I've experimented a ton with kefir and started your way.
I've always used raw goat's milk and never had an issue. Once you get enough grains, you can make lazy man's kefir where you don't even have to strain it. You can scoop a few spoonfuls of grains off the top of the jar and add to the next batch. However, with a bunch of grains, the whey will separate quicker, and I usually strain the whey out and second ferment the remaining curds. This reduces the sourness considerably and decreases lactic acid load. At this point, you can add fruit, honey, or other components to the kefir to enhance its flavor.
I've fermented kefir up to three days before, but 18 hours or so seems to be the sweat point (based on your ambient temperature). Once you've filtered out your grains, you can pretty much drink it over the course of a day or two at room temperature with little risk beyond additional sourness.
I've had my grains for a long time and have even inoculated them with rare bacteria strains for gut health, so I usually keep a spare batch of grains in the freezer in case something happens to my active batch. I've revived frozen kefir grains after a month of inactivity before without any issues.
One order is plenty... will last forever if you keep them up. IIRC starting batch will be enough for 2 cups of milk. Within a week you can scale to 4c, etc.
I made a batch with whole raw milk and noticed the cream separating. Do you blend it back together or just skim the cream off the top for another project? Thanks!
Any recommendation for storing kefir grains when one might not want to be actively making kefir? I read fresh milk and put them in the fridge. Wasn’t sure how well that worked.
I've experimented a ton with kefir and started your way.
I've always used raw goat's milk and never had an issue. Once you get enough grains, you can make lazy man's kefir where you don't even have to strain it. You can scoop a few spoonfuls of grains off the top of the jar and add to the next batch. However, with a bunch of grains, the whey will separate quicker, and I usually strain the whey out and second ferment the remaining curds. This reduces the sourness considerably and decreases lactic acid load. At this point, you can add fruit, honey, or other components to the kefir to enhance its flavor.
I've fermented kefir up to three days before, but 18 hours or so seems to be the sweat point (based on your ambient temperature). Once you've filtered out your grains, you can pretty much drink it over the course of a day or two at room temperature with little risk beyond additional sourness.
I've had my grains for a long time and have even inoculated them with rare bacteria strains for gut health, so I usually keep a spare batch of grains in the freezer in case something happens to my active batch. I've revived frozen kefir grains after a month of inactivity before without any issues.
Well said. The grains are pretty resilient. I really like sour so rarely decrease the acid load. It's an easy and great beverage to have on hand.
I'm going to order fresh grains from gem cultures. Will one order be enough? And how long will it last?
One order is plenty... will last forever if you keep them up. IIRC starting batch will be enough for 2 cups of milk. Within a week you can scale to 4c, etc.
I made a batch with whole raw milk and noticed the cream separating. Do you blend it back together or just skim the cream off the top for another project? Thanks!
Lightly stir it, and strain... so you don't mash the kefir grains.
Any recommendation for storing kefir grains when one might not want to be actively making kefir? I read fresh milk and put them in the fridge. Wasn’t sure how well that worked.
Yes you can keep in milk, in the fridge, loosely covered for up to 10 days