. Couldn’t find any information on the Internet either.
May I know what kind of milk are you using to make your Kefir? UHT seems to be the best choice for me as I am not very fussy with milk. How about you?
If I am not wrong, you should not use wooden spoons or spatula as bacteria can get in the gaps of the wood. Isn’t plastic a better choice? I read that even stainless steel utensils work fine for Kefir. Hopefully since I am going to use stainless steel utensils for doing my own Kefir.
Anyway, I am eager to start making my Kefir but sadly, my grains have not arrived yet. Boohoo.
Well… kefir dun exactly taste like yakult… actually the magic of kefir is that you can control how sour or sweet u want it to be. if you prefer sour stuffs like yogurt, just let it culture longer… and for sweeter kefir milk… add more honey, maple syrup… or in my case, ribena. haha! i feel that kefir is like a in-between of yakult and yogurt… lol! maybe u can tell me wat u think after u got your grains…
wah… i dun think you can culture yakult lidat… i mean, if tat’s possible, then i think yakult will go bust…
have u actually tried it b4?
I am using HL milk as I love HL milk a lot… I started using it and it seems ok… so I just continue with it.
And yeah… i soaked my wooden spatula in boiling water… and saw many bubbles… seems like they are the “bacteria” which u may be referring to…well, I guess until i get a suitable plastic stirrer, I will just have to wash my wooden spatula with boiling water as it seems to work… no more fruit flies! haha
hmm… stainless steel… yeah, i read abt that. many debates on this… so i guess just to avoid any issues, i decide not to use any metal stuffs with my kefir at all.
be patient and wait for your grains… gd things are worth the wait! hehe
Just like yogurt! Ferment longer, you get a more sour yogurt but it becomes thicker. I like mine a bit sourish so ya, I should be keeping them longer during fermentation.
I was wondering whether do you add milk to the kekir grains and strain them everyday? Looks like that is the way you can easily grow those grains. But it is a bit tedious to do. And I might get too much kefir for me to consume finish too. How do you do yours?
For the yakult making, I guess it is just the same as any milk fermented stuff. Just like yogurt, yakult is a milk fermented drink. So I imagine that it is done the same way, just like Kefir. I saw a few companies selling milk Kefir in the US or Europe too. And most people don’t even know that yogurt is made from milk + yogurt cultures.
I saw organic milk in NTUC but they cost like 3-4 dollars per litre! Sianz, so expensive. Have you tried using organic milk to make your milk kefir? I wonder what is the taste difference between a kefir made from organic and non-organic milk.
Ya, I will wait for the grains. Eager to start making Kefir! lol
yeah… very similar to yogurt actually… in fact I just cultured a glass of kefir for my buddy today and his first comment is “eh, tastes like yogurt leh…”. haha! so i believe you will like it!
well, for me, most of the time my kefir grains are in fridge (with milk of coz). I will only take them out and culture if I am drinking (which is almost everyday). And yes, the more you culture them, the more grains they grow… I am facing overpopulation now in fact… gonna give the new grain babies to my sis. haha. i m also thinking of wat to do with the spare grains… i guess u either share them with someone, or eat them..
hmm… i still dun believe u can culture yakult lidat…. haha! if u really try, do let me know the results ok? hehe
Nope… have been using HL milk all the while…not very cheap also… about $2.90 per litre. I think I will get the twin bottle pack already… using milk quite fast and twin packs are cheaper. haha!
hmm… today is 19th already… your grains haven’t arrive? tat’s quite a long time, even for an overseas shipment…
Ha, the grains have arrived! Finally. Time for some milk kefir to enjoy! Hooray!
Hi there–
I have heard and read that metal instruments (ie spoons, pans, and seives/strainer) are actually destructive to the beneficial bacteria in kefir and are not recommended–plastic being most recommended.
Yes, but stainless steel should be fine. Non-reactive, that is why it doesn’t rust easily. But the best is still plastic.
I’ve spare Water Kefir Grains to share with anyone anywhere. My WKG are healthy and fast growing. Anyone from anywhere interested may write to me to either of my email addresses: sharma48@dataone.in and tovasharma@yahoo.com
Vidyavati Sharma