Just started my Water Kefir experiments

Alright been brewing Kombucha for a while. It's great stuff. Decided to get into water fefir aka Japanese water crystals aka tibicos aka tibi.

My first batch was to just rehydrate the grains and get them awake again. I used ginger, raisins, lemon in spring water with sugar.

I have to say after the 3-4 day wake up wait, the drink is very refreshing. Loaded with probiotics.

I will be making a ginger root beer using these crystals soon as well as a coconut kefir drink. There's really a ton of things you can add to water kefir while it does it's stuff (unlike kombucha where I add stuff AFTER the scoby is out of the container).

Anyway, if anyone is lookin to increase their probiotic consumption and wants to use different fruits to make a good flavored drink they should check this out. The grains reproduce so after you get a little you can reproduce them like Kombucha.

Here are some of the strains known in water kefir:

Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus , Lactobacillus alactosus, Lactobacillus casei casei, Lactobacillus pseudoplantarum, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus cremeris, Leuconostoc mesenteroide, Saccharomyces florentinus, Saccharomyces pretoriensis, Kloeckera apiculata, Candida lambica, Candida valida and possibly others. Lactobacillus brevis has been identified as the species responsible for the production of the polysaccharide matrix that forms the grains

:rockin:

Interesting. Never heard of water kefir (only the dairy kind) before, I'll have to check it out.

Would agree. For those who enjoy kombucha, water kefir (aka its many other names) is a refreshing sometimes soda-like drink that leaves one with a similar impression of healthiness (real or not) after drinking.

Tried to buy some water kefir starter myself but ended up getting kefir grains instead (big difference - these need a milk base as opposed to water and are a different beast entirely).

kefir is kefir you can use the grains in water or milk but when going from milk to water you need to run a few batches to clean the grains then your good to go

not really. Milk kefir grains won't grown in water. Water kefir grains will.

http://www.yourkefirsource.com/water-kefir/water-kefir

its been done many times by many people

I didn't say the bacteria and yeast wouldn't work in the water. Just that the Kefir itself will not GROW. The flavors will also be different (as they are different bacteria and yeast). That's different not bad ;-)

Water kefir grains eat sugar in a simple syrup you add to the water. Milk kefir eats lactose. They are sold as different products and, in my live and raw foods cookbooks at least, are considered different species.

But I digress. My water kefir grains rehydrated well and are nicely plump and multiplying, but after 48 hours in the sugar water the water is cloudy and very, very sweet. Like, too sweet for my taste to drink. Anyone know what's going wrong?

I used water kefir grains in consecutive batches for about 6 months, and they seemed to work great but never actually grew, it was just the same amount of grains every time, definitely nothing extra to spare. Not sure what I was doing wrong... After the 6 months they started to develop a nasty off flavor, and got tossed. Anyone got more info on these or why this might have happened?

ChessRockwell said:

I used water kefir grains in consecutive batches for about 6 months, and they seemed to work great but never actually grew, it was just the same amount of grains every time, definitely nothing extra to spare. Not sure what I was doing wrong... After the 6 months they started to develop a nasty off flavor, and got tossed. Anyone got more info on these or why this might have happened?

Click to expand...

I've had two pots of kefir grains for over a year. The only thing happening to mine if I forget them in the fridge for too long is that the content becomes almost like vinegar. This is normal from what I read so I just toss away the liquid and refill with fresh water and sugar.

Hm. My water kefir grow really slowly, but even after a week (1 pint water, 1/2 grains, 1/4 cup sugar dissolved into syrup), the water is still very, very sugared and too sweet for my taste. I'd love it if the taste went towards vinegar, as I actually don't like drinking sugar.

Any guidance on what I might be doing wrong? Thanks in advance!

He endlesssummer, you might need some 'nutrients' for your gains. Just having water and sugar, esp if you are using refined white sugar, may not be providing everything the grains need to thrive. Some azomite powder, dolomite powder, ginger, lemon zest, raisins, etc., might help provide nutrients. Also if you are using chlorinated water that is a no no, grains do not like that.

I brewed some things with water kefir grains for a while. For some reason anything I drank fermented by it gave me gas in the most horrible way. The most interesting thing I brewed was something I saw on Dom's kefir site about using Don Quai powder and some sort of ginseng powder. What Dom said about it is absolutely true. Unfortunately it is very very short lived as he also says. I do brew milk kefir daily in raw grass fed cow's milk, that comes out absolutely delicious.

@endless---1/2 ____ of grains? cup, tablespoon? I would bet your ratios are off, 1 pint of water would need just 2 tbsp of grains and 2 tbsp sugar. Usually within 48hr at 70-72F alot of the sugar has been utilized. But there are many variables: adjustment period for grains, quality of water, nutrients/additives, temperature, ferment with access to oxygen recommended, etc.

Water grains (WKG) can be used in milk since they contain several lactobacilli strains, but you will get a different product then fermenting milk with milk kefir grains(MKG). And the water grains really need to go back to a water-sugar solution for 24-48hr to maintain them, they just do better. Milk grains can also be converted to ferment pure juice/nectar/sugar water (many long time kefir makers call these "transmogged milk grains")--but they do not need to go back in milk since they have an adjustment phase (just use excess MKG), they will not grow without lactose, but should kefirize you juice/nectar,etc. for a good 6-9 months before they die. There is a "kefir starter" on the market--these are not grains but a powder that will typically make up to seven batches--this starter also does not contain the same organisms that the grains will produce.

In regard to cloudy water when using WKG that is normal since they are introducing yeast among other things. If your water:grain:sugar ratio is off your grains may not grow well (mine double in weight every 2-3 ferments) and they will not make a nice kefir. Improper ratios commonly produce a thick or slimy water.

Ideally you use 1 cup good water (spring, mineral, hard well): 1 tbsp grains: 1 tbsp sugar. Do not use RO or distilled water, avoid chlorine and sulfites. I usually make 3-4 cups each batch: I always add 1/4 lemon (for every 3-4 cups water)-do not squeeze until grains removed, 1 dried sulphur free fig or 5-10 sulphur free raisins plus 1/8 tsp blackstrap molasses (molasses every other batch). The only other thing I add in primary is chunks of ginger or hibiscus or other citrus (have found grains can get damaged..ie mushy--dying). Cover with breathable cloth, place in cabinet/counter corner away from sunlight and taste in 24hr, in 48hr--strain when enough sweetness is gone, squeeze lemon into the grain-free water kefir (or you can use in next batch). You can now proceed with the secondary (flavor) ferment. To the fresh WK, you can add tea, juice, concentrate, fruit, herbs, etc. Cover with lid, place on counter for 24hr (or until first bit of foam develops is fruit was used) and then transfer to refrig. The sealed container will start to carbonate, if you want still WK just twist the lid open a tad so the CO2 comes out. Just like any ferment you risk bottle bombs if you leave at room temp in a sealed container for too long--use caution and common sense.

Here is a very active Yahoo kefir forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Kefir_making/ Great source for grain sharing, advice, recipes, etc. And then the "father of kefir, Dom in AU": http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/Makekefir.html History, studies, recipes, list of organisms, colony counts, all you want to know.

Sorry for long post.

I usually leave it at room temperature with the following:
- filtered water (water without chlorine)
- wathever sugar I have on hand (white, fructose, brown sugar, cane sugar, molasse)
- something for taste which is optional (ginger root, raisin, cranberry, ...)

After a day or two I put it in the fridge and take a cup once in a while until it is near empty and then I restart the process.

To make it taste less sweet, just let it ferment longer. After a month in the fridge, it usually tastes almost like vinegar.

My grains never grow much but it works anyhow.