Kefir 911
I’ve been culturing kefir for years. I started with milk kefir and added water kefir. I’ve been doing it so long, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the whole thing. So I was quite surprised when, a few months ago, my water kefir started doing strange things. It stopped growing. It turned sludgy. Then it turned slimy. I mean really, really slimy, like something out of a Ghostbusters movie (there’s somethin’ strange in the neighborhood…). My kids, who usually clamor for kefir, refused to drink it. Which was fine because it didn’t pour. It oozed (there’s somethin’ strange and it don’t look good…).
I was afraid I had killed my water kefir grains, but I wasn’t sure what I had done, or if I could revive them. After careful consideration, I realized that my kefir began to die shortly after I changed the water filter in my refrigerator. Prior to that, I had used only store bought spring water or boiled tap water for my kefir. I thought filtered water would be better for my kefir grains, so once I replaced my outdated water filter, I started using the fridge water exclusively. Turns out, this is a big no-no. Water kefir does not like filtered water of any kind. Who knew? I switched back to boiled or bought water, and my kefir began reviving immediately. The grains began to float and multiply once more, and the slimy water became a thing of family legend and lore.
In the process, I learned a thing or two about these beautiful, living organisms that I didn’t know before. If you’re experiencing trouble with your water kefir, the following insights might help you keep them happy:
*Do not use filtered water for kefir (I believe I’ve covered that one already).
*Kefir is a living organism, and as such, its needs can change. Happy kefir will grow, sometimes rapidly. Monitor your kefir to be sure that it is always growing. Sometimes growth is obvious, particularly during warm spells when the kefir can double or triple every two days. But in the winter months, kefir growth can slow down significantly. I measure my kefir grains after each batch to ensure that they have not stopped growing. Additionally, the grains should bob and float, then sink as they break apart and double. You should also see lots of bubbles when you gently shake the jar. A lack of any of these things means something is amiss.
*I always used raw sugar for my kefir water, but in the winter months, when the temperatures are much cooler, your kefir grains might need refined white sugar because it’s easier for the kefir to digest. The same is true if your kefir has been distressed due to overculturing or neglect. You might need to feed your kefir a diet of white sugar water for a bit.
*If you use white sugar, be sure to add a little molasses to the water because white sugar is devoid of the minerals kefir loves. I also add a pinch of baking soda. If you use raw sugar, don’t add the molasses as the kefir might not be able to process all the minerals. Not being able to process all the minerals=slime. Ew.
*A slice of lemon in the kefir water helps to balance the Ph of the water. Don’t overdue it, however, and don’t be tempted to add fruit juices to the initial ferment. Acidic water will kill the kefir. Save the fruit or flavorings for the second ferment after the grains have been removed.
*If your kefir water turns slimy, do not drink it since the balance of yeasts and sugars is off. It probably won’t kill you, but you don’t want to mess with bacteria. Slimy kefir is likely due to overmineralization in the water. Rinse the kefir grains well (I soaked mine for a few hours in plain water, then rinsed several times) then start a new batch of kefir using white sugar and molasses. If you use a bit of egg shell in your kefir water, omit it for the first batch.
*In the cooler months, your kefir may slow down or stop reproducing. Try to find a warm spot for it (on top of the refrigerator, or in the oven with the pilot light on—just don’t forget and bake it!). You can even put it on a heating pad turned on low. The extra warmth will give the kefir an energy boost. Don’t put the kefir in the sunlight, however, as UV rays are harmful to the bacteria.
*Don’t neglect your kefir! If you allow your kefir to overferment, it will starve. During the summer, kefir will burn through the sugar water quite quickly. In the winter, you might be able to let your kefir sit up to a day longer than normal. The key is to taste the kefir water. When it no longer tastes sweet, it is done. Strain the kefir grains out and put them in a fresh solution. Put the kefir water in a fresh bottle along with any flavorings and allow it to sit for a second ferment. This second ferment can last as long as you like, since you’re not in danger of killing any grains.
*It’s smart to store up some back-up kefir grains in case something catastrophic happens (like Slimefest, 2011). Kefir grains may be frozen or dehydrated with great success. Replace back-up grains with fresh ones every six months or so to ensure viability. It may take a few fermentations to get the frozen or dried grains back up to speed, so be patient. Kefir is remarkably resilient and it will come back if you care for it!
I recently ordered some water kefir. I added them to sucanat water. After a first batch, the water tasted sweet. I read that it should not taste sweet. Then later I found that it should taste sweet. Which is it? Also, a foggy, floating, slimy mess formed on top of the water. What is that? I emailed the people I orderd the culture from earlier this week, but they have not responded. Thanks for any advice!
It definitely shouldn’t be slimy or cloudy–that’s a sure sign that something is amiss. Also, it shouldn’t be very sweet. The kefir eats almost all the sugar in the water, so if it’s working right, it should taste slightly tangy. I even add stevia to mine so the kids like it. The problem might be that the kefir is a little stressed after traveling in the mail. Here’s what I would suggest: rinse the grains well (let them sit in a glass of water for a couple hours, rinse, and repeat). Rinsing will help to get any extra yeasts off the grains. Then, start them in a batch of sugar water using plain white sugar or organic sugar, but not sucanat (it’s the only thing I use refined sugars for–kefir rescue!). Sucanat has a large mineral content, which kefir loves in small doses, but a mineral overload can cause slime. Since they’ve been traveling, they need something very easy to digest until you start to notice that they’re growing again and doubling. They should start to produce bubbles very soon after you do this. Add some ginger to the water too, and some dried fruit (raisins are good). A pinch of baking soda will help with the slime factor as well. Once the grains are producing bubbles and you start to see some grains floating, things are starting to work. Then you can slowly add sucanat to the mix each time you strain them until the grains are stable. Let me know how it goes!
Wonderful wonderful advice. I added a slice of ginger and the resulting ‘ginger ale’ flavor is wonderful and effervescent! The grains did begin to sizzle in the water; I could hear them! AND there were some happy floaters. The grains are multiplying like crazy! Wohoo! I think I got it! Thank you for the info and advice. Really good stuff. In fact, your advice was more specific and more helpful than the advice provided by the sellers of the grains! (he heheheh he he!!)
Great! I’m so glad to hear it. We love our kefir here. We go through it as fast as I can make it, and even use the kefir water in salad dressings and other recipes–I’ll have to post some more recipes!
Hey, this is a great advice.
I am working on an experiment about kefir for my extended essay this year and was wondering if you have any ideas how I could measure the Kefir’s growth except for measuring it?
Kind regards,
Lea
If your kefir is growing well, it’s easy to measure simply by making marks on the side of the jar with a permanent marker, or use a Mason jar that already has measurements on the side because it will visibly double every two days or so. It’s amazing how quickly healthy kefir grows! But if it’s in a slow or dormant cycle, it’s hard to see any growth at all unless you take the time to measure. In this case, you could weigh the grains with a kitchen scale while they’re still in the strainer, and keep track that way, but you have to make sure they are very well drained first or you won’t get an accurate reading. You should also see grains floating and sinking at any cycle the kefir is in, and also bubbles when you shake the jar. If you don’t see any of these signs, something’s amiss. I hope your experiment is successful!
Would you be willing to share or sell your milk and water kefir? I don’t know why I’m so hesistant to purchase off of craigslist.
Kathy, you should check Kijiji for people giving away kefir grains. There is a community of fermenters out there that believe that these fast growing grains should be shared, not sold. My grains are growing faster than I can handle them, and if I were close to you I’d happily just give you some. Look into it. And don’t be scared (I was too), because if they are healthy you will be able to tell. You can even throw out your first few ferments if you want to be sure, but I think you’ll realize that you don’t need to.
Thanks for your info. I think the problems I have been having are from filtered water, although it seems to work pretty well when the filter is new, and progressively (after several months) they stop growing and multiplying. So, when you say you use boiled water, do you mean boiled straight from the tap, or the boiled filtered water. If it’s not the filtered, that seems odd to me since boiling doesn’t take out the chemicals. Also, when you buy bottled water, any particular kind? Thanks, Linda
I also boil my water for my water grains, tap water. It takes out the chlorine. Chlorine will also evaporate from water if it is left to off gas, so to speak, for 24 hours. I am not sure filters even take out the chlorine. I think it has to be boiled to be removed.My grains were failing, but they have revived by boiling the water, letting them rest in the fridge, adding some molasses for minerals,and more frequent water changes.
I have had the same experience. I still try to stay away from tap water because I live in town and tap water has all kinds of stuff in it, including flouride, but in a pinch, it does better than my filtered water. I keep spring water on hand (any brand, as long as it’s truly spring water and not just filtered water–read the labels) and that is the best. I also found that my kefir likes it when I rotate brands. It seems to get a charge whenever I change to another kind of water. I do use filtered (and boiled) water for my kombucha and it does just fine. But, I’ve kind of found that you can’t kill kombucha for anything!
What does it mean if my water kefir is foming on top? I used boiled water with raw cane sugar and i added a little sorghum molasses and now there is lots of bubbles and foamy on top. I will be changing the water tomorrow. I have so much kefir water i am going to have to put my grains in the fridge for a few days. Anyway i wanted to ask about this because i am new to this. Thank you
Bubbles are good! Foam is fine too. If it gets really foamy, I go ahead and strain it, but it really doesn’t matter as long as it smells fine and isn’t slimy. It’s fine to put the grains in the fridge for a rest too. They don’t mind as long as you don’t let them go too long. It sounds like your grains are happy!
Thank u for the reply. I have 3 other people started on the water kefir. Trying to spread it around. Your info helps alot. Keep it coming please. Thanks again.
I’ve made a few changes since reading your suggestions. I’ve been letting my filtered water off gas any residual chlorine, and I switched from using a piece of boiled eggshell to 1/4 tsp of some liquid minerals, along with a little molasses. The grains seem to be making good kefir, lot’s of bubbles and they are eating all the sugar, but they are not reproducing at all. I end up with the same amount that I started with. Any ideas?
My WK is multiplying pretty well but I have not yet produced a nice drinkable batch. I only use sucanat or coconut sugar in the 1st ferment. The grains start to float, multiply, and I see some bubbles form. However, the resulting kefir smells bad (hard to explain but it is really off putting and I can’t drink it), it is not slimy though. I do a second ferment with raisins, I have tried blueberries also and even one with a bit of vanilla and some sugar because I heard that’s supposed to make it taste like cream soda. None of my batches has come out effervescent or like soda. Help! I don’t know what to do next.
I was wondering, since kefir grains multiply do you eventually discard some grains like the process for a sourdough starter?
Yes, I measure out the amount I need each time and either discard or give away the extras. I also use the grains to make sauerkraut. You can also eat them. I have dehydrated the grains, ground them up, and sprinkled them in to things like smoothies. It’s a great way to get extra probiotics!