Kefir Grains - Living Probiotic Enriched

I have been using pro-biotics for years trying to battle digestive and skin issues. So far no luck or improvement in the conditions, despite good eating habits. I have spent a lot of money on those pills and don't even know if they contained any live cuItures when I consumed them. After reading about Kefir and not finding a ready made product that impressed me, because of all the added sugar and the high price, I decided to make my own. That way I know what is in it and it will be fresh. I received my Kefir grains about a week ago and they are already producing good Kefir and appear to be growing. They arrived in a small plastic container and looked very healthy, just like a piece of fresh cauliflower. The seller had also included a flyer with information about activating the grains which was very helpful. I immediately placed the grains into a glass mason jar added approx 3/4 cup of milk, covered the jar with a small piece of cloth, held in place by a rubber band, left it sit on the kitchen counter and let them do their thing. The first few batches separated into whey and curds and I have since figured out, that, since I live in Florida and it is very warm (my house stays around 78-80 degrees) the grains don't need 24 hours to ferment. There are lots of videos on YouTube with helpful information about making Kefir. Yesterday I made a batch with 1 1/2 cups of milk and after approx 18 hrs I noticed a sign of slight separation and whey at the bottom of the jar and decided to remove the grains at that point. Removal is easy. Just pour the contents through a plastic strainer, use a wooden or plastic spoon to gently stir the contents through the mesh until only the Kefir grains are left behind. Use the grains to start your next batch of Kefir, or place them into a small jar, cover with fresh milk and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to make more Kefir. The Kefir from this batch was very good and I plan on making many more batches. The process could not be any easier.. Definitely a good product and if all goes well these grains will continue to thrive and multiply and hopefully I will notice results in my digestive tract and overall health with regular use of homemade Kefir.

I had been looking for ways to improve my gut microbiome, and all my research pointed to fermented foods. I also occasionally have acid reflux, and fermented foods are usually make it worse. I tried store bought kefir, consumed it in tiny quantities for a bit and my gut seemed to like it, so I ordered these grains. When they came in the mail, they were very nicely packaged, and came with instructions. They seemed super sad looking though, but I thought I’d give them a go anyway. The best tip I read somewhere was to start with just 1 cup of milk rather than the 1-2 cups like it says in the instructions. Start small, give the grains time to adjust. In about 8 hours I strained the grains out, put them in another 1 cup of milk. Also, ultra pasteurised milk works just fine, all the grains need is lactose, which this milk has. Raw milk is likely better for quality, but honestly I’ve been using ultra pasteurised for a month now and it works perfectly. Over the first week I slowly increased the fresh milk quantity to about 2 cups. I also ended up throwing away no milk, none at all. I’m not sure why a lot of people recommend throwing away the first few batches. I usually let each batch ferment for about 18 hours each time, 9 hours on the counter and about 9 in the fridge. It’s probably not the best way to do this, but only a couple weeks in and the grains more than tripled in size, and they eat through the milk really fast. The best way to slow them down is in the fridge. They’re quite robust. I would definitely recommend this seller, although I doubt I’ll have to buy from them again just because I’m already struggling to keep up with my kefir grains 😅

When these grains, I say that with tongue-in-cheek, because there were no "grains" in the small plastic envelope, that arrived in my mail box but what I saw was about 1/4 tsp. of a small mushed up paste in the bag. I doubted whether the grains were alive and would they do anything once I put them in milk, which I did right away. The first three 1/2 c. batches of milk didn't yield much but by about the 4th effort I started to get something happening! Hooray, they were alive! I probably have made at least two dozen or more batches now of the Kefir milk and I have about 1/4 cup of the gains that are big white fluffy pillows of what looks like large curd cottage cheese. So, the moral to this review is don't give up because it might take 2-4 batches or more before they become fully active. I suggest while waking these guys up to not waste a lot of milk so place them in 1/4 to 1/3 c. of milk, leave over night or for two days and check by sight and taste until you see something happening. Not much happening after 2 days? Then strain your milk into a glass bowl and capture the knifer grains in a plastic sieve to place in another fresh cup of milk. Don't see any grains, then pour another small amount of milk into what you have already, cover and wait another day or two. Once you see activity or grains then start a fresh container of milk to maybe 1/2 c. and then eventually you can fill a whole quart or even a half gallon jar almost to the top with milk and drop in your grains. The way to tell if your knifer is ready is to check the bottom and sides of the jar and if you see clear patches in the milk next to the glass then it has clabbered. I might also note that milk kefir tastes very much like buttermilk so if you don't like buttermilk then if you plan to use it then think smoothies, pancakes, waffles, salad dressings or where you might use some form of milk where you won't taste the clabbered buttermilk flavor. My husband likes it with a little sweetener and vanilla added and he's happy otherwise he won't drink the stuff! I happen to love thick, rich buttermilk so I love the finished knifer. Keifer will also continue to ferment in the refrigerator and become more sour so don't be alarmed by the taste. I frequently have numerous glass milk bottles filled with kefir in my refrigerator and I have yet to open the last of the batch and found anything but healthy, sour tasting kefir. Another suggestion: If you have never consumed milk kefir or even water kefir before start out slowly drinking this because it can really upset your gut and you will wind up paying for it. Start with 1/4 cup the first and second day and if you don't have any problems then you can up the amount you consume on a daily basis. Better to be safe than sorry and wind up spending a lot of time in the bathroom for a couple of days! Chill the milk kefir and use it to drink, make salad dressings and hundreds of other tasty treats! January 2015 Update: Here are a couple of tricks I have learned along the way with a growing supply of grains and making kefir: 1. I keep 1/2-1 cup of grains and give away or throw out the rest. 2. I fill a glass half gallon jug with my grains and top off with milk, stir. Cover with a paper coffee filter and a rubber band and sit on counter to ferment. 3. Best results for taste and thickness to my liking has been about 48 hours in a 64 degree kitchen in the winter in Maine. Might be shorter in the summer months. 4. Strain off kefir grains from liquid in a large glass measuring cup through a plastic sieve. Spoon unwashed grains into another clean 1/2 gallon jug and top off with milk. Some people say to never wash the grains but if you have left the grains too long in milk in the refrigerator and the milk has started to spoil then washing will remove the tainted milk so you don't contaminate your next batch of kefir, just make sure you use cool/cold water. Fill smaller glass bottles with fermented kefir milk. Start the process all over again. 5. If you have more kefir in the refrigerator than you can drink in the next week then put the grains along with milk in the 1/2 gallon jug with a lid screwed on in the refrigerator for no more than about a week. The grains will continue to ferment the milk but at a much slower rate cutting about 24 hours off the process of sitting out on the counter and you don't waste any milk that they are being kept in. If you leave the grains in the refrigerator more than a week or longer you might find they will start to spoil so stay aware of how long your grains and milk have been in there. Label the jug with a date to remind you. 6. I usually make kefir for about 3 cycles which gives me approx. 1-1/2 glass bottles each time that holds 32 ounces each (Bormioli Rocco Quattro Stagioni 33 3/4 Canning Bottle). After 6 days or 3 cycles I then put the full half gallon with fresh milk and kefir back in the refrigerator for no more than a week. Remove the milk/kefir jug to the counter and let sit for approx. 12-24 hours, stir. If nice and thick then strain, bottle and refrigerate and start the process over again. 7. Only one person drinks the kefir in my house and I drink about 6-8 oz. per day but I also use it to make waffles and pancakes for two, salad dressings, ice cream, smoothies and anywhere I can substitute the kefir for regular milk or buttermilk. Kefir doesn't work well in scrambled eggs because it has a tendency to curdle and separate when cooking. Remember also that if you use heat you are probably killing the live bacteria in the milk. Mostly the texture will remain the same, except the cooked eggs, but otherwise I avoid putting the kefir milk in things that will be baked or cooked on the stove. This method of cycling of the fermentation process has worked out great for me so take from it what works for you, how many people in your home and how much you drink or use the kefir.

I ordered this product through Amazon and noticed that MrandMrsKefir shipped the grains in only a couple of days. They arrived by US Postal Service on the 2nd of the month, a full 3 days earlier than the earliest expected date of delivery I was given when I submitted the order. It was properly packaged and in good condition. I noticed about 2 teaspoons of kefir grains in the small plastic screw top container they came in. I immediately placed them in a clean pint size canning jar, added 1/2 cup room temperature whole milk, covered the jar with a piece of paper towel secured with a large rubber band and let it sit for 8 hours. I then stirred it up, added another 1/2 cup of the milk, let it culture another 8 hours and then used a nylon sieve (strainer) to discard the first batch of the fermented milk and recapture the kefir grains. I have used a clean quart size canning jar for each subsequent culture, covered as before with a fresh piece of paper towel. I started out using whole milk, then switched to 2% milk after 2 days, then switched to 1% milk after another 2 days. I have been very happy with the kefir that is produced by these marvelous kefir grains, and (other than the flavor from various fat contents) have noticed no difference in quality of the kefir produced by any of these types of milk. I am now using pasteurized 1% non-organic milk to culture the kefir using the kefir grains and am still very happy with the product. I did take the time before ordering the kefir grains to read a fair bit about kefir, kefir milk grains, kefir water grains (a very different product) and kefir powdered culture. I also read a fair bit about how to treat the kefir grains once received, and how to subsequently culture the kefir using the kefir grains. I really recommend doing some reading before the first time you try to culture kefir using kefir grains, as it will certainly make you more confident in handling them, and less likely to make an inadvertent mistake. I did have a small question about the milk kefir grains once I had been culturing with them for about 5 days, sent an e-mail off to the provider, MrandMrsKefir, and was delighted at the prompt and helpful reply I received. If I ever need to purchase milk kefir grains again, I will most definitely order from this Amazon provider again.

This product works and makes yummy kefir but I wasn't impressed with the presentation or amount. The amount of kefir you receive is very minimal. I think the listing says one tablespoon but it is more like a teaspoon or less. It comes in a plastic baggie that is sealed and then folded over and taped. I was worried because it arrived on a weekend and stayed in the hot mailbox for two days as I was out of town. When I got home I added it to milk, covered the top with a cheesecloth and tied a rubber band around it, and left on the counter for 3-4 days before the milk fermented to kefir. But it worked!! It has started to produce more kefir grains so it is fermented in about 2-3 days now. I can't wait until I get a glass every day to drink. My favorite recipe is kefir mixed with a teaspoon of matcha green tea and some honey drizzled on it, YUM! It gives me energy, tastes great, and has both the benefits of kefir and matcha combined. UPDATE-I bought this again because I let the first one die from leaving in the refrigerator for too long. It now comes in a small plastic container, its about the same amount but nicer presentation for sure. The new container appeared to have suffocated the grains and they didn't work this time.

I had some difficulty getting these little guys (or gals as the case may be) to jump start, but it was me, not the product. Beginning with the second culture, I was having issues with a bluish color tainting the kefir after about 16 hours of culturing. I contacted Mr. & Mrs. Kefir and after troubleshooting, they sent me replacement grains (By the way, their quick and customer-oriented response gets high marks in my book). Unfortunately, I experienced the same issue with the replacement grains so I wondered if it was the milk I was using (plain ole 2% pasteurized milk from the grocery store). I moved to regular whole milk and continued to get the same results. I had read on multiple forums that it wasn't necessary to clean the culturing vessel between cultures, but decided that I should try to clean the culturing vessel (a quart sized mason jar) and start over. This time, no bluish taint to the culture. After 20 or so hours, I strained the grains from the kefir and started a new batch using a clean vessel and again, no bluish taint. Eureka! I'd found the problem. After about a week of daily straining and adding the grains to fresh milk in a clean vessel, I was enjoying high-quality kefir. Now, after more than a month of regular use, I have about 1/2 cup or more of strong, healthy grains and I no longer need to clean my culturing vessel after every use (I clean it about once a week). The grains are growing quite fast and I'm making about 1/2 gallon of kefir every day; plenty for my family's usage needs. I now need to know what to do with all the excess grains I'm cultivating since it takes about 1 tablespoon to culture a quart of milk.

I have used these grains for 4 months and I wanted to give an update. I am upping the overall rating to 5 stars. The grains are amazing. I use 1/2 a teaspoon for 2 cups of whole milk. This takes about 22 hours to ferment at roughly 70 degrees. It goes faster when it is warmer, so I have been fermenting in my storage room. Sometimes, I drop it down to 1/4 teaspoon to slow it down to 24 hours, but I like 1/2 a teaspoon best. I have a daughter that does not like a yeasty taste so I slow down the ferment as much as I can to reduce the yeast. Originally, I added a lactase drop after the ferment because my wife is lactose intolerant. I have found that is unnecessary as long as I let the fermented kefir sit in my fridge for a day or two. My wife has no problems now and I no longer use lactase. Original review: I purchased live milk kefir grains. They were delivered from MrAndMsrsKefi. I received a little plastic vial with the grains and a small muslin bag. I haven't used the bag. I have been very happy with the grains, though it took over a week to get them activated. I received 4 or 5 fairly large grains. I measured the grains after I had them a few days before they were very active and I had two teaspoons. I'm not sure if that is the amount I received. Two and a half weeks later, I have more than 4 teaspoons worth and I'm having to slow them down. The grains were in the mail 4 days from Michigan. I keep my house fairly cool, 68 degrees during the day and 65 degrees at night. The grains were pretty inactive during the first week. I use whole milk and changed it every day. I contacted MrAndMrsKefir because I was concerned. They quickly responded to my emails, even one I sent in the evening. Mr. Kefir stated that they guarantee the product and asked if I wanted to process a return. Because I was impressed with their response, I decided to try another week. A day later (one week total), I got a decent cup of kefir after 36 hours of fermenting with the grains, plus 15 hours of a second ferment without the grains. Then I decided to set my kefir glass container on my DVR, which warmed up the container. Once I did that, the grains went crazy and I had kefir within 20 hours every day. After 2.5 weeks total, I no longer warm up the container and my house is still at 68 degrees, but 4 cups of kefir is finishing within 15 hours every day. So I have started using refrigeration and removing grains to slow them down. I always use a plastic spoon, but I use a stainless steel strainer. I have been fermenting until the curds start to thicken. I still have a lot of experimenting to do. Because the kefir is thick when I strain the grains, I work them over pretty good as I stir to get the kefir through the strainer. This keeps the individual grains smaller than the original ones I received, but they seem healthy. My suggestion is to be patient, especially if your house is cool. A warming pad may be useful at first, but the grains are amazing once they are totally activated. I love these grains from MrAndMrsKefir. There was a decent page of instructions that came with the grains.

Cultures were shipped quickly, and were still active when recieved. Started with ~10g and after about a week, they had more than quadrupled with daily milk changes scaling from 250 - 500 mL. Very vigorous and consistent growth using pasturized milk. Excellent info sheet shipped with grains. Overall a much more positive experience when compared with similar sellers!