Lately, I’ve been giving away a lot of my extra kefir grains, so Frank and I decided to make a video to show our friends how to make kefir.
If you have any questions that aren’t answered by the FAQ, please ask them in the comments!
~Courtney
FAQ
Q. Where can I get kefir grains?
A. You can buy some HERE or HERE, or you can try your luck at sourcing some from this FB group.
Q. What kinds of milk can I use to make kefir?
A. I suggest using raw milk. You can also use coconut, almond, or pasteurized milk. Although, I would recommend avoiding ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurized milk and soymilk.
Q. How will I know if it’s working?
A. The kefir culture will take a few hours to “look” like it’s working. It will start to get the consistency of buttermilk or thickening yogurt.
Q. Do I cover it with a lid?
A. No. Instead, cover it with a cloth secured by a rubberband, so that oxygen can circulate in the jar. The kefir grains are made up of living organisms that benefit from air circulation.
Q. What type strainer can I use?
A. Use a plastic strainer if possible. You can also use a stainless steel strainer, but all other metals should be avoided.
Q. How long will it take?
A. My grains take around 12 hours to culture. When it was 80˚F in my house this summer, it took only 10 hours. It’s fall now, and my indoor temp stays around 64˚F, so the culture is taking closer to 14-16 hours now.
Q. What if I let my kefir culture too long?
A. If it’s less than a couple days (48 hours), don’t worry about it! Most likely, it will have started to separate, when it’s gone “too long.” Simply stir the whey back into the rest of the liquid. It will be more sour than usual, but it’s still good. If you dislike the sour taste, simply add some fresh milk back to it, when cooking or using in smoothies. || If the milk smells funny, however, your kefir culture may have starved, damaging the kefir grains. Check for mold, just in case. If all is well, “rinse” them in fresh milk, and start them culturing again. (And keep an eye on them this time!)
Q. Can I store my grains?
A. Yes. To store the grains, simply place them in a glass jar, cover with fresh milk, and close jar with a lid. They can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks before the milk needs replacing. The kefir feed on the lactose in the milk. I think of them like little microscopic pets. When refrigerating them, they become lethargic and sleepy, so they eat less. They can live on that little bit of milk for couple weeks (versus a few hours at room temperature), but they still need fresh food after a while. ***NOTE: The first batch you culture at room temp after removing the grains from the fridge *might* be a little watery and strange. You can use it or dump it and culture a new batch. I try not to store my grains for this reason, and instead just continually culture them on the counter in a small volume. I give away or store my extra grains I’m not using.
Hi Courtney ~ thank you so much for this video! I use store bought kefir but just found access to local raw milk….I am very excited!!! My question is this: I like to make kefir smoothies, and I’m wondering if the metal blade in my vitamix is reacting with the kefir?? I love using it in smoothies but I’m afraid I am ruining it!
Thank you again, I appreciate all your hard work online! It makes a huge difference!
No, it should be fine if the blades are stainless steel! We make kefir smoothies every day. :)
Thanks Courtney. Very simple and easy to understand. I was amazed by how identical your process is to mine — even down to many of the containers. I do culture with a smaller amount of grains in a quart size jar though. Mine might be a little more diluted than yours, but still has that kefir taste to it!
Thanks! :) Yeah, we like ours a bit thicker, like yogurt, so our ratio may be different.
I have been making Kefir for quite some time now. I use raw milk but my kefir never gets very thick. Yours looks creamy and thick. Any suggestions? Am I not using enough kefir grains?
Is your raw milk full cream? That’s the first thing I would check. We get ours straight from the farm, and no cream is skimmed. The other thing is you could be letting it go too long. If it goes too long, it starts to separate and become thinner.
Thanks for getting back with me.
OK…it is probably because I
skim the cream off before I make the kefir. I know I don’t let it go
too long. I let it go only about 12 hours. It does begin forming whey
sometimes, even with only 12 hours. I thought that was short because
many are saying it should go 24hr.
It depends on the ambient temperature in your house. We don’t use our AC/heat unless it’s very very hot/cold. So in the summer, ours cultures in as quickly as 8 hours. But in the winter, it can take 36 hours. It just depends on the temperature.
Today is the first time on the web since the farm tour. Great and easy to follow video. Hope all is well for you both over there in the flatlands
Hey Kevin. Nice to hear from you! :)
LOVE LOVE LOVE this video. You two are so creative! ..and i need that plastic strainer, mint has no handle and is a pain to use. where did you get your? thanks!
Thanks Caroline! :) We have no idea where that strainer came from. It was Frank’s from college.
It looks like my Tupperware strainer.