What is Milk Kefir?
Milk Kefir is a creamy cultured beverage with legendary health benefits. Milk Kefir is tart and refreshing with a consistency like a thin, drinkable yogurt. It contains beneficial yeast as well as probiotics, or “healthy bacteria”. Milk Kefir is also loaded with vitamins, minerals and contains easily digestible complete proteins.
How is it made?
Kefir is cultured from gelatinous particles called “grains” that are combined with milk. The grains contain the bacteria/yeast mixture clumped together with milk proteins and complex sugars. The grains ferment the milk, incorporating their friendly organisms to create a super healthy cultured dairy product. After about 24 hours the grains are removed with a strainer and then added to a new batch of milk allowing you to repeat the process over and over again.
Equipment You’ll Need:
Use clean, dedicated equipment to make your Milk kefir, this helps to avoid contamination and bad taste. Use plastic or glass to make your Milk Kefir – no stainless steel. Equipment cleaned in the dishwasher works just fine. You’ll likely modify the list as you go but this will get you off to a good start.
1 – funnel 15cm (6”)
1 – 1 cup measure
1 – spatula
1 – large glass bowl
1 – fine mesh plastic strainer – I use a 18cm (7”) strainer – smaller strainers are handy for when your grains first arrive
1 – 750ml glass jar to get started.
– Bottles and/or jars with tight sealing lid as required.
– Cloth and rubber bands for lids for use during the fermentation stage – I use mesh or muslin cloth – These let the cultures breathe and keeps everything else out.
– Optional – stick on thermometer or infrared temperature gun to monitor temp.
And of course, you’ll need a package of GoGo Kefir Live Organic Milk Kefir Grains
When Your Milk Kefir Grains Arrive
1st batch – Place the grains in a clean glass jar, add 2 cups of milk, cover and let sit 24 hours in a warm 24-26°C (75-80°F) place. After 24 hours, strain the mixture and start your second batch with fresh milk.
2nd batch – Again using a clean glass jar, add your grains and 3 cups of milk, cover and let sit 24 hours.
3rd batch – repeat using 4 cups of milk
You’ll want to taste the kefir each time and adjust the milk as required. If your kefir isn’t sour enough use a little less milk the next batch. Too sour, add a bit more milk the next batch. After a few batches, you’ll find the formula that suits your taste. Your grains will double every 10 days or so.
Store your finished Milk Kefir in the refrigerator.
If you find you’re making too much milk kefir you can remove some of the grains and store them in a glass jar at room temperature. Add just enough milk to cover the grains. It’s a good idea to rotate the stored grains in and out of production to keep them fresh and healthy. Rinse the stored grains before reusing. During fermentation, its best to keep bottles and jars out of direct sunlight.
Keep checking back for great Milk Kefir Recipes – In the next couple of weeks we’ll be posting recipes for:
Milk Kefir Sour Cream,
Milk Kefir Cream Cheese (and yes, even cheese cake)
Milk Kefir Cottage Cheese
and my favorite Milk Kefir Ice Cream!
Have a question, comment or want to share a recipe? Please leave your comment below.
I received my Keifer grains and, thank you. I have access to some raw milk weekly but also use grass fed homo milk as well. Can I interchange raw and pasteurized milk with these grains or should i stick to one or the other.
Thanks!
Hello Bonnie,
Thank you for your question.
I suggest growing the grains in grass-fed milk until they double. Then put half of the grains in the grass-fed homo and half in the raw milk, that way you can see if the grains are liking the raw milk. Would love to hear how it works for you with the raw milk
All the Best,
Shannon
GoGo Kefir
Hi
I want to make kefir milk with alternative milk( soy milk or almond milk etc.).
Can I make with milk kefir grain? Or water kefir grain?
Hello Grace,
Thank you for your question.
I would recommend using milk kefir grains to make kefir with Almond milk or Soy milk.
In order to keep the grains healthy, you will need to put the grains into cows’ milk every 2nd or 3rd cycle.
All the best,
Shannon
GoGo Kefir
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO SLOW KEFIR PRODUCTION ALTERNATE DAYS BY FERMENTTING 24 HOURS THEN LEAVING THE FERMENTED BATCH IN THE FRIDGE FOR ANOTHER 24 HOURS BEFORE DRINKING. WOULD THIS WEAKEN THE GRAINS
Hello Richard,
Thank you for your your question.
Yes, it is possible to “park” the grains in the fridge to slow down production. Cover the grains with milk and put the sealed jar in the fridge until you are ready to make more kefir. Make sure to change the milk every 3 or 4 days if you leave them in the fridge.
All the best,
Shannon
GoGo Kefir
Good afternoon. Useful article!.
Hello,
I’ve just made my first Kefir milk batch. It worked out perfectly. I have IBS so I will have to monitor how my gut will react to it for a couple of days.
Does anyone have any idea of the quantity of milk kefir one should take every day in the beginning ? 1/4 to 1 cup?
Also can I mix the kefir milk with fruit or fruit juices to sweetened the milk ? Thank you
Play with it! Listen to your body, start by a small amout, 1/4 cup sounds reasonable. Once I remove the grains, I add real (meaning no candy like) dehydrated mango strips in the jar, and I let it sit a few hours in the fridge to let the flavors combine and the mango to be plump again. I tried mango and star anise, it is delicious! Like I said, play with it, explore.
I ordered some dehydrated milk grains and since her husband was going to be in my area the next day I was given fresh milk kefir grains delivered to my door!
It has been a few weeks now and they have been multiplying like crazy and making wonderful kefir.
I was using fine mesh plastic strainers but I had to buy some with larger holes to allow for easier straining. Even gently moving them around in the strainer with a spatula was taking a lot of time so the larger strainer helps a lot.
What began as a tablespoon or two of grains is now about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup. I put about 1/2 tsp of inulin in the jar for extra food for them and they seem to like that:-)
Thanks again for the extra mile on the service and the healthy culture!
Thank you for sending me the BEST milk kefir grains I’ve ever used! They arrived 4 days ago and I promptly put them in 2 cups of whole (homo) milk. Within 48 hours I had lovely thick kefir and so tasty warm or cold. Fantastic!
Received my dehydrated milk kefir grains this week – thanks! What do you mean by whole milk? We have homogenized (3.25%). Cannot buy raw milk where I am.
Can I use other types of milk here – coconut – almond? Unsweetened I assume.
Hi Anne, thank you for your question.
Yes, homogenized is what you want. The grains like the full fat milk.
What is the probiotic and yeast makeup of your milk kefir grains? Thanks!
The cultures we sell were brought to Canada about 20 years ago directly from Russia. We have carefully managed the Milk Kefir Grains for the past several years. Here are some of the cultures common to milk kefir. Ours may vary from this.
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus brevis
Lactobacillus casei
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii
Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis
Lactobacillus helveticus
Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens subsp. kefiranofaciens
Lactobacillus kefiri
Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei
Lactobacillus plantarum
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Lactobacillus sake
Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
Lactococcus lactis
Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris
Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum
Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides
Pseudomonas
Pseudomonas fluorescens
Pseudomonas putida
Streptococcus thermopiles
How much kifer grains do you ship on small order …
Is by tbsp? Or by cup?
Are you in vancouver.
If yes. Is better I pick up myself.
Stefanie
Hello Stefanie, thank you for your inquiry.
The package of live milk kefir grains is 20g (approx. 2 tablespoons)
We are located in Alberta and ship free to BC daily.
Hi I purchase some milk kefir grain from you sometime ago and there doing great! I now need to store them for a couple months are I will be traveling. What is the best way to dehydrate or freeze my grain so I can start again when I get home. Thankyou
Hi Robyn,
Thank you for your question.
The best method to store your grains long term is to dehydrate them. Put your grains on wax paper or unbleached parchment and place them in a dehydrator (if you have one) on the lowest setting. Leave about 24 hours or until dry. If you don’t have a dehydrator then you can dry them on a cookie sheet on the counter. Cover them with unbleached paper towel so the bugs can’t get at them and let sit about 3-5 days or until dry. Once the grains are dry put them in zip lock or food saver bag a place the in the cupboard. Re-hydration is quite easy, here’s a link to the milk kefir re-hydration process.
An alternative method is to freeze them. Put the grains in ice cube trays about 3/4 full with grains and cover with milk. Place them in the freezer until frozen. You can then transfer them to zip lock or food saver bags and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. When its time to make milk kefir again, thaw the grains and follow the “how to make milk kefir” procedure. Might take a couple of batches to get them fully active.
Hope you have an fun trip.
All the best
Shannon
To make coconut milk do I use water grains? I am avoiding dairy in my diet.
Thx bonnie
Hi Bonnie, thank you for your question,
To make coconut kefir you would use milk kefir grains. I’ve had the best success using fresh coconut milk rather than canned. Also, its a good idea to use whole cows milk once each month for one cycle.
All the best,
Shannon