The dairy kefir grain you received has been fully dehydrated and will need to be rehydrated. Please see the instructions below.
Our dairy kefir grains can be used with pasteurized or raw milk successfully. They can also be acclimated to coconut milk but should occasionally be returned to cow milk to revitalize.
Your first few attempts to make kefir may not be successful as the kefir grains need to acclimate to the specific milk product you use. Due to animal feed and processing difference, milks across various sources have slightly different compositions. The kefir grain may need a few days to acclimate or may work immediately.
NEVER LET THE CULTURE TOUCH METAL! This includes measuring spoons/cups and stirring utensils. We recommend using glass jars for culturing kefir (such as canning jars).
Do not consume any kefir which smells, looks or tastes unpleasant.
Rehydrating the kefir grains:
Place the dehydrated kefir grain in one cup of fresh milk and leave in a partially sealed container for 24-hours at room temperature.
Each day, strain the grain from the milk and add fresh milk. This process should occur even if the milk does not coagulate/kefir.
Within 4-7 days, the 24-hour batch will begin to smell sour but clean. Eventually the milk will start to coagulate/kefir within 24-hours.
The first few days may yield an overgrowth of yeast or a layer or froth or foam on the surface of the milk. Within 5-7 days, the bacterial balance should stabilize and the kefir will begin to smell clean, sour and possibly of fresh yeast.
Under some circumstances, the grains may take 2-4 weeks to return to making kefir. Please be patient during this process.
Making kefir:
Place the kefir grains in milk. For the first few batches, we recommend using only one cup of milk. This limits the amount of milk wasted if the kefir requires a few batches to acclimate to the new milk. Once you have successfully made kefir, subsequent batches can be made with up to one quart of milk.
Stir the milk and kefir grains briefly. Be sure to use a wooden or plastic utensil—never metal!
Cover the jar with a towel or coffee filter and secure with a rubber band.
Leave the jar in a warm place (at least 68 degrees) in your home.
Check the kefir every 12 hours or so. Unless it is particularly warm in your home, kefir normally takes at least 24 hours to form. Kefir which cultures at room temperature for longer than 48 hours can have a laxative effect.
Once kefir has formed, remove the kefir grains, cover the jar of finished kefir with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
The kefir grains can then be placed in new milk and the process repeated.
For the first few batches, give the milk no more than 48 hours to kefir. If kefir does not form, discard the milk, rinse the kefir grains with filtered (non-chlorinated) water, place the grains in a cup of new milk and repeat the process.
Important Information:
If you are culturing multiple products (e.g. different varieties of yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, Kombucha, etc.) be sure to keep a distance of at least several feet between cultures so they don’t cross-contaminate each other. Over time, cross-contamination will weaken the cultures.
If you wish to take a break from making kefir, kefir grains can be stored in a jar of milk with a lid in the refrigerator. The cold temperature will temporarily retard their growth. Be sure to change the milk at least once a week when storing kefir grains so they do not starve. For longer term storage, kefir grains can be dried by placing them on a paper towel in a warm part of the house. Once they are completely dried, they can be stored in a safe place for several months.
Trouble-shooting:
Once your kefir grains have been successfully acclimated, if you’re the kefir doesn’t form properly, add the grains to new milk, insure the jar is in a warm location and repeat the process. Normally the problem can be attributed to room temperature. If the culture is too cool, kefir will not form properly. Drafts from windows, air conditioners, etc. can affect the temperature where the culture is sitting. Warm parts of the house are generally best (e.g. the kitchen).
If your kefir separates into curds and whey, experiment with shorter fermentation times. How quickly kefir forms and then moves onto curds and whey is very dependent on the temperature of the environment. Therefore, exact fermentation time will be unique for everyone and also depend on the consistency of kefir you desire. To determine a good fermentation time for your situation, we recommend placing the grains in new milk approximately 12 hours before you plan to wake up the next day. After awakening, check the kefir (just give it a quick stir) every few hours until the desired consistency is reached.
