Milk Kefir

Ingredients / Utensils

• 1-2 Tbsp milk kefir grains
• 3-4 cup clean glass jar with lid
• Rubber, nylon or stainless steel mesh-type strainer and wooden spoon.
• Suitable container with wide open mouth for straining kefir into, and clean sealable bottle to store kefir.
• 2 cups fresh milk (raw unpasteurized or pasteurized whole milk, reduced-fat, non-fat milk.  DO NOT USE ultra-pasteurized milk)

Method

Leave some room on top to
allow for expansion.

1. Place fresh kefir grains in clean glass jar.  We continue to brew our kefir with the excess grains but others recommend that you remove them.
2. Add fresh milk, gently stir contents, place a lid on the jar and let stand at room temperature for 12-24 hours. Stir and taste it often. It should taste a little sour. 
3. Pour contents into a strainer and strain the kefir into a suitable container to separate the kefir grains from the liquid-kefir.
4. Wash the fermenting jar and reuse the kefir grains for a new batch by repeating the whole process. I generally wash the jar once a week.
5. What you've strained is kefir, also referred to as Liquid-Kefir. Store the liquid-kefir in a clean bottle and seal the bottle airtight.
   "Kefir may be consumed right away, or better yet, store in a sealed bottle and refrigerate for a day or two and serve chilled. Another option is to ripen liquid-kefir at room temperature for a day or more, preferably under airlock. It can then be refrigerated for longer storage or served as you wish. 1 to 2 days storage in the fridge or ripened at room temperature improves flavor and increases nutritional value. Vitamins B6, B3 and B9 [folic acid] increase during storage, due to bio-synthesis of those vitamins mostly by yeasts of kefir grain organisms."

It's done!  See the air pockets towards the bottom?

If you prefer a thick, creamy kefir, then stir it during the first ferment (step 2 above).  I stir it once about half way through the fermentation process.

For coconut milk kefir, use a can of coconut milk and 2-3 Tbsp of grains. Your grains do prefer animal milk. To keep your kefir going, you'll need to do one of the following:

1. Refresh your grains in animal milk every 2-3 weeks. Rinsing in between with filtered water, never tap.   OR
2. Your grains will only last for about 3 months.  Have a friend or neighbor provide new grains when yours die. 

Note that you'll need to make a few batches before your new grains will adapt to coconut milk.


For more information visit http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html

This is my favorite way to enjoy kefir, besides smoothies: http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/destination-kefir-breakfast-pudding/