so - what do your kefir grains look like? For awhile I was getting a hard little nodule that would grow and double in size about every 4 days. But I drank it by mistake! (grabbed the jar waiting to be strained by mistake) LOL. And now I have no hard nodule but tons of small flecking globs. Can I share the globs with others who want to kefirize or do I need to wait for a nodule?

How are you shipping kefir to others? Putting in 'grains' or 'flecking globs' or a tablespoon of kefir?

Cathy who is fond of kefir but not quite a nut yet.

Huh. I guess I am clueless. I bought kefir at Whole foods this week, but it's certainly not a grain. So is this how you make your own?

I just read the other thread. I need to do this. My DS loved the kefir, as did I.

Heather when you try your own kefir you will flip. It is like a cult thing. There is no words. Three books that I recommend to you are:

Full Moon Feast
Eat Fat Lose Fat
Nourishing Traditions

Cathleen I am so glad you moved this over here. I could talk about kefir all day along. Again I believe it is a cult. lol.

When we gonna do a kombucha thread?

Heather, one of us will have kefir grains (aka starter) to share soon enough - I'll check back with you when I catch up with my list.

meanwhile, I bought 5lbs of strawberries and sliced them and then boiled them with a simple sugar inversion (1 cup water to 1 cup sugar, used 2 cups of each total to the 5 lbs strawberries). When it got nice and syrupy I blended it into a puree. Now every morning I pour some strawberry syrup into a glass of kefir and the whole family while happily chug it down! So yummy.

Heather can have my spot in line cuz I got me some kefir grains today. WOOHOO. I added raw milk and covered with a hemp cloth and they are on my counter. Any tips?? What do I do now???

I get to taste my first glass of kefir made with grains tomorrow morning. I can barely wait!

Curious how long you all let your set. Again I used raw milk and started yesterday right about 11:30 so it has been right about 36 hours and I am gonna strain, make new and go to bed.

I let mine sit fo about 18-24 hours depending on the temp in the house. I like mine sour! My friends like theirs mild - 8-12 hours. We are using pasturized milk.

How did yours turn out?

I let mine sit fo about 18-24 hours depending on the temp in the house. I like mine sour! My friends like theirs mild - 8-12 hours. We are using pasturized milk.

How did yours turn out?

yummy!

Hmm. Rather interesting. Is anyone lactose intollerant and wiliing to share their experience with kefir?

Catching up a bit....

When I ship the grains, I rinse with fresh milk and put some in the bag with the grains.

I like mine slightly sour but not to the point of where the whey has seperated.. then I don't like to drink it plain, I put it in a smoothie. That is how my children drink it. KJ, it takes mine anywhere from 12-18 hours (cow's milk). Raw goats milk is taking longer... Temp. determines time as well for me.

Here is a sight, Hastings, that I shared with my dh when helping him understand kefir a bit more...Kefir Yoghurt for Life - Benefits of Kefir (http://www.kefir.biz/benefit.htm) and then the Mercola site about kefir: http://www.mercola.com/forms/kefir.htm

Hope this helps. Off to see if my raw goat's milk kefir is ready to be strained!!! Oh and How funny about drinking the grains!!! I have a plastic cap on the unstrained and plastic wrap with the metal screw lid on the ready-to-go so my son (the smoothie King) knows which to use!!

Tracey, what do your grains look like? I really had something that looked like a grain (singlular) that would grow and double till I drank it.

Now I have a ton of blobby flecks. Still cultures up the same, no grain.

What do you get?

Where did you get the grains? I have wanted to try this but have only purchased i premade.

Tracey, what do your grains look like? I really had something that looked like a grain (singlular) that would grow and double till I drank it.

Now I have a ton of blobby flecks. Still cultures up the same, no grain.

What do you get?


Mine are a big blob and when it gets really big, I just pinch off half. I have never had babies from mine (that I know of) but read that babies do grow. Maybe I don't have a fine enough strainer and I am drinking the those. Hmm, I have never seen the blobby flecks, but obviously you have some culture so perhaps the flecks are babies and they will grow in time.

Heather, one of us will have kefir grains (aka starter) to share soon enough - I'll check back with you when I catch up with my list.


Thanks, I'd love to be on the list. :)

I was on someone's list to have some sent to me but I am not sure if they haven't made it down the list to me yet or if I missed out.

Bobbi Jo, You are on my list, I just checked and I am mailing them out tomorrow!!!!

Awesome :)

Please tell me exactly what I need to do when I get them and what the basic regimen is please because I don't want to screw them up :)

Thanks a bunch. Do you still have my addy? What will I need to send you for shipping?

I think I have been letting my out too long. My kids are not liking it compared to the powder. I have been doing like 36 hours. I am going to try 24 and then maybe even less.

Good news. Starting next Tuesday I am going to be a raw dairy drop site. Too excited.

Awesome :)

Please tell me exactly what I need to do when I get them and what the basic regimen is please because I don't want to screw them up :)

Thanks a bunch. Do you still have my addy? What will I need to send you for shipping?

Nothing, got you covered on the shipping and also I send a pm with full instructions and links to sites about kefir will do that in just a moment and you can look it over before they get there~!I still have your address!!

Let us know when you get them and get started!!! Can't wait to hear about your adventures!!

I think I have been letting my out too long. My kids are not liking it compared to the powder. I have been doing like 36 hours. I am going to try 24 and then maybe even less.

Good news. Starting next Tuesday I am going to be a raw dairy drop site. Too excited.

That rocks about the raw dairy!!

OK, here is my experience.... with pasteurized cow's milk, it took about 12 hours at a mild room temp (variables with temp changes of course)... I had to watch it pretty closely at the 12-hour mark because it would very quickly go from a beautiful smooth consistency with wonderful taste to a thick sour separated mess (but still consumable).
With raw goat's milk, I am finding it takes a lot longer...not sure why yet, haven't had time to research...but it has a much smoother, creamier consistency and sweeter taste!!! I am loving the goat's milk!

Thanks.

I will be using raw cow's milk. Does anone have experience with how long it takes with raw cow's milk? Also, do you need to start with the milk at room temp. when adding it or can you take it straight from the fridge and add it?

Thanks a bunch! I can't wait to get it.

Thanks.

I will be using raw cow's milk. Does anone have experience with how long it takes with raw cow's milk? Also, do you need to start with the milk at room temp. when adding it or can you take it straight from the fridge and add it?

Thanks a bunch! I can't wait to get it.

Yes, you can take it straight from the fridge and add the grains.... I have not used raw cow's milk for kefir.

Hey, look, 2 cool new articles about kefir. The first has good info, Kaje, about making kefir from fresh milk

Kefir—Homemade (http://www.rwood.com/Recipes/Kefir_Homemade.htm)

Kefir (http://www.rwood.com/Articles/Kefir.htm)

Does anyone still have any of this they would be interested in parting with? I saw the grains at the store for about $6 but thought I would try here first??

Where is livingfree BTW? I have not noticed her sweet smile for some time around here. I have been gone awhile too, but before that I had not seen oher for awhile.

I won't have grains for awhile as our household has gone on an extreme elimination diet for awhile to see if we can figure out what's causing some problems for the kids. If and when I do have some I've been shipping them in milk in glass jars lately so the shipping alone is about $7 (2 lbs).

I'm thinking that what you saw in the store was a dehydrated kefir starter package - makes delicious kefir but a completely different ball of wax. The starter stuff does not have the same beneficial bactera/colonization (it does have a lot, though) and it cannot propagate itself like the grains do.

I'll check back to see if you still need some when I have some to share - though that might be 3 weeks. I did send some to LivingFree about 3 weeks ago and to Kaje just now - this new strain is so completely different than the one that was so widely shared here at Amity 2 months or so ago.

Cathy

Edited to add: I do have a TON of sealed boxes of dehydrated starter that I'd be glad to sell if you want that. I loved the taste! But I love the alive qualities of fermenting my own even better - earthier, chaotic, real life.

Cathleen you hit the nail on the head. I like the taste better of the powder but I think the live makes you feel better.

I have some grains I can share but they are like the ones that Cathleen talked about that were passed here a couple months ago. I would send in a ziploc in a bit of milk, let me know if you want some. They could work as a way to play until you get the Cat's Meow.:cloud9: I am in love and I have not even tasted this stuff.

Here is a link to a thread where I posted pictures of Freddie.

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/amity-mama-market/344831-cathleenc-he-so-so-so-cute.html

I would still like to get grains if someone has them, though I'm going to be gone now for the month of July. We're still buying kefir from Whole Foods.

Hey ladies, I am confuzzled if anyone can help.
Feel free to steer me in the right direction.

Dehydrated kefir is different than the kefir grains. Good, but not AS good for you.

Cathleen has the good starter grains she can send on in a few weeks. She also has boxes of dehydrated starter.

KJ has some of the grains she can send on, but I am confused about the 'cat's meow' part, and also about the part about the kefir going around a few months ago. Was it really good, really bad? Where did it go, did it just disapear?

Okay, sorry to be dense, KJ, if you do have grains (i saw Freddie, he looks luverly) you can ship in a baggie that sounds good, but I am just ocnfused if I should be looking for something different.

thanks!

k sugar. I can mail you mine in a ziploc for a $1. I had grains, I liked them. That glass I cheered Rachel is from that batch. I have been using them they are great. But Cathleen pm'd me offering me her tibetan mushroom and I went for it. I always like to try new, better etc.

Also I think the powder actually taste better but it is way more expensive. And there are debates out there whether or not the live grains are actually better.

My paypal addy is in my siggie.

Off to have my first glass of Cathleen's kefir batch. Woohoo.

Ok, so how is tibetan mushroom different from regular grains? I guess I need to go kefir studying.

If I can figure out how to get into dh's pp I will pp today, if nto I will have to wait until Tues when he gets home. :) Thanks!

Hey my mailman just came. I can send Monday. You can paypal me on Tuesday.

the original batch of grains we all shared were small and blobby and harder to strain out - or - a single grain that got bigger with time but stayed relatively oval and smooth. The kefir was good.

The tibetan mushroom version of kefir grains supposedly came straight from Dom (have you found dom's kefir page? More info about kefir than you can believe exists). It is rather huge and lobed and stays in one piece. Dom's kefir page recommends using 1/5 grains to 4/5 milk - with the original batch, using those proportions, I would have been fermenting 1/4 cup of milk at a time (I used more and it worked). The kefir is different - more bubbley, tangy, fresher tasting to me. It forms a creamy/frothy cap on the top of the jar while fermenting that I've never seen before. It has the stringy kefiran culture around it that Dom talks about as being so desirable.

The original type of grains ships easily in a baggy since they are so small. The second version (aka mushroom) looks like it would get crushed or destroyed so that's why I've been shipping in jars.

did that help?

keep in mind my grains are not from the Amity gals but they are fine.

Cathleen do you take the lid off while they brew to let out gas?

C..I have another question. I am scared that I hurt him when I moved him cuz now I can't remember how big he was and I have little pieces floating around. Is that normal?

If I can figure out how to get into dh's pp I will pp today, if nto I will have to wait until Tues when he gets home. :) Thanks!

hey do I mail these to you??? I have someone else local asking about them....

sorry kj, I have not checked back in until now to get your pp addy, dh did not get home until midnight last night and I missed what you had posted up above. I am not the best at keeping up with threads.

I can pp you right now.

got it lucky you. A guy from my raw milk delivery called today and told me his friend was going to pick up the grains today and his friend forgot. So he can wait a couple weeks. I will ship on thursday. Hey anyone on here? do I need to send priority...never thought about that...if yes. I may need more moula. I am sorry. dorkus here.

let me know if you need more $$, or, like you said, you can just bring it with you when you come this way.

lets see if any wise ones like Kathleen or livingfree come and share their wisdom. I am off to bed and then gone all day tomorrow. happy 4th!

Cathleen I did not have this last batch in a glass jar and it seems better. I think I should not keep asking you how you do ours because we all have different climates etc.

let me know if you need more $$, or, like you said, you can just bring it with you when you come this way.

attention

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/amity-mama-market/345314-kansas-texas-mamas-heading-your-way.html

you gotta pm me this important stuff, I am terrible at rechecking threads!! :)

you gotta pm me this important stuff, I am terrible at rechecking threads!! :)

but I did LOL!

I have some of my own kefir questions. I just got some raw milk and have kefir starter (I didn't even know about the grains before now). The instructions on the box and a book I have says to heat the raw milk to 180 degrees and then cool to 72. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the raw milk? Can I just put the milk out w/o heating? Also it says to put it in a sterilized jar. My milk is already in jars but not sterile. Do I have to sterilize a jar and then transfer the milk? Should the milk be up to the top of the jar? TIA

the powdered stuff is not as 'strong' or able to dominate any thing else present in the jars and milk.... which is why you need to effectively sterilize your milk and the jar to start. Yes, it absolutely defeats the rawness of raw milk - but at least you know you have the highest quality organic milk you can. With raw milk you need to culture asap or you can get very different results. gl! Cathy

So does anyone have any kefir grains they can spare? I made kefir w/ the powder and it turned out great but I would like to try the grains. I started coconut kefir this morning but I just figured they used the coconut milk but after researching a little bit ago I should have used coconut water so I'll see what happens.

I am interested in making kombucha. I'm reading a book called, Eat Fat Lose Fat and it definitely mentions fermented foods and high fat foods like coconut oil.

Hi Rosemary. Someone borrowed my book Eat Fat Lose Fat and never returned it and I can't remember who that was!! WAH!

I love the idea of coconut kefir. Anxious to hear how it turns out. I also would love to make kombucha someday. I love it!

I am glad you are here.

Oh and you do not have to heat raw milk with live grains.

hi Everyone,
this is my first post! I've been looking for Kefir information and google brought me to the message board. I have some questions for Kefir experts!

Can anyone tell me if they use soy milk with kefir? Will it come out the same as using regular milk? I was never a big milk drinker and have been drinking kefir for about 2 weeks, but feel bloated after drinking it (which is what milk use to do to me) so I'd love to try it with soy milk instead!

I'd love to have a stash of kefir at work to make monday - friday.. That being said, is there a way to either slow the process over the weekend (since I'm not at work) or keep the jar of nodules empty until Monday morning (I didn't know if it would cause harm if the jar would remain empty for 2 days without milk in it)?

Hopefully I'm doing this right (please correct my directions if they're wrong) I was given vague directions at the store.. Kefir in a mason jar, add 1 1/2c milk, let sit on the counter loosly covered for 24 hours, stir with plastic scraper, pour into a plastic strainer, let drain into a plastic bowl, pour into a plastic cup and drink. Put nodules back into mason jar, add more milk and let sit for another 24 hours. I was told kefir reacts to wood or metal so you're suppose to use plastic? the process seems to be working, just want to make sure I'm doing it right.

How many nodules do you need to start a second jar (1/2 cup, less/more)?

I'm excited to add kefir to my diet! I've heard how beneficial it is and my dr. has recommended that I start drinking it daily (I developed sarcodisis working at ground zero, trying to keep it at phase 1 and not develop canida with all the medications I'm on).

any information you have about kefir is greatly appreciated!!