Since the water kefir grains spent their time rehydrating rather than consuming the sugar, the resulting solution will likely contain a large amount of sugar. Also, the sugar water may taste unpleasant, as part of the rehydration process involves the rebalancing of the yeast and bacteria that comprise the water kefir grains.
Water kefir generally takes hours to culture. The exact time will vary depending on environmental factors, the most important of which is temperature. Allowing the water kefir grains to culture for longer than 48 hours puts you at risk of starving the grains and potentially damaging them.
Many homes maintain temperatures that are cooler, especially in the winter. For tips on keeping cultures within proper temperature range, see our article, Cold Weather Care for Starter Cultures. If your grains are working, the liquid may lighten in color and turn cloudy. The flavor may become less sweet and it may have a slightly tangy or sour aroma and flavor. If your water kefir ever looks, smells, or tastes unpleasant, we always recommend that you refrain from consuming it.
The taste of finished water kefir varies greatly, depending on the sugar used and the culturing time. Water kefir can be fairly sweet and may have a flat taste unless bottled. Most people prefer to add flavoring to water kefir before consuming. There is no need to rinse the water kefir grains between batches, and regular rinsing may be detrimental to the health of the water kefir grains.
Theoretically food-grade plastic shouldn't cause any damage to the culture but we always recommend glass when working with starter cultures, due to the potential of plastic to leach undesirable chemicals. There are endless ways to flavor water kefir. Our Ginger Water Kefir Kit includes everything you need to make ginger flavored water kefir at home. We do not recommend adding fruit or other flavoring to the water kefir with the grains. Some fruits and other flavoring may be damaging to the water kefir grains.
Yes, some fruit juices can be used to make water kefir. However, using water kefir grains in juice and then moving them to sugar water may result in unpleasant-tasting water kefir. We recommend maintaining two sets of water kefir grains instead, one for juices and one for sugar water.
Alternately, add juice as flavoring after the grains have been removed. Yes, coconut water can be used to make water kefir. Before getting started, make sure your grains are fully hydrated and have been culturing in sugar water for at least 3 weeks prior to using coconut water. Alternate coconut water batches with sugar water batches to keep the grains healthy. A number of kinds of sugar can be used to make water kefir, however, we do not recommend making water kefir with honey, molasses, or sugar substitutes like agave, stevia, monk fruit, or Splenda.
These can either be damaging to water kefir grains or not provide them with the proper "food" to survive. The remaining sugar in finished water kefir will vary depending on ingredients used and culturing conditions.
Generally speaking, water kefir cultured for hours will result in less remaining sugar than water kefir cultured hours under similar conditions. Use water as free from contaminants as possible, for the health of the water kefir grains.
As with all cultured and fermented foods, a small amount of naturally occurring alcohol is typically present in the finished product.
Although the amount will vary from batch to batch, for the typical brewing period, the amount should be quite low. Also, it is possible to make a type of beer using water kefir grains. Water kefir grains are known to multiply, but at times they are reluctant to do so.
Even if they do not multiply, with proper care, water kefir grains can be used repeatedly to brew water kefir. Making water kefir does not require any specialized equipment. The Water Kefir Starter Kit includes everything you need to get started aside from a glass jar and water. Read our tutorial How to Make Water Kefir for more information. While a plastic mesh strainer is preferred, stainless steel is acceptable.
Avoid all other types of metal when working with water kefir grains. We suggest a distance of at least 4 feet between cultures. When stored in the refrigerator with a tight-fitting lid, there is no need to keep distance between cultures. We recommend using tablespoons of water kefir grains to culture quarts of sugar water.
More grains cause the culturing process to progress very quickly, so it is best to remove any amount above 4 tablespoons, to avoid over-culturing and to impart the best flavor. Extra water kefir grains can be used to culture another jar of water kefir, shared with friends, eaten, blended into smoothies, or dried and stored in a sealed container in the fridge as backup.
The water kefir grains may be contained in a muslin bag. Water kefir is a probiotic, naturally fizzy, fermented drink that tastes rather like lemonade, but milder. These non-alcoholic fermented drinks have grown in popularity in recent years, known for their gut-loving properties, natural fizz and interesting flavours.
Water kefir is made by soaking water kefir grains in sugared water. Read more on that over here. You can get hold of water kefir grains online or, as I discovered, from a neighbour on Gumtree.
The process is very simple so follow the package instructions. The more you have, the more kefir water you can make! Use a rough ratio of 2 tablespoons of grains per ml of water; if you have less, add less water and vice versa. Store any extras in the fridge or give them to a friend, or sell them on Gumtree! To store your grains, keep them in an airtight glass jar in some already brewed kefir water in the back of your fridge.
From time to time your Water Kefir Grains might give you a run for your money and patience. Here are some common troubleshooting issues. It might take several batches to several weeks, but they will be efficiently working when you see all three of these:.
You can manipulate final sugar content in finished water kefir by doing a second ferment. Safest thing is to buy from a brewing supply storefront or online brewing supply company.
So, clamp it closed or screw the band on tightly, and let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 4 days. A combination could mean it only takes 1 day to get pop and fizz along with a less sweet drink. I find it preventatively in my favor to open it in the sink with a wet towel over my hands and the bottle…NEVER put your face over the bottle to check things out.
For example, in the winter it may take days whereas in the summer it may only take days. Not getting any fizz? Try adding a few tablespoons of juice. I see a remarkable difference between apple juice and grape juice. Apple juice takes longer to achieve my goal, while grape juice often tastes like alcohol if I do it the same length of time as apple juice…yikes! Just beware if you are using spring or well water - the high mineral sugar may be mineral overload, so instead, try moving it somewhere warmer, bottling it up longer, and using as airtight a bottle as possible.
In the summer my second ferments are really powerful even after a day or so. It gets messy! What can I do? No one enjoys a kefir shower! I found that a solid 3 days without opening the bottle worked. You can also move your bottles somewhere cooler, and that will help slow down the build up of pressure if you need to time things better.
My water kefir tastes a little like alcohol. Do I worry? Honestly there is not enough sugar in a first ferment to make you anywhere near dangerously intoxicated, but there are times when added fruit juice to a second ferment will definitely make things taste more like alcohol if it ferments for several days at a warm room temperature.
When this happens to me, I just dilute it with water and carry on… for more information, grab a hydrometer or a Brix and read here. My water kefir is anything but normal…ick! What do I do? There could be a zillion reasons for your wonky water kefir. Second, check your process or environment. Gently rinse the grains with a good quality, filtered water NO chlorine, chloramine, fluoride etc. Try another batch. If you get the wonky water kefir again, you could try another rinse, then rest in the fridge for a week.
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