Kefir Fermenters Unite!

[iamfaithful]

has it taken that long? You must quit lurking in the shadows! See good things happen whe you come out of hiding!

Have my first gallon jar (one I use for batch KT brewing) of MK started. I figure I will need to take some to son soon & I need some too. This will give me a good start! Wonder how my grains will like having all the room & extra lactose to eat? they will prolly say

[Bejewelme]

OK IAM I need t be clear so tomorrow will be 7 days that the grains were in 1/2 gallon of raw milk, so strain them and put them in fresh milk in the fridge again, or should I let them sit outside a bit? I will be stokked with a whole 1/2 gallon of raw milk, I have another one I can transfer too, I have a lot of kefir built up but I guess the good thing is it doesnt go bad, but I need to not hog the whole fridge!!!

[iamfaithful]

Check it before you strain - by now you can tell if it is ready. Give it a good stir and ten taste/look. You will lnow - if it isready then strain- if not leave it another day or set it out but watch it! Cause it can turn in as little as an hour in warm temps- no biggie though cause if it separates just stir & strain! Not rocket science & you don't have to worry...grains are Tough Honey Badger Style!

When you strain the grains can go right back in milk & either on the counter or fridge for a long ferment-your choice. One nice thing about having a lot of kefir in the fridge is it continues to ferment & INCREASES in value every day it is in there. Be sure to put toe topson snug but NOT tight because they will give off gas! I had some in back of fridge I forgot about for a month & the top of the canning lid had buckled! I learned to Open them occasionally _ give a stir & put back when I have lots in there. Only takes a few seconds ut saves a mess later. However, I don't think ou will leave it in the fridge that long. Just remember to put freshlymade toward the back & rotate older batches forward.

Relax a little (or a LOT!) Kefiris to take care of you & you are doing fine. I am trying to figure out how to strain this gallon! Prolly into another gallon then a good stir & into jars! That just means an extra jar to wash- I don't like doing dishes! Well I guess I do-just don't like putting them away!

[shirleychef]

I pour my gallon jar batches through a large colander (with smallerish holes)set over a large clean bowl. Then I pour it into jars (1/2 gallon or quart for storage. :-) I hate all the extra dishes kefiring makes... but... I have six kids that help with the dishes!

Have a great day all!
Shirley

[Bejewelme]

I had to do the bowl thing the other day cause I was out of jars, I have a dishwasher named Kenmoore, LOL OK I will check them tonight one thing with the raw milk the cream rises and then I cant tell if the grains are in there or at the bottom, it freaks me out when I sip it and one of the grains hits me!!! If I stir I wont hurt them? I usually swirl versus stir!

[shirleychef]

I'm a "swirly" girl too! I would just grab a clean silicone or bamboo spoon/spatula to stir with .. I try to keep all metal away, but maybe stainless steel doesn't matter???

Blessings,
Shirley - Round 3 VLCD 55 - 25.4 pounds Total hcg loss: 87.8 pounds

[iamfaithful]

Stainless is fine for kefir grains but NO other metals. I have a 16" plastic rod (similar to a wooden dowel) that I use. Looks like a long solid straw. A sturdy straw like the ones at Thorntons works well too but not if it is really thick. I strain them in a SS strainer and hit the strainer in the plastic funnel to clean the grains. A whole lot of pounding on them- THEY ARE TOUGH & don't mind the roug treatment When you get really BIG ones they make better kefir if you divide them to pea size. Just try to tear one apart !

Amber if you get one in your mouth- get Badger toug & just swallow it down! You'll have lots of them soon! Like a SCOBY, they just slither on down with everything else

[Bejewelme]

IAM told me stainless is ok, but no other metal!

[pinemeadows]

Ohmygosh...you guys are doing gallons of kefir? Every day? Wow - that's really impressive.

I just want enough for hubby and myself - and I will only be taking it on alternate days (planning on doing JUDD as soon as I plan a menu) so I will need nowhere near that amount!

I guess I will start looking for kefir recipes soon - seems like it should make a great salad dressing, ranch-type, and maybe a sour cream? Any leads on tried and true recipes?

Shirleychef, I don't know how you even have the energy to log in much less everything else, but I'll bet you have great fun at your house!

[iamfaithful]

I put all my grains in a gallon jar & filled with Dean's whole milk. 28 hours later It separated, I stirred it down (also rose to top of jar) to mix & get the air out & strained into a clean gallon. My grains must have loved the room because they didn't just make new grains but most of them tripled in size! I guess they were stunted from lack of space!

Mailing some & a SCOBY w/ starter tea tomorrow somewhere? Have to check PM to see who gets them. I now have enough for one more if anyone is looking. Pinemedows did Metqa get with you?

[Bejewelme]

I know I swear the ones you sent me are growing and like the grains themselves are getting fat I think its the raw milk, LOL I guess temp has a lot to do with it, I keep my house at a constant 70 so that never changes!

[iamfaithful]

Yep! Raw or whole they love the lactose & fat! I kinda think the higher fat makes them kefir better.

Today % took a thought from Pepperette & put 1T chia seeds in my thick MK. It went down smooth! Didn't wait for them to gel. So drinking plenty of water for them to hydrate rhemselves. Seems likeaan easy way to get them dowm Susan grinds hers & puts it in her oat brand cereal...another good way. I don't want to run them through my juicer/grinder so when I have extra $ I will get a small coffee mill as my Cuisinart keeps coffee beans in it's resivour.

[shirleychef]

The grains I got were SOOOO small, I had a hard time straining them w/o losing them. Now they are nice size and I've already shipped out about 1 cup worth. I'll ship more in a week or so... or sooner if I start making it daily again. I'm resting mine for now b/c we still have an abundance. Hope to get the kids to drink 1/2 gallon when they get home today so I can start to brew again in a couple days.


Bejewelme.... sorry I'm a bit slow... but -146.6 GIRL... you deserve a week at a SPA NOT surgery!!! WOW!!! That is amazing... now that we have you drinking kefir and broth you are going to turn into a super hero yourself!!!

[pinemeadows]

iamfaithful - yes, I just got a PM that they are already in the mail! Wow - talk about efficient!

I will have to buy some almost-not-pasteurized milk from our little health food store so they will have a meal when they get here!

Originally Posted by iamfaithful

Pinemedows did Metqa get with you?

[Bejewelme]

Shirley I need surgery though that is the problem so much hanging skin it is so gross so this summer when I wear my bikini everywhere, I will be glad, LOL Just kidding I never owned one and from what I hear Victoria Secret lost my number LOL

[iamfaithful]

Oh Amber, never owned a bekini! How sad! Tony needs to buy you one so you can wear it iduring family times & let them see the new you! Judging from the leopard wear you could easily do that- maybe not on the beach but at a private family pool or your back yard- If I were to wear one now it would be a scary sight. But then if I was with a bunch of sharpei (sp) dogs they wouldn't know who was who except I would be the stark white one !

Sad because a miltitude of lives ago my sisters & I were the very 1st ones to wear string bekinis on the CA beaches! Yes! That was BEFORE two piece were common! My how I look at what women wear now and we were better covered!

I now whhave 2 gallons of kefir in fridge. 4 1/2 jars (they are only 3 1/2 cups you know) & a gallon jar. Guess I need to let mine rest for a while after I get Shhirl's out. She is getting SCOBYs as well.

Pinemeadows, Metqa is always Jonny-on-the-spot! Thanks Metqa! & back to kefiring!

[Bejewelme]

Goddess enhancer, ruched scoop moderate Bikini

I got this one, and I had him take a pic would you believe size 12 bottoms that fit now, I bet I am going to be an 8 after surgery! I might wear it at my aunt's pool for sun, or who knows I might be grocery shopping in it, LOL Depends how good the tummy looks,LOL Tony was like hubba hubba hun I am liking that even with the belly, LOL He loves that electric blue color on me. He was really shocked I got it and wore it for him!

[iamfaithful]

WOW! That is nice! Still more material than I had on @ age 16!

[pepperette]

I scored big on the milk today! DS was going to the store today and I told him "no soda for me"- I wanted a gallon of milk. He said "that won't last long" so I jokingly said "get me 2". Wellllllllllll~ he did! Tomorrow I set them up. I have about 1/4 gallon made that I am drinking. This will be good- I can have my own little stockpile.

[iamfaithful]

I have 2 one gallon jars in the fridge! So.... I put my grains to rest after mailing some to Shhril. The grains have become ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! When I gave them more room/gallon jars - they doubled in size & made the kefir so thick it has yet to even show signs of separation! They just love Dean's whole milk! I don't think I will ever try anything else (unless I can be lucky enough to score some raw).

Good deal on scoring 2 gallons! I have bought 3 in 3 days! Happy kefiring everyone & remember it only has 1 carb/serving! (but my serving 1 pint or more is not the serving size they were prolly talking about...

Remember too~ the longer the ferment (even in the fridge) the more prebiotics!

[Bejewelme]

WOW that is good to know!!! 1 carb per serving, IAM you gotta get raw milk it is sooo good, it really makes the best IMO, the skim with half and half--yak!!! Didnt like that taste at all!!! Raw is my fav followed by 2%

[iamfaithful]

Can you get Dean's there? Usually sold in $ General & convenience stores? Raw is just a dream for me. Gas too high to drive to Booneville (1hr 25minutes 1 way) ~ Whole milk

[pinemeadows]

I'm in East Texas - we have lots of Dollar Generals, but I've never been in one! They carry milk....Dean's milk? Really? Is the milk pasteurized?

I had no idea - now I can't wait to check this out!

Originally Posted by iamfaithful

Can you get Dean's there? Usually sold in $ General & convenience stores? Raw is just a dream for me. Gas too high to drive to Booneville (1hr 25minutes 1 way) ~ Whole milk

[shirleychef]

Deans is in our Walmart too. It is the ONLY brand of whipping cream I buy when our cows are not producing enough milk for us to feed skim to the pigs and keep the cream for us. They have a cream that is NOT ultra pasteurized and it does NOT have that carnegenene (sorry butchered the spelling) thickening agent added.

I decided to end my hcg round at 146.2... for a total loss of 88.8 pounds in 3 rounds. :-) I'm excited about being in phase 3 tomorrow and enjoying our kefired cream and milk regularly! I hope to eventually get off another 5-10 pounds through exercise and maybe low carb JUDDDing. BUT right now... I don't need another "diet" I just need to enjoy maintaining and continuing to get used to the new me. :-)

I hope you guys have a super day!!!

[Bejewelme]

Shirley congrats hun, you need a break from all that,and what an achievement to be proud of!!!! Enjoy life now a bit and see what it takes to maintain!!!

OK I got a TMI question but I drink a ton of water and my pee usually runs clear, well I have really doubled up on the kefir like almost a quart a day with the surgery coming and knowing I am going to be on heavy antibiotics. Well my urine is cloudy and smelly like I can almost smell the kefir in it???----Gross I know but this has to be asked, to make sure I don't have some other problem brewing before surgery??? I figure you girls drink a lot of it I have been drinking the raw milk which is getting more and more sour by the day even with the grains out of it??? Is that the case??? It is not necessarily thicker but seems more fermented tasting. I tried it with just blueberries last night, yuck!!!! I like the protein powder best, I often wonder what the sweetened brands taste like so many carbs I hate to risk it, and guess what I found greens in kombucha?? OMG I bet that is tasty, LOL I thought of you IAM!!!! And that store has it for like $3.50 a bottle, LOL

[shirleychef]

I'm not sure on the urine unless it is your body cleansing out candida yeast from your gut which is a REALLY good thing with the antibiotic load you will have. I've never noticed a strong urine in relation to drinking kefir.

The longer your kefir sits in the fridge the stronger taste it will have. Hubby just told me the stuff from last week was a bit too much even for him. So we "watered" it down with our raw cream and added stevia then he was totally fine drinking it. Mine gets stronger and fizzier the longer it ages in the fridge... without grains in them.

Thankfully I took my grains out from resting yesterday and plopped them into fresh milk so I should have 6 cups of fresh by this afternoon. :-)

[Bejewelme]

Yeah I was like I wonder what is up, since I am not on any other vitamins now it was sort of alarming, LOL

Good to know, I was trying to stock pile for when I am down, but tonight Tony is getting a lesson, I told him we cannot lose these grains, LOL He can figure it out, he and Bobby will not drink it, Bobby said the first sip with the chocolate protein was OK

[metqa]

Jewel, it could be a UTI, unrelated to kefir consumption. I got the same symptoms early January, and I'd not changed my water or kefir input. The urine was cloudy, and very strong smelling, not normal. At first there were no physical symptoms other than the urine but it developed into an uncomfortable situation and rapidly into a painful situation. It took as long as a week before I realized it could be a UTI and I didn't take care of it soon enough to keep it from getting worse.

If I were you, I'd make an appointment to see about getting that checked ASAP. I don't know if having a UTI will affect the surgery or not but they would need to know that.

Meanwhile, and it won't hurt to do so, keep drinking a lot of water and kefir if you like but add some pure cranberry juice ( 100% juice, non sweetened) and blueberries to your diet. I know they only help prevent bacteria from clinging to cell walls but since you don't have any pain or irritation yet, it might help keep it from becoming worse till you can treat it.

[Bejewelme]

Geez my stupid doc will never get me in tomorrow, I guess it could be that, I do have some cranberry tablets I guess I could take that are natural and I do have some frozen whole cranberries I buy them after Thanksgiving and stock up. I will try that in the kefir.

[iamfaithful]

Mine carries Dean's & eggs cheese & ice cream etc. Yours may have Dean's I ue whole & yes it is pasturized but not ultra pasturized. I have a DG 1/2 mile frm home (been here for 5 months) & I love it. Only place within 10 miles to get anythng!