Kefir

Errhh, ok, well, I drink it at times, but I'm sure Mr Soapalchemist'll be happy ... I like the taste, but wouldn't it get sour in a soap?
 
I've ordered some off cyberboot; may arrive tomorrow with any luck. If so they will be sitting in a jar of milk just as soon as I get them out of the envelope. I gather it should have loads of beneficial bacteria, more than yoghurt, and more than the pre packaged probiotic drinks - which to me taste synthetic and overly sweetened. HWMOM gets them, so if he likes the kefir, we'll be diminishing the number of little plastic bottles going into landfill as well. Win, win.:)
 
soapalchemist said:
I've ordered some off cyberboot; may arrive tomorrow with any luck. If so they will be sitting in a jar of milk just as soon as I get them out of the envelope. I gather it should have loads of beneficial bacteria, more than yoghurt, and more than the pre packaged probiotic drinks - which to me taste synthetic and overly sweetened. HWMOM gets them, so if he likes the kefir, we'll be diminishing the number of little plastic bottles going into landfill as well. Win, win.:)
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Hi let me know how you get on with the Kefir and post your results, I myself have been thinking about making some, looks promising, here's a nice simple video on how to make Kefir including another link on what you need,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FeQBqLAeTQ
http://www.makingkefir.com/how-to-make-kefir-at-home/

Regards Jamie.
 
Hmm, here's "our" Kefir (we've had it for many many years and I didn't know you could make your own):
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Well they do say the home made Kefir as many more minerals and pro biotics than the shop purchased one Mikael, the only thing I dont think the Kefir milk grain is all that easy to find, I see a few suppliers but i'm not that comfortable buying off them.

Regards Jamie.
 
Apparently they should grow and multiply if you keep making the stuff, so if I don't kill them off (which is clearly a possibility), I'll be happy to share them around. My seller on cyberboot sent me this link so I'm presuming this is him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQEja7-Qaq0
 
I managed to source some, so hopefully next week I can get cracking in producing some, can also be used in bread making, I would imagine using some of the Kefir milk to produce a sour dough bread.

Regards Jamie.

Step 1 . Preparing the Culture
Place the Kefir Grains in your glass jar. Use roughly 1-3 tbsps of grains per Quart of Milk. Pour milk over the top to fill the jar. If you have a lid, then loosely seal it on (so that pressure can escape). And if you are using cheese cloth, then stretch it over top and wrap a rubber band around the jar's mouth to secure. The idea is to keep fruit flies/insects out, yet still allow the grains to breath. Now you're ready to ferment!

Step 2. Let the Fermentation Begin!
Place your jar in a safe spot away from light and at room temperature. Noting that warm air speeds up the growth and cold air slows it down. Now simply leave the jar alone and wait anywhere from 12-48 hours! How long you leave your kefir to ferment is really up to you. People have many different preferences, but we prefer leaving it for 24 hours. 12 hours makes a thinner, sweeter Kefir and 48 hours makes a thicker, tangier Kefir. At a few points along the way, feel free to stir (with a wooden spoon) and taste your batch to find just the right fizz for you! You should be able to tell that it is alive!

Step 3. Ready to Drink
So your jar of milk has been sitting out for a day and it is to your liking… Now it is almost time to enjoy! But first, we must strain out the grains. Simply pour your milk through a non-metal strainer and into a clean new jar. This is your Kefir ready to drink… And remaining in your strainer are the gelatinous grains which can be re-used forever – this is the magic of Kefir! If you plan to make more right away, then simply place those grains (which do not need to be washed) in new jar and repeat the process from step 1. Otherwise cover them in a little milk and then store in the fridge for later use. And there you have it folks, making Kefir is that easy!

Important Things to Note:
â– Kefir Grains will multiply and grow forever. It is an endless self propagating process. In only a few weeks of making Kefir, you might have even double what you started with. You can share your excess grains with friends or divide them in half and start two batches! I've been using my grains from Cultures For Health for years and they are still living and healthy!
■Try to obtain kefir grains, not just a “starter”, which is sometimes sold. Kefir grains can be used “forever”, whereas “starters” can only be used 7 times or so.
â– To store kefir grains if not in use, simply submerge in a little milk, cover and leave in fridge for about two weeks.
â– Be very certain to never use metal implements. It will begin to break down the life force within. However a stainless steel strainer is allowed.
■Your Kefir grains might require an adjustment period of a batch or two after events like being shipped or switching types of milk. When you receive your kefir grains, don't be disappointed if the first couple of batches taste awful! The yeast build-up during shipping needs to level out. When switching types of milk, your kefir will go through a couple of “transition” batches, where it may taste differently, as well. For this reason, it's best to stick with one type of milk if possible, using excess grains for other types.
 
I'm hoping that drinking the stuff might give me a 'life force within'.
Let us know how you get on Jamie; I'm hoping mine will get here tomorrow, and also hoping it's easier than yoghurt....which I've tried twice this week, with zero luck.
 
The grains arrived this morning; a good tablespoon full I would say. I put them in a glass with a couple of inches of milk and let sit for a few hours, and then chucked the yoghurty smelling mild away, by way of a rinse. I've now got them in a jar of milk on the worktop, and am hoping for something yoghurty in the morning.
Could the whey be used as a sourdough starter? I fancy experimenting with draining that to get thicker yoghurt/ cream cheese type stuff - seems a shame to chuck it when it's apparently packed full of protein.
 
I worked with a (then) older couple who's grandparents were from Greece. They were into making kefir and yogurt . They did have an interesting procedure that was passed down from there parents that I copied. They would cover the containers over with cheese cloth or old cotton dish cloths and set then on ...the top of their refrigerator towards the back so the heat from the back coils would keep it at an almost constant warm temperature!
Worked great! And a free source of warmth.
 
Good tip Johnus; unfortunately my fridge is tucked under the worktop, so it's not an option for me. The kefir is not so delicate as yoghurt, and you can have it cooler and at varying temperatures. In fact I read somewhere it's best to do it at varying temperatures, as different bacterias do better at different temps.
 
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