Water Kefir

Healthy Water Kefir Grains

Water Kefir Grains, Sugar Water. Pink Himalayan Salt for First Ferment.

First Ferment:

Formula= 1 TBS Water Kefir Grains + 1 TBS Sugar + 1 Cup Spring Water

Directions: Always use plastic or glass never metal (the grains leach toxins from the metal into the kefir so it's a big no no). Add your sugar to your water and mix well, until sugar does is fully dissolved; add grains and gently stir. Place a brown (unbleached) coffee filter over the top and place a rubber band around the rim of the jar to secure it. Place your mixture in a dry, dark, room temperature environment and cover with a clean hand towel. I store mine in a kitchen cupboard I dedicate for my ferments. They do not like the light exposure, so make sure they stay dark. Allow to ferment for 1-3 days. You actually don't technically have to do a second ferment, you strain your grains and add to a plastic or glass bottle and place in the frig and consume it this way,  I always do a second ferment because I like the flavor better.

Fast brew in less than a day.
If your brew is ready in less 24 hours and is very fizzy, you probably have an excess of yeast in it. Before you make the next batch, rinse the grains in fresh water and clean your brewing jar. Check the recipe to confirm that you are not using too much sugar, or try using a little less sugar than previously. A fast, fizzy, yeasty brew will have more alcohol in it, and will not have as much of the healthy complex acids and probiotic bacteria.

Recommended Sugars:

Always use organic sugars. I purchase my white organic sugar at Costco (best price). at different times of the year (seasons) the grains will want more nutrition, remember what you feed them make them produce different minerals and vitamins in there finished water kefir. In the fall & winter months I will feed them a mixture of sugars; sucanat, blended with white sugar. My ratio is sometimes 25% organic sucanat and 75% organic unbleached white sugar, or later in winter time 50% organic sucanat 50% organic unbleached white sugar. In the summer they like 100% organic unbleached white sugar. I purchase my organic sugar through Costco (best price). Grains are different based on the environment they live in.

If you want your grains to reproduce more you can speed that up by adding 1 TBS of unsulphered organic molasses (reduce the amount of sugar by 1TBS). Another way to add more iron to finished kefir is to add 2 TBS of organic raisons to the mix (you will have to remove them when you strain the grains out for the second ferment), they give it a bit of a different flavor but are good for the kefir grains. I have also done this with unsulphered candied organic ginger. NEVER use honey, it is antibacterial and will damage your grain (which are a symbiotic probiotic yeast, a good bacterial fungus that help eat the bad bacteria and fungi in your body and keep it in balance). Never use Palm/Coconut sugars they will damage your grains!

Recommended Waters:

It's best to purchased gallon size or larger bottled 100% Spring Water. The Kefir need the minerals in the water to feed. They then produce an even more rich in minerals finished water kefir. You can also use well water, which is rich in minerals. Tap water often contains other nasty ingredients that inhibit kefir fermentation, such as chloramine and fluorides. If you want to use tap water leave it in an open container for half a day for the chlorine to evaporate off. Normally tap water works well. Filtered water is also OK is OK (my filter reminerializes the water so it's great). Remember that reverse osmosis (RO) filtered water contain no minerals, so add some mineral drops to such water, use a  pinch of Celtic sea salt, Himalayan Pink salt or use mineral-rich blackstrap molasses in your recipe. Do NOT use alkaline water to make water kefir. Water kefir needs an acidic environment and alkaline water will kill it.

Second Ferment:

Formula = 1 Cup Water Kefir + 1 oz of Organic Juice

Directions: Remove banded coffee filter, strain the grains out by pouring through a strainer over a funnel into a glass or plastic bottle that is graded for pressure, (I use an empty Talking Rain Carbonated Spring Water bottle with it's screw on lid because I have exploded too many glass bottles, even the type graded for pressure). If you choose to use glass bottles graded for pressure you will need to "burp" your kefir after 24 hours of the second ferment. Burping just means releasing the pressure by opening the lid and allowing the pressure to escape. Leave the strained grains in the strainer on top of the funnel. Refill your sugar/water formula from the first ferment into the jar you just emptied. Stir well and add your grains that you just strained, cover with coffee filter, use a rubber band to hold filter & place back into a darkened place with a towel over it.  Now measure your juice blend out (I use half organic apple half and half organic concord grape juice, my grains love this mixture) and add it to strained water kefir. 

You can also use organic fruit instead of fruit juice, and strain it out when it's done with the second ferment. I have had the best tasting results with fruit juice, so I stick to that. Place lid on tightly and label what day you begin this second ferment. Place with your other jar on in a dark, dry place and cover with a towel. Ferment for up to up to 48 hours at room temperature. I always do 48 hours because it tastes the best and consumes a lot of the sugar. You don't want to go longer than that or it will become alcoholic. You can actually make an alcoholic beverage if you just keep fermenting it. Please note if you choose to do that the probiotic affect won't be there as the alcohol will likely affect the bacterial content. Remove your bottle and place it in the refrigerator & chill. It will continue to ferment at a much slower rate in the refrigerator. Serve when chilled for best taste.

Uses: I use water kefir as a base for all of my smoothies as well as consuming about 24 oz per day. Your grain will reproduce, sometimes rapidly! You can add a TBS of grains to your smoothies, or eat them, share them with a friend, feed them too your dog (just a small amount ie: 1 tsp), remember 1 TBS or grains equals the probiotic effect of a whole bottle of probiotic pills! Some people compost them, google uses for extra water kefir grains. You can also freeze them! When you body it getting used to it you may want to start with 4-8 oz a day and build up. It's going to kill off the some of the bad bateria/fungi (this is call "die off") in your body and you may experience headache and loose stool as this occurs. If symptoms are too strong off "die off" then consume less and work up to a larger amount gradually.

Juice or Fruits:

Always use organic 100% juice in your second ferment, you can also use organic fruit. If you are not going to do a second ferment you can add fruit into your first ferment with the grains or add dried fruit as long as it's organic and unsulphered. Make sure your juice is a product of the USA. The last thing you want is a bunch of toxins leached into your water kefir.  I have tried tart cherry and pomegranate juices as well and they don't carbonate. If you have no carbonation it still is good water kefir, I prefer the carbonation. My best results have been concord grape (dark purple) or unfiltered apple juice, separate or in combination. Never add your juice directly to your grains (as if you are doing a first ferment) it damages your grains and will cause an exploding bottle. It also becomes very alcoholic when you do this.

2nd Ferment: Use dark bottles, graded for pressure or plastic soda pop bottles & cover with towel.

Storing Excess Grains and Resting Your Grains:

Your grains, once they get going, will produce excess grains. It's a good idea to freeze your excess grains to have back up grains in case you want to take a break for a few months or you ruin your grains (it's rare but can happen). Place your excess grains into a bowl of approx. 2 cups of sugar and mix them around. Place some dry sugar in the bottom of a freezer safe jar and place sugared grains on top of sugar then cover them with more dry sugar (helps them from freezer burning). Place plastic lid on jar, label it with date and "water kefir grains" so you remember what it is. I have thawed them out after two years in the freezer and had them be just as good as when they entered the freezer. You will have to put them through new sugar water (first ferment phase, changing the water every two days, for up to a week with new sugar water each (until you see them carbonating), then move onto second ferment. If you want to take a short break, or you are on vacation or out of town use formula for first ferment and place your grains in the refrigerator for up to a week to a week and a half. The refrigerator slows the fermentation process way down. When you return remove them from frig strain them and repeat first fermentation steps. You may have to do this for a few days before they wake up and start carbonating again. Grains should rest in the refrigerator once a year to give them a break. 

The following info is from grow youthful linked here

Possible problems

Insufficient acidity. The kefir culture should be acidic, with a pH of 3.0 to 5.0. Adding a piece of fresh lemon or a little of your previous brew to your new brew will make it more acidic. If the kefir is not slightly acidic, there is a danger that moulds and other undesirable microorganisms can take hold.

Skin or scum on the surface. A white or cream-coloured skin on the surface is common, and is usually a harmless kham yeast. Simply spoon it off and discard before you bottle your brew. It should not affect the taste, smell or health properties of the tibicos.
A translucent skin is caused by an imbalance in the bacteria/yeasts. I have seen a translucent skin after my water kefir had been in the refrigerator for a few weeks - after a couple of brews, things were back in balance.
A black, blue or dark brown coloured skin on the surface is a probably a mould. In this case discard the brew, wash everything carefully, throw away your grains, and start again.
The basic test is how does your brew smell? It should smell yeasty, earthy, fruity, vinegar and pleasant, but not foul.

The sizes of water kefir grains:

Water kefir grains can vary in size from 1mm / 0.04" (the size of a grain of sand) to 5cm / 2" (the size of a small chicken egg). A batch of kefir will have a variety of sizes, but with most tending towards the same size.

The smaller the grains, the greater the surface area they have, and the faster they work. Smaller grains tend to be more consistent and produce a better flavour drink. However, mashing or breaking up the grains does not seem to improve them. Just let them grow to their own natural size.
 
The size of the grains depends on:

Temperature. Warmer temperatures produce smaller grains, cooler temperatures make larger grains.

Season. They really seem to know what the season is, regardless of the temperature inside the room. In summer, they produce smaller, faster-growing grains.

Brewing time. The longer your usual brew time before a fresh batch of liquid is used to start the next brew, the smaller the grains.

The recipe. Some recipes, with different sugars and fruits, produce smaller or larger grains.

Stress. If the grains are stressed, they will be smaller.

Bacteria and yeasts in water kefir:

A variety of bacteria and yeasts exist in the kefir grains and liquid (1,2). Bacteria are not like other living organisms that breed true according to a genetic program that is transmitted only vertically from parent to offspring. Instead, bacteria morph from one species to another, partly by means of horizontal transfer of genes by various weird and wonderful biological mechanisms (other than sex, which by definition cannot occur in bacteria). Thus, the species-designations in bacteriology are matters of convenience and are misleading inasmuch as they imply some sort of genetic integrity which may or may not be there. It seems perfectly possible for one species of Lactobacillus to morph into another in response to environmental conditions, and indeed I would assume it is also possible for Lactobacillus to morph into other bacilli. With bacteria it is more or less the case that whatever the environment dictates will spontaneously appear. So microbial species lists, while interesting, are not definitive.

Bacteria:

Acetobacter.
a. fabarum.
a. orientalis.

Bacillus.
b. subtilis.
b. graveolus.

Lactobacillus.
l. acidophilus.
l. alactosus.
l. brevis has been identified as the species responsible for the production of the polysaccharide (dextran) that forms the grains.
l. bulgaricus.
l. casei. Produces lots of lactic acid; colonises well in the gastric tract; creates a favourable medium in which other beneficial bacteria can grow; inhibits putrefaction and harmful bacteria; increases immune function; helps protect against bacterial infections.
l. casei ss. (subspecies) casei.
L. casei ss. pseudoplantarum.
l. casei ss. rhamnosus.
l. casei ss. tolerans.
l. coryneformis ss. torquens.
l. fructosus.
l. hilgardii.
l. homohiochi.
l. hordei.
l. nagelii.
l. plantarum. Produces lactic acid; fights listeria monocytogenes; makes plantaricin; inhibits a large number of Gram-positive bacteria - the type of bacteria that cause spoilage.
l. plantarum.
l. pseudoplantarum.
l. reuterietc.
l. yamanashiensis.

Leuconostoc.
l. mesenteroides.
l. citreum.

Pediococcus damnosus.
Streptococcus.
s. agalactiae.
s. bovis.
s. cremoris. Has similar properties to s. lactis.
s. diacetylactis. Produces carbon dioxide in the kefir; makes diacetyl, which gives kefir its characteristic odour; other properties similar to s. lactis.
s. faecalis.
s. lactis. Produces lactic acid, aids digestion, inhibits harmful microorganisms, produces bacteriolysins.
s. mutans.
s. pneumonia.
s. pyogenes.
s. salivarius.
s. sanguinis.
s. suis.
s. viridans.

Yeasts:

Candida.
c. lambica.
c. lamica.
c. gueretana.
c. valida.

Hansenula valbyensis.

Kloeckera apiculata.

Lachancea fermentati.

Saccharomyces.
s. bayanus.
s. boulardii.
s. cerevisiae.
s. florentinus.
s. pretoriensis.
s. uvarum.

Torulopsis insconspicna.

Zygotorulaspora florentina.

More Good Sources/Links for Water Kefer Info:

For Wikipedia Definition Click

Yemoos Nourishing Cultures

Cultures for Life How To Make Water Kefir Video