Today’s Video Thursday segment features how to make kefir in your own kitchen!
I prefer kefir to yogurt because yogurt only has a 2-5 strains of beneficial bacteria, none of which aggressively attack and destroy pathogens in the gut. Therefore, in a gut that is dominated by pathogens and candida (as in someone who has taken many rounds of antibiotics and other prescription drugs over the years and/or eats primarily processed foods), yogurt tends to have only a temporary impact in rebalancing the bacterial colonies in favor of the beneficial strains. Kefir, on the other hand, has about 30 beneficial strains of bacteria and yeasts which do aggressively recolonize the gut by destroying pathogens. As a result, kefir has the potential to permanently alter the gut environment for the better.
You can sometimes get live kefir grains from a friend, as the kefir grains grow slowly over time and extras can be given away (or even eaten as a live probiotic!). If you cannot find any live grains in your community, you can mail order them from Cultures For Health.
I will cover water kefir grains in a later Video Thursday segment!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
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{ 74 comments… read them below or add one }
If you have to take a break from regular kefir making, how long can you keep your grains in the small jar with milk? Do you need to change the milk after a certain amount of time like with storing water kefir grains?
I echo everyone's sentiments… it's so helpful to see things being done in addition to reading about them!
Thanks!
If you put the milk kefir grains in enough milk (like fill a quart mason jar 1/2 full and put the grains in there), the grains will be fine for several months.
So glad you like the videos! Please send me any suggestions for future videos .. I want to make sure I spend my time on topics that people really want to see and find useful.
The grains/milk must be kept in the refrigerator though when not fermenting.
Do you eat it with a spoon or drink it? How does the texture feel in your mouth? How does it taste compared to yogurt? I've been interested in trying keffir for a while, but honestly, in your video it looks really disgusting, like curdled milk. I had imagined it as a smoother liquid, more like a thin yogurt, not with all those lumps. I'm a little afraid to pay for keffir grains and then not like the finished product. Do you know if the bottled keffir you can buy at health food stores is similar to what you make with live keffir grains? Maybe I can start by buying a bottle.
You use kefir exactly as you would use yogurt. Use it as a base for a smoothie or put some in a bowl and add some honey and banana, for example The bottled stuff at the healthfood store is not as good as what you get at home by a longshot. Lifeway brand kefir, for example, only has 10 strains in it .. your homemade kefir has about 30 bacteria and yeasts in a beneficial symbiotic arrangement. The texture is similar to yogurt. If you've ever gotten drinkable yogurt at the store, it is very similar in texture to that. Sometimes my kefir comes out very thick and other times more watery. I like the variation and find it more natural and the way it should be based on the seasons. Having everything the same all the time like what you get from processed kefir at the store takes away part of the health aspect of it, in my opinion.
hm, ok. I just meant if the bottled stuff tastes/ feels the same in the mouth, I could try it first. In the video it just looks kind of chunky. Thanks for the response. (and sorry I spelled kefir wrong!)
I'm not sure if the store bought would be the same texture or not. Knowing these food companies, it would be likely that they would add an thickener of some kind to make it more consistent batch to batch. If you want it the same very time, then use the kefir powder packets (one time use). Folks I know who use those tend to have more consistently thicker batches than I do using the live grains.
Can you touch the kefir grain with clean hands? I just made my first batch and rinsed my grain under water in a colander (which I was instructed by the person who gave me the grain). Thank you for the video, it was great watching someone actually do it.
Yes, you can touch the grains with clean hands. It is ok to rinse the grains with filtered water, but it is unnecessary. I have never rinsed mine and it seems to me that they might stay stronger unrinsed.
I had Kefir in Italy and it was much thinner and yeastier in flavor than store-bought kefir here. I love the yeasty flavor, but when I tried to make kefir a few years ago, it really got too alcoholic quite quickly. It was summer and maybe the ambient temperature was a little too warm? I got discouraged and stopped trying. Do you have any suggestions for getting that nice yeasty flavor without having it go too far?
I really am not sure how to get the yeasty flavor. One guess I have is perhaps the combination of beneficial bacteria and yeast strains in the kefir culture used in Italy was a bit different. Do you know anyone in Italy who could mail you a culture? I have tried different kefirs from different cultures over the years and they do tend to have different flavors and textures depending on the mix of organisms in the culture.
Hello Sarah.I have a question,and I apologize if this is too much info.I started taking the cod liver oil and just yesterday I took about 4 tbsp. total of coconut oil,in a cup pf water,2 tbsp at a time. Is it normal to at first feel nauseous and diarreah?
Please read "Eat Fat Lose Fat" and this suggests a daily dosage based on weight on how to build up over time. Starting out with such a high dose (where did you get the idea to do this??) can definitely make you feel sick.
I totally need to try this. I love your blog – I've noticed though you don't have a list with your labels on the side. I was looking to see if you have anything about Gluten Intolerance. Great info here! -kg
IS VERY GOOD..............................
I feel better now,but that is the amount says to take …
Sarah,
I started making kefir a month or so ago. I got some grains from a friend. My grains are different looking from yours. They are more of a jumbled mass of thick strands. My kefir is also quite yeasty tasting and tends to separate very fast, in less than a day. Is yours strong tasting? My kids wont drink it unfortunately. They like the kind made from the powder because it is milder. Just wondering if other strains of grains have a different flavor?
Holly
Yes, different kefir cultures can produce different tasting results. Mine is a rather mild taste. I make a kefir smoothie with just bananas and strawberries and don't add any additional sweetener as it's not that strong tasting. Perhaps you want to get another culture and see if that one suits your tastes better. Yes, the powder ones are milder for sure. The important thing is to get your kids to eat it as it is so very beneficial. If all they will eat is the one made from the powder, then go for that one.
I have been making and drinking kefir for a couple of years now. I like to put 1 cup of kefir in a jar with about 3/4 cup of raw milk and blend it with my hand blender to make it smooth so as to dilute the taste and tolerate the texture. I have to keep down my sugar intake. The hardest part is finding someone to split my grains with when I have too many!
I have put them up for free on craigslist sometimes.
This would be a first-time project for me. Where or how would I obtain the Kefir grain?
Hi Barbara Ann, you can purchased milk kefir grains at http://culturesforhealth.com/splash.php
Sarah, in the video do you use a metal canning lid on the kefir culture? This looked strange to me, as I know metal utensils should never touch the kefir grains. I have made water kefir for quite a few months now, but my husband was just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (mostly weight-related,) and I'm a little iffy on giving him water kefir because of the sugar content.
Hi Cindy, you are most certainly right. Metal should never touch your kefir grains. However, using a metal lid on your mason jar is fine as the grains don't ever touch it. I've used mason jars for years and don't remember a single time my grains ever came in contact with the lid. You just have to be extra careful. If you have another glass container with a plastic lid, that is probably a better choice.
Hi! We also make Kefir and have no problems with fermenting ultra-pasterized organic milk! Raw is sooooooooo much more expensive than pasterized and so is kind of a luxery in our home
LoL Everytime I hear you English speaking people pronounce "Kefir" my friend and I laugh like crazy LoL Why don't you go and meet a Russian person or anyone from Eastern Europe and ask them to pronounce it for you
You Sarah actually pronounce it more closer how it supposed to sound than what I have heard from some other people, like (keefar) lol only that when you say (fir) it is not (fear) sound like you make it, its more of strong and short Fir!. Hard to explain here. 
I guess you don't even have a sound like that in English language. You would really have to listen to us say it, even someone from Germany would be able to pronounce it for you properly. Its not really hard. I might make a video on YouTube one day. All the best, and don't forget to drink your KeFir!!!!
Hi ! I was wondering.. when you make kefir.. (sometimes I notice the grains are different size masses) I take out as much as I can to save them in a different jar.. but is it okay to drink the kefir.. if there are a few grains left in it that you couldn't scoop out after fermentation?
~Erika
Hi Erika, OMG! They will grow inside you :O LOL, Seriously, You can eat the Kefir Grains, they are very good for you! The reason people save them is to make another batch, if you get to the stage when you would have more then what you need, just eat them! Don't throw them out! :O They are very yummy!
I have a question about straining the grains out of the kefir. I don't think you showed that in the video. I know I can't use my little metal strainer. How do you suggest separating the grains back out when the kefir is finished? A fine cheese cloth?
B
Sarah,
I ordered the milk kefir grains and have been soaking them in a cup of milk like the directions called for. It says to strain the grains out after 24 hours and add new milk. The question I have is that I can't seem to find the grains and the whole thing is very thick with jelly-like globules. There is no cauliflower like grains. I'm wondering if the milk is clabbering on the countertop? Should I be able to tell the what the grains are? I forgot about not using metal and the first day I strained it in a fine strainer, do you think the grains may have been harmed?
Jessica
Hi Jessica, I’m new to this and I’m having the exact same experience you described. (metal by accident…looks like it is clabbering.) I was just wondering what finally happened with yours? Did you have to start over??
April
Hi Jessica, I have never worked with dehydrated grains before so really do not have any tips to offer here. I would contact the company where you ordered the kefir grains and inquire regarding the situation.
Hi Sarah.
I have contacted you a couple of times before and now have another question for you. I have been making milk kefir for maybe a year and a half and my trips to the farm are every couple of weeks. I usually get enough milk for those two weeks to make my kefir with. I do notice that when I make kefir with the older milk, it is naturally more sour and thin – to be expected. I have read that people use colloidal silver to help keep milk fresh, and I was wondering if using the silver (which is just a small amount in the milk) and then using the milk to make kefir would actually work and not kill the grains. Do you know anything about this? Thanks for your help.
Lori
Hi Lori, colloidal silver is antibacterial and will kill probiotics. This is why I rarely if ever use it as it will kill bacteria for an infection but also kill off good bacteria in your gut as well. Most people do not realize this. This would be a great blog post, actually!
Hi, Sarah! We do use cod liver oil, but my youngest 3 boys have strep, by all symptoms. I think we picked it up on a recent trip. I really don’t want to do antibiotics or make a trip to the doctor. What are good alternatives, in your experience/opinion? I did buy some colloidal silver to try, but understand what you say about it killing good bacteria as well. Any ideas?
Hi Sarah! Great Post!
In an effort to rebuild my gut and lose a good 20 pounds of weight, I’m starting to make raw milk kefir.
I’m open to many points of view but found many health advocates saying that if you’re planning on losing weight youshould cut the dairy (even the kefir!) out becaue the sugar in the milk will cause your insulin to spike, therefore encouraging your cells to store fat.
I’d love to get your input on this and thanks again for the great info!
Hi Bettina, raw kefir has little to no milk sugar (lactose) as it is used up by the beneficial flora during fermentation.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: Video- How to Make Ghee Butter Oil
I received my kefir grains about 4 weeks ago and have been making it ever since. My kids and I all have a smoothie every morning, and my culture has tripled in size (understand that I started out with 1 cup of kefir culture since I wanted to be able to make a quart easily everyday). I do use about 1 cup culture in a quart of milk, and have a noticeable separation of curds and whey by 12 hours. From what I have researched, it appears that after 48 hours (I do a secondary fermentation for 24 hours w/out the culture in it) the whey becomes a complete protein and there’s quite a bit more B vitamins, plus it’s carbonated!
Hey Sarah,
My family is just getting started with real food & my dad wants to know if cultured butter (kerrygold) has the same benifits as cultured milk kefir as he does’nt like the taste of milk left out over night….thanks for all the info you make so easily available!
Hi Erica, kefir has different benefits than cultured butter. Kefir has over 20 different strains of probiotic many of which are strains that aggressively recolonize the gut crowding out any pathogenic strains that may have taken hold. Have your dad mix the kefir with some fruit and maybe a dash of honey to help the taste be less sour.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: The Dukan Diet- French Version of Atkins
Sarah, do you know of any moms who are using raw milk kefir to help the guts of their autistic children? Thanks for the video … they are such a blessing
I got some Body Ecology grains (I guess this is the powdered type). Will try that first (since I already have it) and then will order from Cultures for Health.
Hi Sarah,
I got some grains from a friend, and what I have left in the bottom after 2 batches is a clumpy runny chunk, much like soft crumbly tofu . I do not have a cauliflower bloom like you. Is that okay, will it at some point grow into the cauliflower?
Gail
No, it is always like cauliflower. I don’t really understand what you have there, but it may be water keifer grains and not milk keifer grains. I’ve seen folks make this mistake before.
I’ve been culturing my grains a little over a month from the dehydrated Cultures For Health grains. My grains went through a stage just like yours, I just scraped up the jellyfish mass from the bottom of the jar and strained it. FINALLY my kefir grains look like cauliflower! It was a totally natural stage for the jellylike grains, don’t worry!
I’d like to start making kefir, but would like to know – once it’s ready to refrigerate, how long will it keep in the refrigerator?
Hi Sarah,
Would you mind addressing the pros/cons of all the various processes and when/if you would recommend one process over the others?
Great video. I have a question around the long-term storage of the milk kefir grains. You mention putting them in a jar of milk in the fridge. A number of sites tell you for storage over a few weeks, you MUST dehydrate or rinse them and store them in the fridge in water. I much prefer your recommendation. I don’t want to dehydrate and then wait for rehydration. And putting the grains in water sounds like starving the poor things.
Thanks,
Susan
In your video, you use lids when making kefir and in storing your grains. I heard that it needs to breathe and you should cover it with a clean cloth or coffee filter. Does it need to breathe?
I am REALLY trying to like kefir, but I’m having trouble getting past the sourness. Any ideas? Thank you.
Caroline, make a smoothie with it! puree some blueberries, or strawberries. Fresh cherries are the BEST! I like to add a little honey too.
Sarah, I read somewhere (I don’t remember where) that high speed blending can damage the kefir. Is this true? Should I puree the fruit seperately and then mix in the kefir by hand?
Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for the great video on kefir. I have two questions for you…
Firstly, you mention that kefir has 30 beneficial strains of bacteria, is that a fact backed up scientific research? Could you please provide the reference if you have it.
Secondly, When I make kefir usually the whey(liquid watery stuff) is at the very bottom and the more solid white stuff is at the top. I mix it all evenly with a wooden spoon before I strain it with a plastic sieve. After straining I collect the grains from the sieve but I don’t see them in ball like formation as a cauliflower in the jar. In the jar it seems like they are spread out evenly in the thick layer of yogurt at the top. Am I doing it right and is it ok to use plastic sieve?
Thanks,
Shekhar
Is milk kefir ok for someone with casein intolerances/allergies? I know the lactose is eliminated (which is great), but is the casein denatured that so I can tolerate it?
Is goats milk easier to handle than cows?
And is the goat milk from whole foods ok to use?
Thanks!
Sarah, I love this site, videos and your book. I made my first batch of Kefir but I don’t know what it is supposed to taste like. It was REALLY sour (and I typically like sour things). I even tried to blend it with blueberries to get it down. Can anyone describe the taste so I know if I did it right?
I have been trying to rehydrate my kefir grains that I purchased from Cultures for Health, but I don’t know that I am achieving it. I think I am following the directions, and I have been doing the 1 cup of milk each day for 6 days, and it coagulates but mine never gets to look like cauliflower. It is still in grains, I think. I stir it and strain it as instructed but it strains down to little bits of material and I wash and dry the original container, put the strained grains in it and add new milk. It smells fine, like yogurt to me, but the consistency is never like yours, a hunk like cauliflower. The temperature is right at 70, so maybe I will move it to a warmer place in the house, and keep trying. The instructions said 4-7 days, but it says under some circumstances it may take 2-4 week to start making kefir. I’ll keep trying in a little warmer place.
Victoria, I’m not Sarah, but perhaps I can help a little. I imagine it would take quite a long time for grains to grow to the size that Sarah shows in this video. I bought my grains from CFH last year (August, I think) and at that time I had 4-5 about the size of BBs…this was when they were in their dehydrated state. After about 4-5 days of rehydration, they started making consumable kefir, but after all these months, I have 7 grains of varying size, everything from one that is BB size still (I thik it broke off from a larger grain) to 4 that are almost the size of a small marble. I currently split the 7 grains into 2 separate quart jars, and both make lovely kefir. I wouldn’t expect your grains to look like the size of the ones in the video for quite some time. They take some time to grow. Just today I got the bright idea of taking my two smallest grains and putting them in their own quart jar to ferment, with the hopes they might grow a bit so they’re easier to find when I’m straining. Now I have 3 quarts going at a time! Luckily, this family of 5 goes through lots of kefir. Hope this is somewhat helpful!
My kefir grains float to top of the jar and get coated with the cream. The kefir then doesn’t seem to ferment as well. I’d love to keep the cream in the kefir, but the skim milk kefir seems to ferment better. Any thoughts or ideas?
Hi Sarah,
I just bought my kefir grains. I’ve been told that once they start to grow, we can eat the extra grains, and give them to my kid (they taste like sour gummy bears). My son is 18 months; how much would be too much? I know is healthy… but is there a risk in over do it? Thank you for you lovely posts and videos, you really did change our lives.
I just tried activating my kefir grains from Cultures of Health. After the third day it all just looks like about a quarter of a cup of cottage cheese….there isn’t anything at all that resembles a cauliflower.
Is this still usable? I changed the raw milk 3 times so far to activate it so I haven’t made kefir yet.
Greetings from London!!
Sarah, would like to ask if you strain the kefir ones it is ready? you did not mention this on your video and I have seen many other videos and always see the people using a strainer. If you don’t could you please elaborate whether its better to or not to strain??
many thanks and best regards
Hi Sarah,
I want to make coconut kefir since we never drink milk. If I need to refresh the milk kefir grains every few times in milk – and I have to buy some milk for only this purpose – I’d want to find the most economical way to do this since the milk will be disposed after refreshing the kefir grains. I’m assuming I can not buy one of those little lunch size milk cartons of milk because of it being ultra pasteurized. What would be the best solution for my problem?
Thanks Stacey
I am confused on how the kefir grain is reused over and over again. I am very new to this. Can raw goat milk be used? We have a milking goat.
b’h
I have the same question as Sarah:)
Hi Sarah,
Would you mind addressing the pros/cons of all the various processes and when/if you would recommend one process over the others?
Great video. I have a question around the long-term storage of the milk kefir grains. You mention putting them in a jar of milk in the fridge. A number of sites tell you for storage over a few weeks, you MUST dehydrate or rinse them and store them in the fridge in water. I much prefer your recommendation. I don’t want to dehydrate and then wait for rehydration. And putting the grains in water sounds like starving the poor things.
Is it ok to use slightly soured raw milk to add to the grains to make your kefir?
Hi Sarah,
I posted a question 5 months ago and I’m still waiting for an answer. I purchased the Kefir grains back in October when I read your post and have had them here waiting until I hear back from you. I see others have similar questions. Would you consider taking a moment to answer? I’ll repost the question here.
“I want to make coconut kefir since we never drink milk. If I need to refresh the milk kefir grains every few times in milk – and I have to buy some milk for only this purpose – I’d want to find the most economical way to do this since the milk will be disposed after refreshing the kefir grains. I’m assuming I can not buy one of those little lunch size milk cartons of milk because of it being ultra pasteurized. What would be the best solution for my problem?”
Thank you, Stacey
Hi Stacey,
Sorry to jump in on your question, but I thought maybe after researching this in minute detail, I might try to help. Any chance you have someone, a friend, relative, who would give you some milk and want the kefir? That sounds like it would be the BEST answer to me, since you’d not have to pay for the milk, and your kind friend would greatly benefit from some fresh kefir! I know if I lived near you, I’d give you milk and take the kefir! (let me know if you live in Idaho, LOL)
Good luck, Becky
Can I use raw cream to make this?
Hi Sarah,
How do I get the kefir Live-culture grain if I don’t know anyone who has one to spare?
Hi Viviana,
I went to simplykefir.com and ordered mine. It is working great. Or if you want, when I get to the point where I can spare some (maybe a month or more, not sure yet) if you pay me shipping, I’ll send you some via usps.
Hi Becky,
I’ve only been getting my meats, dairy,etc from a GF farmer for about 2 1/2 months? I absolutely love the culture of bartering and exchanging services on an “Honor System” its restorative to my soul.
Thank you for your response, for a moment I thought “Are my questions posting” ? No response from blog host – “too busy” . I would be interested in your gracious offer. I’ve never shared food with a stranger over the internet so, I’m a little curious as to how I would gauge the authenticity or quality/effectiveness of the grain? Is there some way to identify a good quality kefir grain from a “bad” one? I appreciate your insight and willingness to share!
In Unity,
Viviana
Hello there
I’m on the GAPS diet and Dr Natasha recommends keeping the jar at 110 degrees for 24 hrs to make sure the bacteria work effectively. If it’s just left on the counter will all the milk sugar have been metabolised by the good bacteria after 24 hrs? I want to make sure I don’t have any sugar left in my Kefir. Leaving it on the counter looks easier than heating, but I don’t want to risk ingesting any sugars. Please could someone help me?
This blog writer, Sarah, doesn’t answer anybody’s questions it seems. I’ve been waiting over 6 months for an answer after buying the grains and having them sit on my counter – while I patiently awaited an answer. I’ve emailed her and asked again on her facebook page.
No luck. What a waste.
Hi Sarah,
I watched your video and was very anxious to make my first batch of keffir, and did successfully. thanks to you. My grains can from a Russian lady who came into our Health food store which I was grateful.
Can I use my hands to squeeze the keffir yoghurt through a nut milk bag, as the yoghurt is thick and luscious, and taste beautifully sour.
I guess my question is, are hands o.k to use at this point to squeeze grains from yoghurt?
Thanks for your reply
Down Under
How do i get my kefir grains to be like a stuck together chunk? Mine multiply, but never really get bigger. Also, I always strain mine with a metal type strainer (is there any other type of strainer?) and you mention not to use metal of any kind, so am I hurting my grains and that is why they aren’t making bigger chunks?
Helen, I wouldn’t use a metal strainer. Try using a wooden spoon to gently bring them out. I do that, and they seem to ‘fuse’ together nicely. I think maybe the metal strainer might be your problem. Don’t worry if they have ‘stuff’ left around them, white gummy stuff, you’ll just be putting them back in milk, right?
Hi
I just got my first batch of kefir grains and have been following the directions to make milk kefir. I live in Tampa and use JoAsh raw milk.
Each batch I have made…about 4…..has an extremely foul “farmy” taste to it. Not very appetizing. I have had plain store bought kefir and it tastes nothing like the store bought.
The milk I purchase does not have this “farmy” taste to it and I am wondering if it is the grains or is this just how kefir is supposed to taste?
Thanks for any insights.
I make kefir with our FABULOUS raw milk. Then I add fruit (strawberries, blueberries, bananas, maple syrup and/or an apple slurry mix). Afterward, I place it in a pitcher in the refrigerator. If it is not all drunk that day, I save it for the following day and add more kefir. And so on. It seems to actually preserve the fruit, but is there any danger of bad bacteria growth in doing this?
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