Kefir Fermenters Unite!

[shirleychef]

Originally Posted by 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.

You can also take LARGE doses of vitamin C. When I used to have cronic infections my Dr told me to take large doses of Vitamin C b/c the acidity helps to make an unfriendly environment for the infection. Especially take like 2-3000 mg at night right before bed so it will sit in your bladder overnight. :-)

Hope it is NOT a UTI!!!

[iamfaithful]

Shirley-good to know! Thanks! I am sure Amber will try that!

[shirleychef]

Ya... it is always SHOCKING when a DOCTOR mentions something "natural" that can cure and infection!!

[Bejewelme]

Yeah my doc said not to take my Vitamin C, but other PS tell their patients to take like mega doses, go firgure!! OK I just slammed 3000 mg we will see what happens. OK made new batch tonight with more raw milk! Man those kefir grains are fat, not like there are so many more but they are getting fatter like almost marble sized the one it sort of scared me, LOL I hope they like the new raw milk. I gotta really suck this stuff down now I am in the critical zone!!!

IAM- I always love talking to you hun!!! I will be glad when I am not working nad can talk more while I am laying in pain! LOL

[iamfaithful]

If the grains get much bigger, wash your pretty little fingers & pull them half in two. This gives a larger exposed surface area for the grains to kefir the milk & will produce better kefir. It doesn't hurt to leave them big but they work better when they have more surface area.

Will look forward to those conversations. I have a funny Lowes story to tell you next time we talk...remind me.

[metqa]

Today, I pulled out one the size of a walnut.

[pepperette]

Originally Posted by metqa

Today, I pulled out one the size of a walnut.

I have a couple of those from having to let lem "rest and grow" till I had more milk a few times! Now I can add a 'walnut' to each of the gallon jugs DS got me.

[iamfaithful]

Yep! Just need one that size but don't let it get stuck in the jug!

[Bejewelme]

A Walnut size grain?? Holy crap!!! I will be putting them to rest a few days I have to stop and get more milk tonight anyways!

[iamfaithful]

Yes sweetie & if you let yours get that big you will only need it to kefir a lot of milk. But like I said they kefir better when they have more surface area.

Have a good day today & a terrific "NAP" tomorrow!

[pepperette]

Take with you tomorrow.

[pinemeadows]

Metqa - I got the KG today - they look exactly like a picture you posted much earlier in this thread. It was also on that page I saw where you said to use 4 cups of milk instead of 2, so I hurriedly added some almost-raw milk, altho that one was 2%.

Tomorrow night they will be nestled in whole milk entirely.

Thank you so much - your package was just perfect all the way around!!!

[metqa]

Glad they arrive, a day sooner than I expected as well! I love the U.S. Postal Service!

2% is good, I prefer whole, but I got some good kefir out of some 2% before.

[iamfaithful]

She is out of surgery & should be home or on her way shortly.

for the s

[pepperette]

Good for her~ hopes she has a very easy time recuperating.

[pepperette]

I just set some vanilla to extract- in a couple months we'll see how it is and I can add to kefir for a vanilla kefir "smoothie".

[pinemeadows]

iamfaithful - I went to Dollar General today, and they did not carry Dean's milk. The brand they had was Oak Farms. I ended up going to the health food store and buying Jersey milk that had not been pasteurized, but had been homogenized. I think my grains will like that! It even has some cream on the top!

Metqa - the grains have grown! Yes, in 24 hours I can see the difference. The milk didn't get tart or fizzy at all, so I just strained them out, split them up, and put them back in milk. I put half the grains in a little milk and set aside in the fridge. I hope that's the right way to store them for awhile. I just want them separate from the others in case.....well, just in case! The other half went in the Jersey milk on the counter to make a second batch.

I kept this first batch of milk/kefir anyway because as I understand it, it will continue to ferment even in the fridge, right? It doesn't have any unpleasant odors at all, so I thought it would be ok to keep.

I trust that one of you experts would prevent me from poisoning myself before I actually do it - if I'm doing something wrong.

[pepperette]

You are doing OK. I am fairly new to making my own kefir, and if I ain't dead yet, then you're just fine!

[metqa]

The first batch may not be fizzy or tart as the grains may not have the ratio of grain to milk to get to that stage in the 12-24 hour range.

My grains usually go super fast, but I'm weird in that I like the acidic drink, others prefer a more milk buttermilk type beverage, hence the more milk to grain ratio. If you leave the milk on the counter it will continue to ferment , more slowly in the fridge.

What you could do is take your storage grains and keep them in the 24 hour milk to continue to culture more slowly in the cold.

I've been adding a few grain pieces to the finished ferment before storing in the fridge; I find it keeps going and makes a smoother 2nd ferment than if I left it on the counter.

[iamfaithful]

I always leave my kefir in the fridge to 2F. Sometimes it is there for a week or more. Sounds like you are doing just fine.

Kefiring isn't hard & on counter in fridge???? It is all personal taste. So kefir it any way it tasts right for you! Unless you see green/gray/black mold IT IS SAFE TO DRINK! Porcupine sent me some grains in a pint jar of raw milk. They traveled several days in the mail. Wheni opened it-tart, thick & yeasty smelling. I took out the grains & enjoied the almost tart buttery raw milk kefir that was in the jar.

Remember you are FERMENTING & unless there is mold it is good -scratch that- GREAT STUFF!

[pinemeadows]

Pepperette...I love your sig line - fear the bread, not the butter - very clever!

Makes me smile every time I see it!

Edited to add: I just saw where it came from - porcupine. Where is he anyway???

Originally Posted by pepperette

You are doing OK. I am fairly new to making my own kefir, and if I ain't dead yet, then you're just fine!

[iamfaithful]

He is busy! Lives in NY & has a good size house etc to take care of. I think he helped us get things rolling & now that he is a seasoned veteran at Kefir & Kombucha he has many other things to keep him very busy. Engineers are ALWAYS trying to stuff 48 hours into a 24 hour day. Ladies have more free time for chit chat! He came up with IBKKF 898...

[shirleychef]

Originally Posted by iamfaithful

I always leave my kefir in the fridge to 2F. Sometimes it is there for a week or more. Sounds like you are doing just fine.

Kefiring isn't hard & on counter in fridge???? It is all personal taste. So kefir it any way it tasts right for you! Unless you see green/gray/black mold IT IS SAFE TO DRINK! Porcupine sent me some grains in a pint jar of raw milk. They traveled several days in the mail. Wheni opened it-tart, thick & yeasty smelling. I took out the grains & enjoied the almost tart buttery raw milk kefir that was in the jar.

Remember you are FERMENTING & unless there is mold it is good -scratch that- GREAT STUFF!

Your mention of mold brings a question to my mind. I live in and OLD Farm house with a VERY wet basement in the spring and sometimes in the summer too. Last year I could not get any of my cheeses to dry without molding. Finally gave up. Then my kefir started to "mold". Within 24 hours my kefir/milk/with grains in on the counter would have fuzzy white "mold" that had formed a layer on the top.. like a skin. I tried to skim it, I rinse the grains, put in fresh milk and every day I'd get mold. I finally threw them out.

Was it really MOLD or would they have been ok. The kefir smelled moldy not yeasty fermented like it normally is. Have you guys ever heard of this happening??? I have never had it happen except in this house. So far the grains I have are doing GREAT!!! I'm going to try to preserve some in milk in the fridge as extra's in case I end up with mold again this spring... which would be horrible now that my family is drinking about 1/2 gallon or more of kefir a day. I couldn't afford to do it with the packets and IMO those packets do NOT have the same broad spectrum of probiotics that the grains provide.

Thanks for ANY insite you might have about my white fuzzy layer "mold"?!

Blessings,
Shirley

[iamfaithful]

Yes, it was mold! Kefir & Komucha are powerful things but at the wrong temps or humidity they are subject to mold that is why I mentioned it.

I hope you don't have that problem again. You might want to consider getting one or more dehumidifyers for your home (basement & kitchen/bedroom areas) mold is devastating tothe families health. I have conqueored the mold problem (of 15 years) & keep a dehumidivyer on during the summer_ winthe the heaters take care of it & I have to keep crock pots on with water in them to keep moisture in the house.

It is good you threw the kefir out! The packets DO NOT have the same properties. One good thing about coming to us is WE USUALLY HAVE EXTRA GRAINS! So you always have a place to get fresh grains for the cost of postage $3-6. We got your back girl! & know we can count on you to send your extras if needed.

[pinemeadows]

I have a question about the mold issue. Live in Texas where occasionally it is quite humid (not on the coastline, so it's not a constant thing). In the summer, I have our thermostat set at about 77 otherwise the air conditioning would NEVER be off....even at that, it's running constantly from July through September.

Is Kefir going to be ok at that temp? Or is it possible to do the entire process in a refrigerator?

I don't want to have to worry about mold - which is fairly common here in the first place.

[metqa]

When I do a lot of milk, I'll start the process on the counter for maybe 12 hours, long enough for the milk to come to room temperature for a few hours and then put it all in the fridge. I figure the quantity of milk is so much that the kefir won't turn fast enough to protect all of it so I give it a head start then slow everything down in the fridge. I often finish first ferments in the fridge while "storing my grains" though busy times.

[Bejewelme]

Hi kids I missed my kefir buddies, with this surgery and feeling pukey I just drank some this morning! I really like the 12 hours out 12 hours in with the raw milk, it makes it thin and a little more sweet.

Hope you are all doing well, Shirely when is your getaway?

[iamfaithful]

Amber you sound a little perkier this morning? How are you today?

I would not worry about kefir getting mold. I live in a very high umuidity area (Ohoi River Valley) during the summer & never got mold. However 77 is kinda warm for a 24 hour ferment. Grains like it around 72ish - the only situation you may have @ 77 is it will ferment faster than 24 hours. You might try during warmer times to do a 12/12ish or any combination ou like. It will take you a while to figure your grains & taste out. Some like it warm (room temp) & some like it cold - doesn't matter to me.

Shirley you must have a lot of spores in the air. You might
putting a cap on your grains verses acloth cover. They will still kefir (might even get more bubbly) Just burp it when you stir/shake/jiggle the kefir. If you use a lid it will keep mold spores hopefully from finding their way into your Kefiring container during the 24 hours.

I have successfully kefired in closed jars just fine. Might give it a try & see how it works for you. Just don't seal them tight-tight.

Remember like Kombucha, Kefir is a very personal taste texture. I may not like yours as much as mine but I guarantee you I would

[shirleychef]

Originally Posted by iamfaithful

Shirley you must have a lot of spores in the air. You might
putting a cap on your grains verses acloth cover. They will still kefir (might even get more bubbly) Just burp it when you stir/shake/jiggle the kefir. If you use a lid it will keep mold spores hopefully from finding their way into your Kefiring container during the 24 hours.

I have successfully kefired in closed jars just fine. Might give it a try & see how it works for you. Just don't seal them tight-tight.

Remember like Kombucha, Kefir is a very personal taste texture. I may not like yours as much as mine but I guarantee you I would

Now I'm bummed... I ALWAYS have mine covered with a lid for fermenting. I use plastic lids.

Now... another question that might have caused the problem. I do NOT put my milk & grains in a CLEAN jar each time. I usually dump out the kefired milk & grains after 24 hours through a colander. Then I pour a little splash of milk into the jar I just dumped out of, Shake and swish, then pour that bit of milk mixed with kefir over the grains in the colandar. Then I just dump the grains back into the "dirty" jar and fill with milk & cream.

This time I've been cleaning my jar every 5-7 days. Before we moved to this house I would almost NEVER clean my fermenting jar. BUT I got scared that it was the jar or old kefir maybe causing the molding???

Any input on that?? I've made kefir from grains for 6 years and still don't feel as confident as I should ... mainly b/c of the mold that killed my grains this past summer... TWO TIMES... I got fresh grains from a friend and it happened AGAIN!. I was SO bummed!

Amber... So glad you are doing well!! Prayed for you and will continue to pray for a great recovery!!

Blessings,
Shirley -- Phase 3 -- Total hcg loss: 88.8 pounds in 3 rounds totaling 145 VLCD days!

[Maid of Erin]

Hi, mind if I join your thread?

I have made kefir before in spells but never really was too thrilled with it. I was buying the culture powders that only last thru 6-7 uses. I'd like to try again and I'm learning all I can online while waitng for my live culture grains to arrive.

We have our own Jersey cow, Betty . I make my own yogurt and soft cheeses. I would like to make raw milk kefir and kefir yogurts/cheese as well.