Composition of Water Kefir Grains: Bacteria and Yeasts

Water kefir grains consist of a complex polysaccharide matrix, upon which live a combination of live bacteria and yeasts existing in a symbiotic matrix.

These include 57 lactic acid bacteria strains, some acetic acid bacteria strains, and at least four yeast strains. Up to 453 different bacterial strains have been identified in water kefir! (Some of these are different subspecies of a single strain, however.) Not all strains are present in all water kefir samples. Differences in the behavior of the grains, the speed at which they multiply, and the type of sugar they perform best with may be due to variations in the bacterial makeup of the particular grains.

We do not test individual batches of water kefir grains for yeast and bacteria content, therefore we cannot make any guarantees to the exact probiotic makeup any particular set of water kefir grains sold on our website. The following is a list of the major species of active bacteria and yeasts that are generally found in water kefir:

Bacteria

Species Lactobacillus
L. brevis
L. casei
L. hilgardii
L. hordei
L. nagelii

Species Leuconostoc
L. citreum
L. mesenteroides

Species Acetobacter
A. fabarum
A. orientalis

Species Streptococcus
S. lactis

Yeasts

Hanseniaospora valbyensis
Lachancea fermentati
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Zygotorulaspora florentina

Source: http://biologiageral.com.sapo.pt/Ficheiros/Gulitz.pdf (referenced May 2013)

FREE eBOOK!

Get a free copy of our Kefir Recipe eBook when you subscribe to our newsletter. 60+ Recipes for using Kefir to make breads, dips, smoothies, dressings, desserts and more!

Related Articles & Recipes:

• Learn More About Making Water Kefir
• VIDEO: How to Make Water Kefir
• Water Kefir FAQ
• VIDEO: Water Kefir Lemonade

Related Products: