Questions on Water Kefir Grains

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• From Bee at 2/6/2014 8:04 PM
  • How do I make water kefir with coconut water? How much coconut water is needed and how many grains?
    
    How long to ferment, and how long will it last in the fridge when done?
  • Follow this recipe to make coconut water kefir:
    
    http://www.culturesforhealth.com/coconut-water-kefir-recipe/
    
    Finished water kefir lasts in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. The kefir will continue to ferment slowly, and the flavor will continue to develop and get stronger over time.
    
    Remember you will need to culture your water kefir grains in sugar water every other batch of coconut water, in order to keep the grains healthy!
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• From Kim at 1/11/2014 11:01 AM
  • After you rehydrate the grains, what do you do with the liquid that was used to rehydrate? Is it drinkable or should it be disposed of or what?
  • The liquid (sugar water) from the activation batch should be discarded as it is not cultured.
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• From C at 1/8/2014 7:45 PM
  • How long will the grains last if I don't rehydrate them right away after purchase?
  • At room temperature (68° to 78°F): 12 to 18 months
    In the refrigerator (40° to 45°F): 18+ months
    In the freezer (0° to 25°F): not recommended
    
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• From Catherine at 1/4/2014 10:17 AM
  • You recommend water kefir be used in non-dairy smoothies. Can it be used in a dairy smoothie without curdling, etc.?
  • Yes, you can certainly use water kefir in a dairy smoothie.
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• From Amanda at 12/18/2013 3:07 PM
  • What is the shelf life of unused/unopened water kefir grains?
  • At room temperature (68° to 78°F): 12 to 18 months
    In the refrigerator (40° to 45°F): 18+ months
    
    Do not freeze water kefir grains, activated or not.
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• From Daniela at 11/13/2013 2:05 PM
  • Can I use milk kefir grains to make water kefir and eventually try with coconut water if I make sure to rehydrate in milk? Would it be just as beneficial as a probiotic as if I was using the milk kefir grains for this?
  • Milk kefir grains can be converted to water kefir once they have been rehydrated in milk. We cannot comment on the probiotic content of them in sugar water because we do not have that information. There would be some probiotics if the grains turned the water to kefir (that would be your best indicator).
    
    Even if you do convert the milk kefir grains to water kefir grains, you will need to still feed it sugar water in alternate batches of coconut water.
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• From Andrea at 10/30/2013 10:44 AM
  • Is there any way to convert a culture to coconut milk? We cannot have even traces of dairy milk and I would very much like to culture coconut milk. I just read that it cannot be done with water kefir grains. Could it be done with a kombucha scoby or some other beneficial culture?
    
  • Finished water kefir can be used to culture coconut milk. Please see the "dairy-free option" for making Coconut Milk Kefir on this page: http://www.culturesforhealth.com/coconut-milk-kefir-recipe
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• From Pehr at 10/7/2013 8:57 AM
  • A couple of times, when we have let bottles ferment too long or sit around too long before consuming, the bottles have exploded. Is there a way to stop the fermentation if one were to want to make a large supply and keep around for a while?
  • The bottles must be inspected prior to bottling and any that have hairline cracks should be discarded or used for something that causes less or no pressure (they make beautiful flower vases). Moving your second ferment to a cooler location would help slow the process, but there's nothing you can do to stop the pressure from building up when it sits at room temperature for too long. We recommend refrigerating your finished kefir after the second fermentation.
    
    
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• From Angelique at 8/20/2013 12:25 AM
  • Would banana flakes (sold at Whole Foods) be an appropriate sweetener/fermenter for water kefir?
  • You could certainly try them for a second fermentation on your finished water kefir but banana flakes would not be recommended for use with the actual water kefir grains.
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• From Jessica at 8/18/2013 10:39 AM
  • Can you use a continuous brew method (like kombucha) rather than removing (straining) the grains?
  • Some people do use a continuous brew method for culturing water kefir. CFH does not have instructions for this.
    
    The advantages are - no straining, only one container.
    
    The disadvantages are - easier for the grains to build up a yeasty overgrowth, possibly inconsistent levels of lactic acid due to changing proportions of new sugar water vs. already-fermented kefir, harder to tell when it's working as you don't observe the color changes, easy for the grains to get stuck in the spigot (unless you're siphoning the fermented kefir off the top of the jar).
    
    We would never discourage experimentation but if you try this method, please watch your kefir carefully for signs of trouble.
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