I Bought Kefir grains a some time ago from two different sellers and decided to mix them in the same batch, did many fermentations and decided to take a look at them to see if I could recognise any difference(due to a post some days ago), and I wanted to share my experience.
The color of the grains wasn't the difference, but their structure.
The Left one: looks more like clusters sticked together and a little wavy
The right one: Looks more wavy/ondulate, like the topside of a walnut

It surprises me how different the two look, how much their structure differ but still they are considered same the kefir grain.

PS:Sorry for the bad quality, my phone's camera is terrible

Two different kefir grains

I've noticed in several posts/comments that one of the keys to success is the right amount of grains per milk. Could anyone elaborate? Is this specific to grains or milk or ? I have suspected that I may need to use less grains per milk and that using 1 tbsp grains per 32 oz milk was making it overferment.

I've just started making kefir, and the whole transfer process seems really messy and inefficient.

I prefer to over ferment, but it leaves a lot of sticky curd at the top that doesn't like to go through the strainer. The strainer on both sides is a sticky mess, then I have a to get a bowl dirty and a funnel to put it in a jug. Should I just get a wider strainer or stop fermenting it so much? Or just make a much larger batch of it and just make a mess once?

Thanks!

Have you guys experience with that?

Hey everyone,

Has someone ever looked into the biochemical / biological side of kefir.

What is the chemical reaction of the fermentation ? Which nutrients of the milk are actually metabolized by kefir? Are there comparison available of the nutrients before and after fermentation?

Are the scientific studies on the fermentation process available?

Would really like to understand the process with its ins and outs in detail. Maybe you guys have some information accumulated.

Best regards

I recently bought a kefir culture starter (the Tibetan kind). I'm trying to figure out if I'm doing something wrong because the kefir turns out very glue-like and sticky, and today I also noticed a different kind of grain in there, it looks and feels like jelly and is transparent. Anyone had a similar experience? I made kefir before, not sure what strain it was though as a friend shared some with me, but this is new to me. Thanks.

I see a lot of people talking about doing a second ferment with other things in it like fruit, spices, etc.

Am I able to do a second ferment without anything extra added?

Would I do it like this:

1. Grains in Milk for 24 hours.
2. Strain the kefir and grains
3. Leave the kefir on the counter for 4-24 hours for a second ferment
4. Put the kefir in the fridge

I usually buy pre-made kefir from the store but now I want to start making my own because of the better health benefits. I'm based in Canada and looking at all the online options to ship grains is kinda overwhelming. What is a legit company that mails healthy grains? Are grains usually dormant during transit and take a while to wake up? Any other tips would be appreciated!

Does coconut water kefir go bad if left on the counter for a few days to ferment?

Hi all! I’d never heard of or thought to do a 2nd fermentation on milk kefir until this sub and plan on starting that, so now I’m curious…

What are some of your favorite ways to do a second ferment? Favorite flavors? Combos? Ways that different ones change the texture? Ones you want to try but haven’t? Just looking for 2nd ferment inspiration!

Hello. I have anxiety and bad breath. My tongue will develop a layer of white substance that I thought was plaque. I brush often and use a tongue scraper.

My anxiety has been with me since I was 9. Never thought it could be stomach related.

Had anyone seen improvement in anxiety or bad breath since taking kefir?

I got my first batch of grains last week, and I made several mistakes with them. They look fine and healthy but they're only making spoiled milk and have not made kefir once yet.

When I got them they've been lost in transit so they were fully frozen. They also came late at night and I am disabled and don't have help in the evenings so I just put them in a full litre of milk. (I couldn't pour it into a smaller jar myself). I left it on the counter for a couple days and then strained them wash them with fresh milk and then put them in a smaller amount of milk (a cup and a half according to the instructions). I've been changing it out every 24 hours and it just keeps smelling like milk that's about to go off, and when I left it once for 48 hours to see if it would ferment, it fully smelled like spoiled milk again.

Also, the original litre of milk that I put them in was past its best before date, which means it wasn't expired but still it wasn't fresh milk. It only had maybe a couple more days left before it went bad. It was just all I could do that night.

So, any suggestions? Have I let them go bad and should I get a new batch? They look fine and they don't smell like anything after I rinse them with milk, but they haven't grown and just look the same as when I got them.

Hi all- I’ve successfully (or at least I think successfully!) been making kefir for about three months. I love it! Mine comes out fizzy, not too thick, my grains are multiplying, and I feel great when I drink it. Only one thing: when I read about kefir (one of my fav pastimes), when people describe it as tangy, I definitely don’t get that from my batches. My kefir tastes like straight up French cheese/Gorgonzola. I happen to like it blended with banana and mango, but I wanted to know if this is common since I don’t read about this flavor profile too often when reading about kefir. Anybody have some comments on this?

I like the plain stuff just fine, sometimes I mix fruit in and just wondered if the acid would kill the bacteria?

I must confess to murder. I had made the grave mistake of rinsing my grains and they died (they stopped working). So I ordered new ones. Thanks to here, I have gotten much great advice re what to look for in reviving grains. But would anyone have pics of well-revived grains? I tend to comprehend such things best if I have a visual cue.

Does fermented Kefir retain the calcium in the milk?

So I bought some grains online and at first I reliably changed out the milk every day, and they are growing and thickening the milk a lot. But it's been a month now and they are still as gross as day one. 0 tang, just straight up baby sick. I've become depressed by this and all the wasted milk so I started neglecting the grains, just leaving them in the fridge in their milk and it's been about a week of that. I've tried rinsing the grains with milk then non chlorinated water but nothing has improved the smell or taste, just thinking about it rn kind of makes me wanna vomit.

Is this just how kefir from grains are? I'm so disappointed.

I used to follow the two-jar method for making kefir, but after my vacation, I switched to using just one jar. I usually scoop out the grain that floats to the top and place the Kefitr in a blender directly in the freezer and place the grain in fresh milk. After about an hour, my kefir smoothie is ready to drink.

Recently, I realized I might have mistaken a curd for a grain, as it fell apart when I squeezed it. I strained to see if it was somewhere else but nothing. I don't make perfect kefir and reuse the jar until it over-ferments, then switch to a fresh one.

I normally blend and eat the extra kefir but I made sure to have a backup grain. My kefir grain has been frozen for six months. I add frozen milk (1 oz) with the grain into fresh milk (12 oz).

1. Does this mean there might be small grains remaining, or is fermentation happening from the curd remnants? I usually cut and eat the grains when they become too large, but fortunately, I have backup grains.
2. If it doesn't smell, should I just drink it as usual? I'm not sure how long I was without grains, as the kefir was thin since I scraped out the remnants.
3. How long will it take for a frozen grain to make my backup grain again? I want one as soon as possible in case I slip up again but haven't felt sick yet.
4. Has anyone else made this mistake? The grain was a decent size while covered in curd, so I'm not sure how I messed up. Is there a better way to identify it, like by touch, or is using a strainer and 2 jars the safer bet?

I got some dehydrated grains cause I couldn’t find where to order live grains that would ship to my country. They are starting to come to life but I’m wondering if they will ever be up to par with the probiotic diversity of the ones that were not dried? Does the drying permanently kill some strains? Should I try to get some raw milk for a batch or 2 or is that a big no no because of the risks?

I would like to ferment hummus or a bean dip using milk kefir. I could either ferment cooked beans with kefir first and then make a dip or I could make a dip first and then mix in some dairy kefir and leave it to ferment overnight at room temperature. Any tried and true recipes on this forum? Appreciate any tips I can get. Thank you.

Hi y’all! I’ve been making water kefir for a bit of time successfully. It’s been lovely and recently also started making milk kefir. My question is.. suddenly, my water kefir isn’t becoming fizzy on the second ferment. During the first ferment, it’s very active: grains going up and down, rapidly growing, becomes tart, etc.

On the second ferment I’ve been adding additional sugar (about 1.5 tsp) and fresh fruit (cherries, strawberries, or mixed berry). But, for some reason on my last 3 ferments, the kefir going into the second ferment seems incredibly active - very very bubbly and if I open the top immediately after closing it (to even out the amount in the bottles) it goes pop! However, after leaving it for 48 hours, there has been no further carbonation. Anyone have any idea what might be going on?

Thank you!

My kefir grains have barely grown for many months. The way I straining it is to put the mesh strainer on a bowl, and tap the strainer against the bowl. I found that it is the easiest way to separate it. Did I do it wrong?

I love the fizzy kefir I get, but do wonder why it is so so different, esp in texture, from commercially made ones--at least in the US. Growing up in Russia, the commecially made kefir was not as thick as one produced here.

I am looking to buy some kefir grains. However I can not find anything local. I heard good things about fusion teas but not sure about shipping either from Amazon? Any advice or product recommendations welcome!

I just got my grains in the mail last Saturday and have been switching out 2 cups of milk with my grains every 24 hours. Currently I probably have 2 tbsp of grains. At 24 hours I have noticed some of the whey separating but the kefir is not very thick and is very grainy. Will this stop being the case over time?