WATER KEFIR GRAINS

colossus-x wrote: »

Hi,

From what I have read ( and I'm new to this ) your drink if full of vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins and minerals are an essential part of everyone's diet.

As far as I am aware vitamins and minerals don't have an 'restorative' properties unless one had been deficient in them for some time.

Therefore I'd suggest readers eat a balanced diet and not bother with this 'pro-biotic' drink.

Healthy diet really is not rocket science.

andreas_220D wrote: »

Hi, we are making organic water kefir for quite a while at home. As the grains grow constantly (they nearly double with each batch ) we have enough grains to pass on every two days. So everyone who is interested just drop me a line. We live in Dublin - Clontarf. If you cannot collect them I am also happy to post them out to you if you cover the postage.

This is by the way the information I passed on to everybody I gave the water kefir grains. You might find it just as informative as Kate's info, which is already pretty good.

Water Kefir Instructions

The most important things first:

1. Never use Metal utensils because this would kill the Kefir grains. Use spoons, sieve or container made of Plastic, Wood or Glass instead!

2. Don’t use chlorinated or fluoridated water. These are deadly poisons and will also kill the Kefir grains.
Ireland’s tap water is badly fluoridated. Use filtered (no Britta filters!) water or still bottled water instead. (e.g. Carrick Glen Water from LIDL. It’s cheap and contains lots of calcium.)
A little note: Ireland’s fluoridated tap water quickly kills the Kefir grains. For more information see: www.fluoridefreewater.ie

3. The Kefir needs calcium for growth, e.g. VOLVIC water is therefore not recommended as it is very low in calcium and the Kefir grains will not continue to grow, eventually they will just grow old and die after a period of time)


All You Need:

1 clean jar (1 ½ litre jar with a lid, e.g. KILNER glass jar)
1 plastic spoon
1 plastic sieve

1 L Water
3 TbSp Sugar
1 TbSp Raisins(or one dried fig, apricot etc.)
½ organic (pesticide free) peeled lemon (or clean juice of it) – This is an alternative. If you don’t like the bitter taste just don’t use the peeled lemon.

3 TbSp of Water Kefir Grains


Preparation:

Put the water into the jar.
Dissolve the sugar in the water.
Add the raisons and the peeled lemon slice.
Add the Water Kefir grains, stir using a plastic spoon.
Close the glass and let it brew in a dark and warm place. (E.g. warm water cupboard, airing cupboard would be a very good choice) Water Kefir grains like temperatures between 20-25 Degrees Celsius best, but not more than 30 Degrees and no lower than 5 Degrees) The higher the temperature the quicker the fermentation process.

Check and stir after 24 hours.

The Water Kefir is done at 48 hours.
Strain the grains out using the plastic sieve, discard any fruit and store the now finished and bottled Water Kefir in the fridge in airtight bottles or jars.

What is Water Kefir?

Water Kefir grains are a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast held in a polymer created by the bacteria. Water Kefir grains feed off sugar to produce lactic acid, acetic acid, various other acids, and carbon dioxide.
By culturing sugar water using the water Kefir grains, you are creating a lacto-fermented drink. Lacto-fermentation is the process where lactobacilli (lactic acid producing bacteria) convert sugars or starches into lactic acid. Lactic acid is a natural preservative that prevents the growth of harmful bacteria. Used in traditional cultures to preserve foods, lacto-fermentation creates a food teeming with probiotics, good yeasts, and increased nutrient values. The synthesis of lactic acid and other acids often increases vitamin values, including vitamin C and various B vitamins.
Kefir provides dozens of beneficial bacteria and yeast strains that can benefit your body.

Growing the Kefir Grains

The water Kefir grains will grow better in a high-mineral environment. Using high mineral sweeteners such as sucanat, rapadura, or adding a bit of molasses to your brew will help your grains grow faster. E.g. if only sucanat, the grains double each batch. If your grains are not growing and you want them to, brew one or two rounds with only sucanat, rapadura, or with some added molasses. Some waters or juices are also high mineral and work well for growing your grains. Using still water high in calcium does the trick also.

Storing the Grains

When you are not making water Kefir, you can store your grains in a glass jar with anywhere from double to several times the amount of liquid as grains. Add one or two tbsps of sugar to feed the grains. You may store it at room temperature or in the fridge. If storing at room temperature, change out the liquid for new water and sugar every 2 to 3 days. If storing in the fridge, you can go up to a week or two. If storing in the fridge, the first brew that you make from the grains may take a bit longer since the bacteria and yeasts will take a while to become active again.

Alcohol Content

Water Kefir can contain anywhere from 0.2 to 2% alcohol with a 48 hour fermentation. To put it into perspective, wine is usually 7 to 15% alcohol. The alcohol content in water Kefir varies widely depending on the type and amount of sweetener added, amount of grains, and fermentation time. A higher ratio of sugar will yield a more alcoholic drink, as will a shorter fermentation time. If you are alcohol sensitive, I would recommend using less Kefir grain to sugar water ratio and doing a longer brew, tasting periodically.

What do I do with my extra grains?

• Eat them! They are a great source of probiotics!
• Give them away. Give a tbsp or two to a friend so they can make their own healthful sodas and beverages. Lacto-fermented beverages aid in digestion, provide lots of good nutrients and enzymes, and are an excellent and inexpensive source of probiotics.
• Use them to make lacto-fermented vegetables like sauerkraut. You can use Kefir grains instead of whey to inoculate your lacto-fermented vegetables with good bacteria and yeast.
• Compost them. If your grains are taking over your fridge and counters like they do mine, throw them in your compost pile. The bacteria will happily help you munch away at your compost pile. Microbials are great for soil health too!

What do I do with overbrewed water Kefir?

Sometimes you let your water Kefir go too long and make water Kefir vinegar. If this happens, you can:
• Use the water Kefir vinegar as a cleaner. It smells great and works great – just place in a spray bottle and use on your counters.
• Use it as a hair rinse. If you’re doing “no poo” (no shampoo), water Kefir is great for rebalancing your hair PH after a baking soda wash.

More Information:

The origin of the water kefir crystals probably is Mexico. Water kefir crystals are also commonly referred to as water kefir grains. These crystals or grains are translucent with a firm, opaque texture. Water kefir crystals have been used to make water kefir for centuries. Hearsay has it that people who live in the Caucasus Mountains maintain optimal health and wellness by drinking water kefir and/or milk kefir on a daily basis.

Water kefir is considered to be even better then milk kefir and the effect is similar. Water kefir tastes very good and one becomes accustomed to looking forward to it everyday. Water kefir contains large amounts of lactic acid bacteria, yeast, vitamin B (very good tonic) and vitamin C – all of which help to balance the internal microflora.

Water Kefir fermented only 24 hours acts as a laxative. In the case of constipation, kefir should be taken at night for a period of 2 to 4 weeks. Water Kefir fermented 48 hours has a normalizing effect. Older kefir may retard bowel movement.

andreas_220D wrote: »

Yes, we have many of them at the moment. We live in Co. Wicklow, so posting would be an option. Send me a PM for details.

Anyone else who wants Water Kefir grains -> Pm me as well :-)