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This is just a compilation of questions I have received from my readers. To make it easy, I have listed down several of the more common questions and answers. Please note that I am not an expert in Kefir making but hopefully it will help others clear up some of the questions or even misunderstanding regarding kefir.

1. How long to ferment?

Well, there is no exact answer for this. How long depends on much milk you use, how much kefir grains you use, the temperature, the condition of your grains, the tartness you like and so on. In Singapore’s weather, it should take about 16 hrs to 24hrs. It is not recommended to ferment for longer than 36hrs though. If you ferment longer, the grains would probably starve and it will weaken the grains.

2. Amount of milk to use?

Normally I would use about 1 part grains to 20 parts milk. It works pretty well for me to ferment for 24 hrs. And I like it tart. However you should experiment since the amount of milk depends on several factors like temperature, tartness and so on. The fun thing about making Kefir is that there is no fixed answer, so experiment till you get the kefir you like. And please understand that the grains will grow, so you might find yourself changing the amount of milk you use.

3. I can’t find the grains in the kefir milk!

That is often the case, especially for the beginners. The curd and the kefir milk tends to hide the kefir grains and a lot of the readers are worried about the kefir grains disappearing. Kefir grains looks like cauliflower rosettes. Note that they look like the cauliflower rosettes, not looks like a cauliflower. The appearance is usually pale milky white.  Healthy grains looks should like firm and slightly rounded.

4. What type of strainer to use?

Use a plastic strainer. In Singapore they are very commonly available in supermarkets, convenience stores and so on. And cheap too. I think one strainer is about S$3 or so. They should be relatively fine mesh but not too small till the curd and milk cannot go through. The name they often use is those “plastic tea strainer” available in different colours.

5. My grains are not growing! What should I do?

Don’t worry. Unless you have grossly badly treated your grains, they should grow. Do not use chlorinated water. Do not subject them to extreme temperatures. Do not throw them around or abuse them like they are a rag doll. Ensure the equipment you use for making the kefir is clean.  And use a proper strainer. Some readers use them big hole strainers which tend to allow smaller kefir grains to escape, thus they are wondering why the hell their kefir grains are not growing. Oh, please give them so time once you have gotten the grains. Sometimes during transit, they may be subjected to extreme temperatures and are “squashed”, so they will need some time to regain their strength and grow again. Keep feeding them milk.

6. The taste is too tart! I can’t stand the taste of the kefir.

One of the most common problems with drinking kefir. If you find it too tart, try fermenting it for shorter periods of time. Or you can mix with some sweetener like honey or even bananas/fruits to help balance out the tartness. Please note that Kefir is tart because of all the acid that is produced during fermentation, so if your kefir is not tart, then it is not kefir. Another method is to age the kefir for 2-3 more days in another vessel. It tends to help reduce the tartness of the kefir and improve the overall taste. And it is supposed to be healthier.

7. What type of milk can I use?

Any type of milk actually. Store bought fresh milk (homogenized and pasteurized), skim milk, low fat milk, UHT milk, raw milk, goat’s milk, cow’s milk and so on. Any milk that contains lactose, it should work. From what I read, Kefir grains work with soy milk, rice milk, almond milk as well. But you will need to add some sugar so that the kefir grains have something to eat in order to do its magic. However, I would still highly recommend using cow’s milk (or goat’s milk) since they are the milk that the Kefir grains are used to. And if you can find raw milk, go for it. It is supposed to be the healthiest of all the milk. Of course you might not be able to find raw milk in Singapore, so I would highly suggest you use those fresh milk in the cold shelves in our local supermarket. Much better than the UHT milk.

8. It is too much work!

No it is not. Making kefir takes up at most 15 minutes of your time per day. You just need to clean some utensils and strain. Then add milk. And let it sit to ferment again. It is not too much work. Once you get used to the routine, you will find it pretty easy to do. Don’t even need a yogurt maker to make Kefir. It is probably the cheapest health food you can find anywhere.

9. My parents won’t try it!

Same problem here. I can’t get my parents to try it as well. Unless you have super persuasive skills, most older generation Chinese would never touch dairy milk or milk based products. So….

10. The grains look mushy!

Yes, because of the transport, it will be squashed. I mean since most of the time the grains are transported by mail, inevitably, it will be squashed during transit unless they are sent via courier.  Not too worry, they should be firm and slightly round after a few batches. I still can’t find an affordable way to properly transport the grains. But since when I bought my grains from Germany, they came the same way – from an envelope  and look how much they have grown. So don’t worry!

11. How fast will the grains grow?

Hard to say but from my experience, I would get about double (or more) of my grains in 3 weeks. Anyway, it depends on many factors like condition of the grains, the amount of milk you use, temperature and so on. As long as the grains are growing, you should be fine. Note that when you receive the grains, they would be starving during the transit, so they might not be growing that fast the first few weeks. Anyway, it can be difficult to judge whether the grains have growth with such small amounts of grains to begin with. So again, don’t worry, they should grow. I mean unless you have the grains for like 3 months and they still looked the same, then you should worry.

12. I got too many grains! What should I do?

Eat them. Give them to your friends. Make more kefir. Whatever you want. I would however suggest you to share them with your friends. This way if something happens to your own batch of grains, you will have someone to fall back to. And Sharing is caring. So share your guys and tell everyone you know about the health benefits of consuming kefir!

13. How do I store the grains if I am not using them?

Rinse them carefully with clean un-chlorinated water and make sure there is no curd or milk remaining on the grains. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Any longer, you will need to dry them and keep in the freezer (in an airtight container). I have never tried drying my grains actually, so I can’t be too sure how to properly dry the grains.

14. I need to go to the toilet after I consume kefir, is this normal?

I get this a lot from my readers. I am guessing this is one of the detoxifying process? It should stop after a few times. Many of my readers reported having to rush to the toilet the first few times they tried kefir, so it could be normal. I myself don’t have this problem when I first began consuming kefir. But it could be that my gut was rather healthy by then (I consumed a lot of yogurt those days). If it keeps on happening and you don’t feel well, I would suggest you to stop taking kefir. We are not doctors so it is better to be safe than sorry.

Or if you are lactose intolerant, you might not be fermenting the kefir long enough hence the lactose remaining in the kefir milk is causing you to run to the toilet.

15. Should I age/ripen my kefir?

Yes, you should. According to Dom, aging your kefir will make it taste better and produce an even healthier brew. Of course you will need an extra container for aging your kefir. I don’t age/ripen my kefir because I lack the time but I would highly recommend kefir drinkers to age their kefir before drinking. It is supposed to have increase amounts of B group of vitamins which is lacking in many of our diets.

16. There is alcohol in Kefir? Will it destroy my health?

Yes, there will be a small amount of alcohol being produced since there is yeast in the kefir. According to Dom, it is about 0.08% to 0.1% alcohol for the fresh kefir and up to 3% for a ripen one. But honestly, this small amount of alcohol shouldn’t be a problem for most people. Well, I didn’t even once get drunk from drinking kefir and you can hardly taste the alcohol anyway. I think that this alcohol consume together with the kefir is actually pretty good for you.

17. Will Kefir cure me of XXX or YYY disease?

Well, there is no real answer to this. It will help your body be stronger but that is about it. I don’t think there is any medicine out there that can cure anyone of any disease anyway.

18. Can I use plastic as my fermentation vessel?

Sure you can. As long as they are food grade plastics like PET or HDPE, they should be fine. I know that glass is more or less recommended by many but unless you are planning to store the kefir for months, food grade plastics (some of which are used to store the milk you buy from the store) should be safe enough. Not to mention, plastics are usually cheaper and easy to handle. Glass on the other hand is heavy and if you drop it, good luck.

19.  Should I avoid using metal utensils?

The commonly available metal utensils (usually stainless steel) should be safe enough to use. Some readers are afraid that they might “react” with the kefir milk and create some sort of toxic ooze. In my opinion, unless they are kept in contact with the kefir for long periods of time, they aren’t going to have the time to react with the acid in the kefir. If you are worried, just use a plastic spoon. I won’t worry about it.

20. I am lactose intolerant, can I consume Kefir?

Yes, you can. If you are worry about lactose, it would be a good idea to ferment a little longer (or use less milk). This way you can be sure that most of the lactose have been eaten up by the bacteria. Of course what you get is a Kefir that is more tart. Oh, you can also age your Kefir.

21. What is the most important step in making Kefir?

Well, the most important step is being clean. And when I mean clean, I mean really clean. Not just a few rinse in the tap kind of clean. Use detergent and elbow grease to ensure that all the utensils and containers are washed clean. Remember, you are doing fermentation here and if you introduce foreign bacteria or mold or yeast into the milk / Kefir, you might not like the result. Of course make sure you rinse off all the soap and detergent from the container and utensils before using. Detergents can damage the kefir grains!

22. I need more information on Kefir, where do I get them?

I would highly recommend the best site for kefir: Dom’s Kefir Site. It is where I get most of my information from. This guy is a Kefir fanatic!

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As you guys know (or don’t know), I have been sending Kefir grains to about 100 over people already. One of the biggest complains is that the grains often arrive squashed. That is the problem with using our mailing service – the mail gets squashed underneath tons of other mails. I mean a lot of my visitors don’t like to see the grains being squashed like bugs, so I started using bubble wrap I got from my office. I then realized that this is pretty troublesome. You try wrapping 5-10 plastic bags with bubble wrap, then stuff them in envelopes and glue them shut – you will understand what I mean. Then all of a sudden a brilliant idea occurred to me – why not get those bubble envelopes? Comes with bubble protection and they are easy to use – just peel off the sticker and it is ready to be used. Of course they cost money but I got them pretty cheap from ebay – about US$35 for 50 pieces. And I provide the grains for free as well. Not to mention, free postage to my readers. Hope that future Kefir drinkers in Singapore will appreciate it.

There you have it – the Kraft Bubble Envelope or mailers. Small size – I mean how big do you need for a tablespoon of grains?

Just peel off that layer of protection and you can seal it. No more messing around with glue. I usually take my nephew’s school glue to seal my envelopes. Sssshhh, don’t tell him.

There, can you see it? There are bubbles to protect the grains from damage during transportation. Of course it is not the best solution, but practically, this is a better solution. The best would be placing the grains in strong plastic bottles so that the grain will not be damaged. But I am not too sure where to find those bottles cheaply. Perhaps in the future I will source for them and there will be no more complains about grains being squashed. For the time being, I guess this method will do. Ciao!

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Ever since I started making my own Kefir, I have lost count the number of times I have sent out these Kefir grains to interested parties. I am guessing about 100 envelopes or so? It is kind of difficult to keep track since I am juggling work, family, enjoyment and Kefir. I am actually kind of surprised that there are quite a number of Singaporeans who are interested in Kefir and its health benefits.  When I started taking Kefir, I thought I would be the odd one out, especially in conservative little Singapore where we don’t really dare to try out new things. Just check out the most popular fast food restaurants in Singapore – McDonalds, KFC and Burger King. Their quality has significantly dropped yet people flock to their restaurants like bees to honey (or nectar). Singaporeans (or at least those residing in Singapore) are branching out! And most importantly, we are finally taking charge of our own health, instead of letting doctors and their drugs run the show. I am not against doctors or anything, they are extremely important, but we should understand that doctors don’t make us healthy – we have to do it ourselves.

Anyway, several of my readers had asked me why I share my grains(freely). Well, first of all, that is exactly what Kefir is all about – sharing. There is no point in being healthy and not sharing it with others. Yes, I had “bought” the grains from some guy in Germany but with this initial investment, I am estimating about a hundred or more persons have benefited from it. I am no philanthropist or some sort of saint or the like, nor do I wish to be one. It is just that I have gained so much from the Kefir that I feel it is worth it to share it with others. I am also not a rich person – no car, takes the public transport to work and just barely hit outside the no-income-tax bracket. Yes, it does cost me a lot of money to be share the grains -  I did pay for the postage and the envelopes myself. But since I started taking Kefir, I have never been seriously ill and I have not seen a doctor since. Thus, I don’t think the money was “lost” so to speak. I am also hoping that the readers who received the grains from me, would be also willing to share it with their friends and relatives as well. Perhaps one day, Singapore would have a very active Kefir drinking community?

However, the problem with giving out the Kefir grains freely is that we tend not to appreciate things which are “free”. I am sure that a number of those who receive the grains found that it is difficult and time consuming to keep on making Kefir, since you do need to feed the grains daily with milk, strain and clean the equipment. Can be a hassle, even if it takes just 15  minutes at the most. One of my readers suggested that I should charge a small handling fee to prevent such things from happening. Although I admit that I was tempted and it would really help with the postage fees, I decided not to. I don’t want to turn off potential Kefir people away. Hopefully enough of Singaporeans would be able to see and reap the benefits of Kefir to keep on continuing making Kefir. Well, that is my wish anyway. Not sure whether it will come true or not.

Anyway, if you are looking for some Kefir grains and you are living in Singapore, email me. I will send some grains your way. I know that I am asking a lot but please take good care of the grains. And at least try to consume the Kefir for more than a month before giving up. Kefir might be a probiotic beverage with great health benefits but it is not a miracle potion which works with the snap of the fingers.

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Have you guys heard of Kefir? Probably not, since in Singapore milk-based products are not popular unless they are sweetened with tons of sugar like our favourite Yakult or Vitagen. I have been drinking Milk Kefir for the past 3 years and in that period, I hardly get sick. Sure, sometimes I get little sniffles here and there - hazards of living in a overcrowded city. But nothing too serious. And from a person who used to get seriously sick once every 3 months or so, that is rather impressive. Yes, I have to admit though – I did improve my diet quite considerably. More fruits, more vegetables and less sugar in my diet. In fact, when once I drank like 3 cans of coke or soda drinks per day, I now at most drink equivalent about 2 cans per week. Big change but I still consider Kefir the best part of my diet change.

If you have no idea what Kefir is, I will give you a basic picture of this drink. It is usually made from milk and it is rich in good beneficial bacteria. These are what is termed “probiotics” in the industry. Yes, it means “for life” or something like that. Hahaha, there is indeed a need to use such terms to really get the point across. The Kefir helps populate your gut with these bacteria and in turn they help fight against bad bacteria. This basically becomes a battle between the good and bad bacteria in your body. If you have more good bacteria as a result of  consuming Kefir, surely the good bacteria will take over. And with a healthy gut flora, any bad bacteria attempting to make you sick will have to do a much harder work than before. That is when a good diet and consuming Kefir triumphs. I often tell my readers that if they want to be healthy, not only do they have to take Kefir, they must maintain a relatively healthy diet. It is this combo that is really effective. Of course, other than good probiotics, Kefir is also rich in enzymes, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Your body do need those to be healthy as well.

Anyway, enough of this propaganda. You want to know how Kefir is made? Well, first you have to obtain the Kefir grains. They are small pieces of white slimy feeling spongy things that when you feed them milk, they will produce Kefir. The grains consume the lactose in the milk and convert them to Kefir (semi-liquid white stuff), along with enzymes, various bacteria and yeast and makes whatever nutrients in the milk more digestible to your body. Normally it takes about 24hrs for the milk to become Kefir. Kefir is a bit like yogurt but with lots more good bacteria. And Kefir is usually more viscus than yogurt, which is something which people usually eat. Kefir, we normally drink it.

I drink Kefir everyday. Well, nearly everyday except during my ICT where I have to stay in some jungle out there feeding the mosquitoes.  Can’t be bringing along my kefir grains and start setting up a kefir shop in the middle of the jungle now, can I? Anyway, it has bought me good health, something which even money can’t buy sometimes. Making Kefir is not expensive either – just the grains and milk. Probably about a dollar per cup at most. If you are lactose intolerant like most of us Chinese, you can take Kefir without any problems too. There is very little lactose in the Kefir.

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Well, guys it has been 2 years after I have started taking Kefir everyday (except when I am traveling or on reservist). I am glad to say, I have not been (seriously) ill since I started this little experiment of mine. Coming from someone who was previously frequently ill with fever, cough and all the common ailments that affects most of us, that is surely something.  I remembered the time when I had a rather serious fever which went up and down like a yo-yo, kind of scared me into wanting to improve my health. You don’t know how many that made my boss – no sick days! And for me, no more looking at his dark face every time I came back from sick leave. LOL, life is like that lah. First I started taking yogurt – that did help a bit but I knew it wasn’t enough. Yup, I had to do something more than having a few cups of yogurt per week. Then I found out about the wonderful pro-biotic powerhouse called Kefir. Initially I started on those commercial Kefir starters (they are not as good as the real thing, being just a few select bacteria and yeas) but then turned to the real thing – Kefir Grains for making my Kefir! Andas you guys know,  fermentation is fun! Making Kefir is all about fermentation – the Kefir grains ferment the milk into Kefir! In the process, various amounts of enzymes, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, good bacteria and other important nutrients necessary for good health are produced. And you get to drink it!

It is important to understand that although Kefir is a very powerful arsenal for good health, it is not a cure-all. You should consume a proper healthy diet, do proper exercise, get enough sleep and maintain mental well being (reduce stress) as well. Think of Kefir as a powerful health supplement, the rest is still up to you. So don’t just drink a cup of Kefir a day and think that everything is solved. No, there is no such thing in life. I am surprised that there are people who believe that such things exist. I am sure that even the medical industry cannot develop such an elixir of health, no matter how much money is pumped into it. It is very important to take care of your OWN health, instead of relying on drugs and “medicines”. Yes, I do admit it can be kind of tough at times, but as I mentioned many times before, it is YOUR health. Take matters into your own hands!

One of my readers asked me how do I keep on making Kefir continuously for 2 years. I told her I am very afraid that if I don’t, I won’t be as healthy as I was. I definitely don’t want to return to the way that I was – always tired and with that horrible feeling that I am going to get sick yet again. I used to wake up every morning with a bad sinus. I really hate that feeling, my nose is jammed up and I keep on sneezing. Now, I no longer have sinuses in the morning. Now I no longer feel tired, even in the afternoon which a lot of people do. I contribute a good portion of my good health to consuming Kefir everyday. Of course proper diet, frequent exercise and enough sleep also plays an important role.

Anyway, I am writing to tell you guys that my Kefir grains are still going strong. I must have sent about more than 50 small packs of Kefir grains to others (they do grow rather fast). Hopefully, they will keep the Kefir “spirit” alive and tell others about it. And if you are interested in improving your health, please write in with your mailing address and I will try to send some grains to you, if I have spare. You do know my email address right (look to your right- under Contact)? If you would like to read more about Kefir, please refer to Dom’s Website. It has a ton of information on making Kefir. Ciao, and good health to all!

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Have you guys heard of this Coconut Water Kefir? It is kind of like sugar water kefir but instead of sugar and water as a medium for fermentation, we would be using coconut water instead. And coconut water is not coconut milk. It is the “juice” from the coconut itself. Coconut milk is made from the “meat” of the coconuts which is kind of milky. Coconut milk is used in many Indian cuisine and in curries. Coconut water is used for quenching thirst by locals. And from what I read, coconut water is one of the healthiest drink you can find out there. It contains good amounts of minerals and vitamins to help your body. And now, we are going to ferment it just like milk kefir!Just think of the health benefits we get from that! As this is the first time I am making coconut water keifr, hopefully, it will turn out alright.

In Singapore, you can find coconuts everywhere. Our local supermarkets do carry coconuts, but usually young Thai coconuts, which according to experts taste better. I have to agree. Young coconuts do taste better than older ones. They are also much sweeter and contains more minerals and vitamins. In other words, they are supposed to be healthier for you. The ones you find in our supermarkets usually have their husks removed and they look smaller than what we normally expect. No problems, it is not like there is anything we can do with the coconut husks. Furthermore, they are already cut, so what you do is to “peel” off the top and drink the juice itself. Easy.

The equipment needed to make coconut water kefir. 3 young coconuts and a kefir pack. I will be using a kefir pack instead of kefir grains. From what I read, using the kefir pack will result in a better tasting coconut kefir. Furthermore, I don’t have sugary water kefir grains, only milk kefir grains. Sugary water kefir grains make better coconut water kefir than milk grains, since they have been conditioned to thrive in a sugary medium. But I will have to experiment. The next time, I will try with milk kefir grains and compare the results.

S$1.70 per coconut. Not cheap, especially when you realize that we are located in coconut region. But what to do?

Check out the nutritional information. Approximately 270g of coconut water for a 450g of coconut. That is about half.

Hahahaha, someone drilled an opening for you! All you have to do is to use a spoon and peel open the cover. Smart right? You don’t have to play with a hacksaw or a chopper or whatever, just for some coconut water. Of course, you have to be careful when choosing the coconuts. If you see that the coconut water is leaking out, avoid them. Remember, coconut water spoils easily. You don’t want to be consuming bacteria infected coconut water.

There, see how easy that was. After pouring the coconut water, you can eat the coconut meat with a spoon. They taste quite wonderful. Ahhh….life is great!

Here we have the kefir pack I bought online a while back. Note that this is not real kefir but some sort of “manufactured” kefir powder with some of the selected bacteria from actual kefir. It is not the best solution but for the time being, it will do. And unlike real kefir grain, this will not last you a lifetime, you will need to purchase new kefir packs after a few attempts. Why? Well, this is because the bacteria in the kefir packs will weaken and might eventually die or mutate.

Looks like milk powder!

I poured the coconut water from the three coconuts into this container. Of course I spilled half of them onto the sink. Hey, it is hard to get the coconut water from the coconut without a straw!

After adding the powdered kefir into the coconut water. Remember to shake the hell out of the container. You will want the powdered kefir to mix with the coconut water for even fermentation.

Another view. Let’s hope it will turn out to be a delicious drink for me to enjoy. It will take about 48-72 hrs for it to ferment. After that, you will get a tangy fizzy drink called coconut water kefir which is an elixir of health, especially in Singapore where the weather nowadays is extremely warm. I will report on the results when it is done. Can’t wait to taste this one!

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Well, guys I have been taking Kefir daily for more than one year and I need to tell you it has been a blast – health-wise of course.  I am feeling great, definitely much better than before. I never got seriously sick since taking Kefir. Of course, this is in combination with my improved diet choices. I know that Kefir is a powerful probiotic nutritious food, but it is not some sort of miracle food. There is no such thing as a miracle food. If there were, we would all be living on that alone instead of our regular diets. So if you are thinking of taking Kefir, remember to improve your diet as well. Eat plenty of raw vegetables and fruits. And of course, exercise regularly.

Anyway, as I mentioned, I have been taking Kefir daily for the past year or so. Yes, it does take some effort to ferment the Kefir. But seriously, it takes up at most 15 minutes of my time every day. I usually strain my Kefir in the evenings when I get back home and start drinking it slowly till I sleep. I agree that it can be rather tart and sometimes when you get back home from a tiring day at work, all you want to do is to relax with a sweet fizzy drink. But although Kefir is a bit tart, the feeling after drinking Kefir is just great. It makes you relax and calm, something which that fizzy soda drink won’t. It also goes great with some fresh fruits or honey. In the weekends, if I have the time, I will only ferment the Kefir for 12 hours or so, then strain them in the mornings. This way, I get additional Kefir to consume in the mornings or afternoons. In the warm Singapore weather, the Kefir should be ready in 12 hours.

As for my health, well, I have not fallen sick! That is simply amazing! No more expensive visits to the doctor. No more medication. No more drugs. No more feeling down. Of course I am not saying that I am some sort of super healthy monster, I am definitely not. But it has really improved my health. And the best part is I am now really enjoying life. Some people think that falling sick and going to see the doctor every few months is normal. Come on, it is not normal. How can that be normal? If we are really healthy, we shouldn’t need to go and see the doctor. In my opinion, the health condition of Singaporeans is rather bad. All you have to do is to go to your nearby polyclinic and see the long queues there. How can that be considered healthy. If we are sick all the time, how is that enjoying life? We see the increasing number of people with long term chronic diseases and how is that considered healthy. Drugs, especially long term medication are bad. We know that they are poisons. Constantly consuming poisons is not a solution. We should look for alternatives than conventional medicine. And improving our diets can really help our body deal with long term problems. We know that medicines can be very expensive. Long term medication requires you to pay for the medicine for life. And in the end, it adds up to a lot. Kefir is simply milk. At most one litre of milk costs S$5. About one week, you spend about S$10 on milk. In a month, you spend about S$40 on milk. How about long term medicines? S$100 per month is not uncommon. In fact, when the last I got the fever, I paid about S$80 for one week of medication. And most importantly, those medicines do not prevent me from getting sick, neither do they make me healthy. Kefir on the other hand provides you with probiotics, which helps your immune system. And Kefir has tons of vitamins and other nutrients necessary for your body to function well.

So, why not try improving your diet? It s very safe. It is not like Kefir will kill you. We know that drugs have harmful effects. All you have to do is to read the label on the drug you purchase – it will state the known harmful effects of the drug. Kefir will be less costly in the long run. Kefir can be consumed as part of your diet. You get sick less often and you feel better.

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So after about 5 days of fermenting, I went ahead and strain off the Kefir grains and took these pictures. I am not sure whether I got the length of the fermentation right or not, as I got no guide. From what I know, fermenting honey-water would take long, even longer than sugar water Kefir. I guess most likely the honey water is under fermented and I was right. You can still taste the distinct sweetness of the honey and it leaves a very sticky aftertaste. There is hardly any tartness in the drink at all. Anyway, this needs more experimenting. It would probably need about 1 and a half weeks or maybe 2 weeks (or even longer) for it to be really fermented. But the thing I fear is that the honey will ferment naturally (from natural air-borne yeast) rather than ferment with the grain’s bacteria if the honey-water is left too long. Unlike the milk kefir which ferments under 24 hours and creating an environment which is hostile towards other bacteria and yeast, this honey-water Kefir does not have any tartness and I am sure much of the honey still remains – this creates a very attractive environment for other bacteria and yeast to colonize which is a bad thing.

Well, life goes on. Perhaps I should add more grains to the honey-water to speed up the process. Or perhaps I should use less honey? Or how about using sugar water Kefir grains instead of milk Kefir grains? Well, this is my first try and although it is not very successful, things can only get better right?

This Honey Water Kefir is one very fizzy drink! Although you cannot see from this picture, the drink fizzies like a soda pop. I stored them in a plastic bottle and when I crack out the bottle, you can hear the gas escaping. However after pouring, the honey-water Kefir does not retain the gas. So no beautiful head photo for you guys. As you can see from the photo, the colour is quite nice. I am sure that the yellowish tint/hue will fade once the honey is completely eaten off by the Kefir bacteria and yeast. There are still a lot of honey remaining as this drink is still very sweet.

Another view. A bit cloudy but this is expected – it is made from honey! Sugar water Kefir would probably be more clear and more attractive to consumers.  I guess if the source is clear, the resulting Kefir will be clear as well.

Anyway, I might in the future attempt another Honey Water Kefir. Hopefully, it will turn out better than this attempt. Ciao and keep on drinking Kefir!

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Bet you guys never heard of this before right? Well, as you guys should know by now, I am a big big fan of milk Kefir.  I drink about 200ml of “pure” milk Kefir everyday and it has really improved my health and my general well-being. Since the day I started taking Kefir, I had not got struck with a major illness once (touch wood!).  And recently, I have started taking honey as well. We all know that raw honey has a heap of health benefits to those who consume them regularly. Thus, I am taking about a tablespoon of honey every day. So morning honey and evening Kefir. Then I had a thought (very few of those these days) – why not combine both of them? For those who don’t know, milk Kefir is made from fermenting milk with Kefir grains and the resulting “beverage” is milk Kefir. During the fermentation process, the bacteria in the grains will convert the lactose to other forms of acids, making the Kefir tart and forming curds and whey, just like yogurt. But Kefir has way more probiotics cultures than yogurt. In fact, it can be considered one of the probiotic powerhouses in the world.  Anyway, other than milk Kefir, there is sugar water Kefir. Just like milk Kefir, it is a probiotic beverage. But it is made from table sugar, water and Kefir grains. It would then make sense that it could work with honey (since honey does contain some sucrose) as well. So I mixed honey and water and added the milk Kefir grains ( I don’t have any sugar water Kefir grains) and let them ferment.

Fermenting honey, water and yeast, you get mead or honey wine. Yes, that sure is shocking. I am betting that none of us in Singapore ever tasted mead before.  Ever the most alcohol-loving of us, most likely would not have even whiff the scent of mead ever. You can’t find it at the supermarkets, even at the wine section. Although I have seen some shops selling mead, it is still one of the rarest alcoholic beverages in Singapore. But guys, from what I read, fermented honey has all the benefits of honey and then some. Furthermore, we are now talking about mead made from Kefir! Just imagine, the benefits of honey, a little alcohol to make you happy and a whole lot of probiotic cultures to boot! Wow, would it be just amazing to have everything in just one drink? Then this Honey Wine Kefir would be it. However, from what I read, the kefir grains might get damaged during the process because the grains are not meant to live in a honey-water mixture. I will have to sacrifice a few grains to do this little experiment. I hope that you guys (and the grains) will forgive me.

Anyway, I just started making this Honey Wine Kefir today. Used one of the processed honey I had laying around. I don’t think that using those expensive raw honey would be a good idea as I have no idea how well this Honey Wine Kefir will turn out. Mighty big waste of money if it fails or produce some yucky horrible tasting beverage. Furthermore, I don’t have the exact measure of honey and water ratio, so I worry that if I add too much honey, the saturated sugar content will kill off the grains immediately. It is better to use the cheap stuff first. Once I start to gain some experience, I will return to the raw honey. Oh, I might also go and purchase some sugar water Kefir grains as well. Heard that they are much better than milk Kefir grains when making Honey Wine Kefir. Or if you have some grains to share with me……

I will update you guys in a few days time. Unlike milk Kefir, it will take longer to ferment the honey into Kefir. So wish me luck!

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I have been getting a number of good questions from my readers regarding Kefir and the Kefir-making process. There are many opinions and ideas about this wonderful drink and the process to make it. I know that it is near impossible to “prove” or to “disprove” most of these theories and opinions, but I hope that my own opinions can help to clear some doubts. For the record, I am not an expert in Kefir. I have been making Kefir for only about 6 to 7 months and mainly for my own consumption. All these opinions are just from my experience.

Myth: Kefir or the Kefir grains cannot come in contact with metal.

If you use stainless steel (like what most kitchen utensils are now), it should be fine. Stainless Steel doesn’t react with acids like aluminum or copper does, so you should not have any problems with stainless steel. For long term storage however, perhaps it still would be better to avoid even stainless steel.

Myth: Can only use Raw Milk to make Kefir.

Raw milk is the best, since the Kefir grains are adapted to the Raw Milk environment. And of course Raw Milk is the most nutritious milk of them all (as compared to pasteurised and ultra-pasteurised(UHT) milk). However, this does not mean that you can only use Raw Milk to make your Kefir. In fact, any type of milk will do. However, I do not recommend UHT milk as it is ultra-heated and a lot of the vitamins and nutrients in the milk have been destroyed. We are consuming Kefir for our health, so might as well make full use of the nutritional value of the milk. The most practical for most of us is still pastuerised milk.

Myth: Do not use Plastic as your container to ferment your Kefir.

If you use food grain plastics (like PET), you should be fine. There are people who worry about chemicals leeching from these plastics and contaminating your Kefir. But seriously, unless you are fermenting your kefir for months on end, the tiny weeny amount of plastic chemicals being leeched out is less than the amount you consume from that chicken rice packed in styrofoam boxes. Food grade plastic is cheap, convenient and not easily breakable. However, if you thinking of storing Kefir in a plastic bottle (for a longer period of time), then perhaps you have something to worry about. A glass jar would be a more appropriate medium.

Myth: Rinsing the Kefir grains with unchlorinated water after each ferment is healthy for the grains.

I find that very doubtful. Rinsing the grains may make it more visually appealing to some but I really doubt it is healthy for the grains. In fact, I think that the water might damage the grains as they are not meant for staying in a water medium. I myself have never rinsed my grains and they are growing very well. From what I read, rinsing them with water will affect the grains’ own microflora. But if you find that the grains have small pieces of curd and crusts stuck to them which cannot be easily removed, then try rinsing them with milk instead of water. Anyway, healthy grains should not have any such crusts stuck to them. If such difficult to remove “curd and crusts” are observed on the grains, it could be a sign that your grains are unhealthy.

Myth:  Kefir is a cure-all miracle foodstuff.

Although Kefir is a very healthy and nutritious dairy product and has a number of health giving properties, it is not a cure-all. And don’t expect Kefir to perform miracles for you either. In fact, I am pretty sure there is no such thing as a cure-all miracle thingy. The probiotics in the Kefir have been known to enhance your immune system, improve your digestive system and so on but everything else still depends on your diet, whether you exercise or not, environmental conditions, mental wellbeing and if you are sick, please go see a doctor!

Myth: Kefir has everything you need to survive.

As I mentioned above, Kefir is a very nutritious dairy product and the fermentation process makes the milk more digestible, but you will still need a balanced diet. I think that moderate amounts of all kinds of food is healthy and that includes Kefir. The important thing is to understand that Kefir helps to supplement your daily diet and not the other way round. Drinking one or two cups of Kefir every day is good, drinking like 10 cups of Kefir and not consuming other foodstuff might be dangerous to your health.

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