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Photos and instructions for making homemade kefir If you've already read my general article about kefir, then you may be interested in more specific instructions about making your own! There are so many ways of making kefir, and there's almost no wrong method! Some people like to culture their grains for 12 hours, and some for 24, or more. Some people like to tighten the lid on the jar of fermenting kefir (be sure to leave extra air space in there if you do, so the jar doesn't burst!), making a fizzy kefir. Some people use raw cow's milk, others use goats milk or 1% cows milk, or... you get the idea! Here are some simple instructions to get you started making kefir!  1. Place kefir grains in a clean glass jar.  2. For every tablespoon (approx.) of grains, add 7-8 ounces of milk (making one cup total per tablespoon of culture).  3. Cover jar loosely, and allow to sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. On top of the fridge or in a cupboard are great places to make kefir!  4. After 12-24 hours, strain the kefir using a strainer or colander.  I sometimes use a spoon with small holes in it to "scoop" the kefir grains out of the finished bowl of kefir, returning them to the jar.  Enjoy your fresh kefir, or store in the refrigerator for several months.  5. Place the grains in a clean jar (or, return to the same jar if you like; I usually use the same jar for several days before washing it) and repeat steps. Some other information:
I purchased kefir grains online, they arrived, very excitedly I made my first batch. It was soooo disgusting! I did a google search: "what should kefir taste like?" and found your fantastic photos and instructions for making kefir. Thanks Tammy! Now I know it's normal for the first batches to taste awful (really, really awful!). Great site! Looking forward to exploring the rest of it. Best, Tara If the kefir tastes so awful do you throw it out or go ahead and drink it? I don't understand why you're making kefir if you don't like the taste of even good kefir. What are you using it for? Hi,  Janet, your grains are probably fine; they may need a few days (and several batches of milk) to even out, flavor-wise. Keep culturing them for at least a few more days. :) The kefir will be like a runny yogurt. :) Hey all Well, milk that has sat out at room temperature for a day won't kill you. :) The kefir won't really be too thick, but it should separate into a thicker portion and a clear portion (the clear portion is the whey). All mixed up, the kefir is still fairly runny. :) I bought some kefir granules. I read somewhere that the next batch of kefir can be made, using a tablespoon of the old kefir. This is supposed to work if you run out of kefir granules. Is this correct? Thanks I have no idea! I have only made kefir with grains, and they don't run out -- they grow and increase with use. :) You said 1 tablespoom kefir grains per 8 tablespoons milk which I know is actually 1/2 cup. Then you said 8 tablespoons milk is 1 cup milk. So, do I use 1 tablespoon kefir grain in 1/2 cup of milk or 1 cup of milk? Thanks, Bev Oops... that should have been ounces, not tablespoons! I edited the post with the correct measurement. :) I have done as instructed for 2 batches after getting my kefir grains and after I have strained off the whey I am left with something that looks like cottage cheese-not yughurt. I have to carefully pick out the kefir grains, rather yukky! If your kefir is too sour-tasting, try culturing it for just 12 hours instead of 24. Also, when you strain the kefir, don't remove the whey -- only the grains. The rest, including any whey which has separated, can be stirred together and that is your kefir! :) I am wanting to try making Kefir when I can find a source for grains. If I use a regular canning jar with the metal lid and rim would I just lay the lid on and tighten just a bit without screwing it tightly. Thanks! Yes, you can tighten the metal ring just a little, or, if there's no danger of it getting knocked over, just lay the canning lid on top. That's what I do. I keep my jar on top of the fridge and it usually has just a canning lid lying on top. :) I am just new to kefir making. I received my grains a tow weeks ago. I am using raw organic cows milk. I left it out one day for all day, nothing. Decided okay read more. Left out this time 24 hours, checked not thick yet. So maybe they went on vacation in those two weeks and need refreshed to even out. The kefir is not thick and smells of yeast. Any suggestions? what should the room temperature be. I live in Northwest Indiana and it has been cool here. Today it will reach 82. I place my kiefer with 1 cup milk into a mason jar and replace the lid with a paper towel to allow some air (a thin towel works also). Then place the jar in a warm area. I have placed mine on my deck out of direct sunlight. Not suggested for extremely hot temperatures. The air and warmth helps the kefir to culture. Included is a great smoothie recipe I use that my kids love ... 1 cup cultured kefir Blend all ingredients until smooth. Enjoy. Hope these suggestions help!! I just got my grains, but it is an 80 degree day. I feel funny about leaving it outside the fridge. Am I being silly? Thanks! Just keep an eye on it... maybe your kefir will culture more quickly in 80 degrees vs. 70 degrees -- but it will still be fine! :) Recently a friend shared her extra kefir grains with me and I've been making it almost daily. It's terrific! Your info was very helpful. Thanks! I made my usual 100% whole wheat bread last week and used kefir in place of the milk and it tastes awesome--like sourdough bread. The texture is light and airy. Soon I'll try it in pancakes--but I use freshly ground soft white wheat instead of white flour (MUCH healthier and better tasting). My favorite fruit smoothie now is: 1 C. kefir, 1 sliced banana, 1 C. fresh or frozen fruit and honey or stevia to taste. Whir in blender. Yummy! 8 Can kefir be made with skim milk or is some fat content in the milk required? Thanks for the great tutorial. I am going to definitely try making kefir. I want to use it to soak grains for bread making. Since I am also making an effort to have a supply of food storage on hand for emergencies, is it possible/nutritious to make kefir with powdered non-fat milk? I'm sure it's not the preferred method but wondered if it is sill possible and would have some if not all of the beneficial properties. I received kefir grains about 2 weeks ago and have been trying to make kefir ever since. I have read this site as well as Dom's kefir site and followed all directions carefully. My big question is, "Does homemade kefir taste very different from store bought?" I regularly buy kefir from the supermarket (Trader Joes or Lifeway brand) and my homemade kefir taste nothing like the store bought. I know the first few batches will taste bad, but I've been at this for 2 weeks. I've tried skim, 1%, and 2% milk as well as varying the processing times, but each time my kefir taste more like spoiled milk than kefir. Any thoughts? I received kefir grains 2 weeks ago and have been trying I am Russian and have frown up with homemade fermented milk products of all types that my American husband can barely look at, let alone drink. (Look up Ryazhenka - tastes awesome to me but is a baked fermented milk that separates, falls in clumps into a cup, and has a dirtly hue). So, homemade kefir does not taste the same as store bought and it should taste a bit like spoiled milk since that is what fermented milk is - spoiled. The fungus breaks down the components of milk and consumes lactose etc. in the process, producing co2 (thus the fizziness if you keep a lid on it). These are also the reasons why kefir is a probiotic and contains so many more micronutrients that the mild it is made from - like many times the folic acid, vit A etc. Plus, your gastrointestinal tract can not find an easier way to absorb calcium that is naturally contained in milk without constipation or kidney stone risk that is inherent in calcium pills. That is all the good stuff fungus leaves behind for you as "thanks" for feeding it. Unfortunately, the taste is definitely an acquired one. If you really find kefir repulsive, you can ferment the milk for less time for a milder taste (but less benefit). Alternatively, mix the kefir with some maple syrup to taste or blend it with some vanilla yogurt and berries, as suggested above. It also tastes best cold, so after you have your grains do the work for 24 or more hours (to taste), you may chill the kefir in the fridge for another day and add flavoring before consuming it. I like to mix in currant or strawberry preserves. I have just bought Kefir starter at health food store - it has come in pouches - feels like powder - (haven't opened a pouch yet) - certainly isn't grains. It says USE 5 Grams per 1 litre or quart of milk which first heat to 180 degrees F. or bring to boiling point. Cool to 73 - 77 F - then add the starter. Is this any good? Ingredients described as: Lactic bacteria and yeasts, skin milk powder. Valerie Wright, Toronto Follow the directions and you should be set! Unfortunately, since it's "starter" and not grains, you won't be growing/using actual grains. It will still make kefir, but the package probably has directions for how long the starter will last (not forever). I have had kefir grains for 5 months and all was well until two weeks ago. Now my kefir looks just like milk and the taste doesn't seem right - after 24 hours. The mother grains look fine. I tried using fewer grains and more grains. I need to process for 24 hours to get rid of all lactose for health reasons. I cannot always get raw, unpasturized milk. Could it be the milk or could my grains be bad. These are grains from the Caucasus. I have just started making kefir after receiving some grains and instructions from a friend. This thread is very informative. Is it possible to send surplus cultured grains (not dry) in the mail? If so, how would it be done? Your site is great! Thankyou so very much. I have successfully made my first 5 batches of kefir from live grains, and it tastes quite good. My question is: if I am going to add some kind of sweetener like maple syrup or agave, should I add it before I put the kefir into the fridge for storage, or right before eating? I am thinking that perhaps the bacteria in the kefir might actually like the sugars as a food source, but I am also wondering if the added substance is somehow going to damage the kefir while it is being stored in the fridge. Any feedback would be great, thanks. Do the grains grow faster in cream Vs. skim milk or better in 90 degrees Vs 50 degrees? etc... What makes them grow the fastest.? Thanks I had a baby, went out of town, and am now back. My kefir has been sitting in the bottle with its grains on the counter for over a week now. What do I do? Are they ruined? Can I just rinse them and pour new milk on them? Thanks. Hi! I have just discovered Kefir after going on a quest to ferment various foods. Anyway, I love the Kefir from the health food store but I would love to make my own. I know there are a lot of people posting here about under-performing kefir grains, and maybe eventually it all evens out, but I'm going through a lot of milk and wondering if I'm doing something wrong? I received some kefir grains through the mail a few days ago. They are supposedly fresh and organic and came in a pouch of liquid. The woman who sent them to me said the liquid was a kind of starter formula and I should use it in the first batch. The first batch came out smelling strongly like yeast after 24 hours, which I expected after reading this forum. The consistency was very thin. Not like thin yogurt, but more like milk. I made a second batch using 1/4 cup from the first batch plus the grains plus 4 cups milk. I left the second batch out for about 36 hours (about 8 of those hours it was in the fridge). I live in Michigan so it's been fairly cool out. I've been waiting for the whey to separate but I haven't seen anything separate. This morning I checked the 'kefir' and it was the consistency of milk. There were some clumpy cottage-cheesy things on the bottom. I tasted it and it was very sour and runny. Like sour milk. I dumped the whole thing and only saved the grains, and have added some more milk. But how many gallons of milk should I go through before I give up? Will it be obvious when it's working? Does the whey always float to the top? And is there any way to ensure that the consistency gets to be a bit thicker? I'm not sure if I'm leaving it out too long or not long enough since it basically looks the same the whole time.... I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks! -danielle For culturing 4 cups of milk, you would need about 1/4 cup of kefir grains (strained). You mentioned using 1/4 cup "from the first batch" plus the grains, but I think the ratio that is most important is 1 tablespoon kefir grains to 1 cup milk. Is that the grain/milk ratio you're using, then? :) I would do several batches before giving up, but I wouldn't necessarily do 4 cups of milk for each batch; experimenting with 1 cup of milk is much more affordable, should the kefir take several times to "level out" and start producing a better product. :) The whey won't be on top, but rather on bottom. The whey is clear. In my experience, kefir gets thicker as it is cultured longer, but after a certain point (24-48 hours depending on temperature and climate conditions) it doesn't get thicker and actually seems to get thinner when it's stirred together (after separating). I hope some of this is helpful to your situation! :) Thanks so much for your help with this, I think the proportions of kefir grains to milk are probably off. I'll measure the grains next time around. And it's helpful to know the whey is going to be on the bottom. Do you ever rinse off the grains with water to get cheesy stuff off of them or do you just keep that going from batch to batch? Just wanted to post a thank you note, the kefir worked this time around, turns out I only have about a tablespoon of grains so I was using too much milk. I enjoyed my first glass of homemade kefir this morning. Yum! Hi, HELLO- CAN I MAKE KEFIR WITH RICE MILK & DO I MAKE IT THE SAME WAY AS IF I WAS USING COWS MILKS? Hi, I just received some Kefir grains in the mail and made my first batch following the instructions that came with it, which are the same proportions as yours. I live in Phoenix and the interior temperature of my house is 77-78 degrees, maybe warmer if I am cooking. My instructions said to rinse of grains in milk or water. I used milk. Anyway, 12 hours later it was very clumpy and sour. I have made kefir before using dehydrated starter and I am familiar with a desired result from that and store bought kefir. It is very hard to fish or strain out the grains. I added the strained grains to a fresh cup of milk this morning and after 7 hours I can already tell that it smells sour. should I strain it out and start again before it clumps. Thank you so much for your help! My 1st and 2nd batches after 12 and 10 hours are not yeasty at all, only sour smelling. repulsively so. I wouldn't mind letting them go longer, to try, but it is so hard to retrieve the tiny grains amongst the curds if it goes long. Do you think there is any hope? Thanks, My name is Tammy also! I am trying to find a recipe for almond or rice milk kefir. Can anyone help? Post new comment |
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Thanks for this tutorial! I've got kefir grain coming in the mail and having a tutorial with photos is a BIG plus! I can't wait to get mine started!
Hugs & Blessings!
Susan Godfrey
http://www.susangodfrey.blogspot.com