Kefir Grains - Living Probiotic Enriched

Wowsa! It took only minutes to start new cultures and begin benefiting from the kefir-magic. Nicely packaged and plenty to share with other family and friends. High quality grains/cultures! I tried using UHT milk and determined that it just doesn't cut it. It certainly 'works', but the flavor and texture is not as clean or pleasant. Low-temp pasteurized and/or raw is best. I typically allow my culture to sit for 6-8 hours as I do not want my product to be too tart.

I have been using pro-biotics for years trying to battle digestive and skin issues. So far no luck or improvement in the conditions, despite good eating habits. I have spent a lot of money on those pills and don't even know if they contained any live cuItures when I consumed them. After reading about Kefir and not finding a ready made product that impressed me, because of all the added sugar and the high price, I decided to make my own. That way I know what is in it and it will be fresh. I received my Kefir grains about a week ago and they are already producing good Kefir and appear to be growing. They arrived in a small plastic container and looked very healthy, just like a piece of fresh cauliflower. The seller had also included a flyer with information about activating the grains which was very helpful. I immediately placed the grains into a glass mason jar added approx 3/4 cup of milk, covered the jar with a small piece of cloth, held in place by a rubber band, left it sit on the kitchen counter and let them do their thing. The first few batches separated into whey and curds and I have since figured out, that, since I live in Florida and it is very warm (my house stays around 78-80 degrees) the grains don't need 24 hours to ferment. There are lots of videos on YouTube with helpful information about making Kefir. Yesterday I made a batch with 1 1/2 cups of milk and after approx 18 hrs I noticed a sign of slight separation and whey at the bottom of the jar and decided to remove the grains at that point. Removal is easy. Just pour the contents through a plastic strainer, use a wooden or plastic spoon to gently stir the contents through the mesh until only the Kefir grains are left behind. Use the grains to start your next batch of Kefir, or place them into a small jar, cover with fresh milk and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to make more Kefir. The Kefir from this batch was very good and I plan on making many more batches. The process could not be any easier.. Definitely a good product and if all goes well these grains will continue to thrive and multiply and hopefully I will notice results in my digestive tract and overall health with regular use of homemade Kefir.

I had been looking for ways to improve my gut microbiome, and all my research pointed to fermented foods. I also occasionally have acid reflux, and fermented foods are usually make it worse.I tried store bought kefir, consumed it in tiny quantities for a bit and my gut seemed to like it, so I ordered these grains. When they came in the mail, they were very nicely packaged, and came with instructions. They seemed super sad looking though, but I thought I’d give them a go anyway.The best tip I read somewhere was to start with just 1 cup of milk rather than the 1-2 cups like it says in the instructions. Start small, give the grains time to adjust.In about 8 hours I strained the grains out, put them in another 1 cup of milk.Also, ultra pasteurised milk works just fine, all the grains need is lactose, which this milk has. Raw milk is likely better for quality, but honestly I’ve been using ultra pasteurised for a month now and it works perfectly. Over the first week I slowly increased the fresh milk quantity to about 2 cups. I also ended up throwing away no milk, none at all. I’m not sure why a lot of people recommend throwing away the first few batches.I usually let each batch ferment for about 18 hours each time, 9 hours on the counter and about 9 in the fridge. It’s probably not the best way to do this, but only a couple weeks in and the grains more than tripled in size, and they eat through the milk really fast. The best way to slow them down is in the fridge. They’re quite robust.I would definitely recommend this seller, although I doubt I’ll have to buy from them again just because I’m already struggling to keep up with my kefir grains 😅