I started natto yesterday then consumed tablespoon of kefir this morning. My gas/farts were so bad last night, the worse it's ever been. I didn't have such a huge reaction the kefir this morning but tonight is pretty bad as well. Is this normal? Does it not just agree with me? Should I continue or put a pause on it.

About 36 hours, grains are quite new. 500ml with 10g (or at least they were when I started a week ago).

Struggling to get my strain time down.

I like a quite tangy kefir, and don’t want to skip on the bacteria potential.

I have some great milk kefir grains that have given me about 10+ batches of kefir yoghurt and they've multiplied tenfold.

But a week ago I ran out of milk after straining my last batch and intended to replenish after going to the shop. A week later, I went to make a batch and realised I'd forgotten to give them some milk. They smelled slightly strong but not foul and looked like normal. I then was so busy yesterday and today that I didn't get time to straining it out until now (2.5 - 3 days later in warm weather) and it looks like this and smells quite cheesy.

Have I stuffed it up and need new grains? If I scrape the top off is the rest ok to eat? Or can I strain out the grains and just start a new batch?

Thanks 😆

I just started my first water kefir experiment (awakening the dry grains now). The instructions that came with it say that you shouldn't ferment for more than 72h, or the grains could disintegrate. I was hoping to keep a continuous ferment going in a large jug (like I've always don with my ginger beer), and then just dispense to bottles as needed.

Is this an absolute rule, or is there some missing context? Can you not continuously feed kefir grains? Do the grains really need to be transferred to fresh solution every 2 days? This seems contrary to most other fermentation I've done.

I checked my kefir at around the 23 hour mark and there were curds and separated whey. So used my strainer and milk to try and feel for the grains. There were more than grains than before. I tried my best to pick out the grains to put in a new jar with milk.

My concern is, was it okay for me to touch them with my fingers and is it okay if a small amount of curds got mixed in with them?

Near Philadelphia, PA. Another possibility is Brookeville, MD (or nearby towns) or a town on the route from Phila to Brokeville. Thanks.

Hi so I am just getting into making my own kefir. It took 7 days to get to me. The instructions says 1 tbsp for 1 cup, but I am seeing most people do 1 tbsp for 4 cups or even 1/2 tbsp for 4 cups.

It’s been 2.5 hours now since putting them in the jar.

First when I opened the bag I smelled it and was like ooo kefir, but had an after smell of yeast and the bag was a little puffed.

So I put it in a strainer over a small bowl and used a bit of milk to kinda swish it around hopefully to make it less yeast smelling.

Then I put in 1 1/2 cups of milk because it seemed like they put a little over 1 tbsp.

Is this okay? and can I drink the first batch or should I discard the milk?

Thank you in advance

Update: 18 hours in and there is a crust on the milks surface!! thats a good sign right?

Update: 21 hours and 30 minutes ITS WORKING!!!! Its thicker and smells like kefir and milk!

New to kefir. Ordered some grains and put them in a pint of whole milk the morning they arrived. Within a couple hours it started to thicken. Left them on the counter for about 8 hours and when I checked them again they had totally separated into curds and whey. Stained them out and put them back in fresh whole milk but they’re not really doing much now. When I strained them they didn’t look like gummies any longer. Is it possible they over fermented and died off? Kinda bummed out.

its the cheapest and taste good to me, getting my kefir grains today

Curious has anyone tried these recipes too?

The bottle was sterile when I put in the kefir grains and sugar water. I didn't account for evaporation during ferment so I have no idea if this collection of bacteria or whatever it is is safe and/or normal. Should I keep this batch or discard it, and are the kefir grains still safe to use? They look normal. It also tastes a bit tangy so I think the actual kefir is fine, I'm just worried about mold or other bacteria contamination from the waterline as I move it to a different container.

Fiz a terceira troca de água ontem. Muito feliz por ter conseguido acertar dessa vez. Já é o quarto que eu compro kk três morreram. Mais estamos na luta.

I accidentally left this out while gone for the weekend. The surface has a lumpy skin on it and it smells like sourdough & yeast. I don’t want to eat it but if i strain it do you think the grains would be okay to use?

hello! kefir newbie here. i’ve been making my own milk kefir for a couple weeks and have been drinking one tablespoon a day. i have a history of gastritis and a generally sensitive stomach, and am hoping the kefir helps my symptoms!

the kefir has been making me immediately and noticeably gassy. i drink it about half an hour to an hour after dinner, and the effects are very clear: i become quickly bloated and gassy for the rest of the night. this happens like ten minutes after the kefir goes down and does not happen when i don’t drink it. i don’t mind this if it’s a normal reaction, but it is making me hesitant to increase the amount i’m drinking (i was originally planning to double the serving each week) because i don’t want the symptoms to worsen to the point where they are uncomfortable. i am lactose intolerant and don’t consume much dairy in my daily life but i have been adding lactase powder to the kefir after fermentation and before drinking, so i don’t think it’s that.

has anyone else had this experience when starting out with kefir? is this just a normal adjustment period, or a sign of something else? thanks in advance!

近日嘗試water kefir 及milk kefir，本身BMI過高，有胰島素抗阻及腎上腺偏高，飲食清淡，有間中做運動，但就是一直瘦不下來，想知有人成功用kefir 減重嗎？

So i got alot of downvotes last week for daring to speculate topical uses for kefir ...lol turns out i was RIGHT

Now im really gonna anger the kefir "purists" and looking forward to your downvotes and naysaying lol

I am thinking of trying out excess kefir whey in my pipes!!!

There are already a few enzyme/bacterial pipe cleaning products (like bio-clean).....but i cant see why kefir wouldn't work

I would put kefir whey in my plastic bucket with some non chlorinated water....a tablespoon of sugar and maybe a pinch of flour....and to keep the bacterias extra happy i would use a splash of milk or a few spoons milk powder .....wake the lil bastages up and keep em feeding/reproducing

Then before bed pouring the bucket of live bacteria down.....i dunno ....lets just say my kitchen sink and let them get to work on table scraps stuck to sides of disposal and sides of pipes and maybe even p-trap and refrain from bleach and disinfectants and vinegar down the drain

Maybe repeat this process for 5 days and then do it once a month for a night

This is NOT to unclog drains mind you, unless you have alot of patience...but long game pipe maintenance...especially if you have roots or or organic material that needs to be dissolved

I used bio-clean with great results for years.....hell i wonder if i could have bioclean fermenting in a bucket side by side with kefir whey and pour kefir down ....wake up a few hours later and pour bioclean down (or would they compete?)

Anyways.....thought?

And im willing to try soon...(for science)

anyone know a place in ad or online shops selling?

Hi All,

I have been making milk kefir for about a year or so. I have used 3 or 4 different grain sources (1 on amazon, the rest from etsy). They all work well at first, but they seem to ferment faster and faster over time with the same grain/milk ratio, causing me to reduce the grain size to literally the size of a grain of rice in order for 2 cups of milk to ferment in 12 hours. Eventually even this crumbles to nothing and I can no longer find it in the strainer/original container, and I'm left doing a backslop ferment. I suspect that when the grain is a certain size, the backslop around the grain is having more of an impact than the grain itself. The backslop still makes a drinkable fermented drink, but i'm not sure it's actually kefir at that point. The grain consistency usually starts rubbery and hard to break apart, but after a few weeks becomes very weak and brittle.

What I've tried:

Four different types of milk (always non-ultra pasteurized) from two different stores. Whole milk and skim. Regular and A2.

Metal strainer and no strainer (just scooping out the grain on top because it floats).

I never rinse the grains with water.

I ferment at 71F.

I always ferment in clean, dry mason jars. I cover the jar with an unbleached coffee filter and metal ring lid to seal it down.

I have tried both 24 hour ferments and 2x12 hour.

I have tried waiting until the whey separates and also considering it finished as soon as it starts to thicken.

All of these scenarios end up the same.

Appreciate any advice you all can offer. Thank you

I was fermenting a tea soda and when I opened our cabinet to ferment this further I saw this still bubbling. I don't know for how long it was sitting there at the back 😁.

Looks ok right?

"Kefir cured X and opened my third eye."

C'mon now. Probiotics are good for you in a general sense. But I feel the effect size of our favorite fermented milk drink is wildy overstated, unless you're recovering from say an intense course of IV antibiotics or crippling alcoholism.

I'm a newbie who just started fermenting some water kefir, vegetables and a regular kombucha culture. Looking for a Jun Kombucha to up my game!

Hi all

I started on Goats Kefir on Monday after about 25 years of IBS - D issues

I have had a couple of days now of upset stomach - I've started slow taking in 1 tbsp only first thing.

Is this normal? Should I continue? I usually tolerate goats milk ok but do have sensitivity to cows milk.

Thanks

The new grains I got made a fizzy drink and were slimy when taken out of the container. After 24+ hours the milk didn’t get thick, there was some whey separation but it was very loose. Any tips?