Activating the Culture: Milk Kefir
You just can’t mess it up!
This is really easy. Place milk kefir grains in milk, wait 24 hours (you’ll know they’re done when you see little pea-sized bubbles on the bottom), strain, place milk kefir grains in fresh milk. Rinse (not the milk kefir grains) and repeat FOREVER. If you have not yet invested in your very own milk kefir grains you can get them here. We currently have 5 varieties and offer them either fresh or dehydrated, though if you want a specific strain you’ll need to put a note in your order form. Otherwise, you get the best of the best with combo grains! Getting your milk kefir grains off on the right foot depends on whether they are fresh or dried. Below are the activation instructions for both.
Whether you have dried or fresh grains, make sure you read all the notes at the end of the page
Should you have any problems with your milk kefir grains, please email us prior to throwing the milk kefir grains away.
We can probably help you save them.
Activating the Culture
What You Will Need
Pint Sized Mason Jar
1 Cup Milk
Milk Kefir Grains
Breathable cover or lid
Rubber band
Fine mesh strainer (plastic, nylon, or stainless steel.)
Spoon (We like the silicone bendy spatulas that are one solid piece, as they do not have any crevices that can potentially harbor bacteria. For this same reason, we like wood-handled silicone spatulas that you can take apart to wash)
Glass bowl or another jar for your finished strained milk kefir
As soon as you receive your fresh milk kefir grains, it’s very important that you feed them right away. They will be stressed out and hungry from the shipping process. Think of it as being jet lagged, where you need a meal and your bed to get going again. If you do not have time to feed them immediately, freeze them instead.
Let’s Begin!
Place the fresh milk kefir grains into a clean glass jar. At this point, you do not need a very big jar. Just something that can hold about one cup of milk comfortably.
Next, add 1 cup of milk and stir gently.
Now, cover the jar with a breathable cloth like a coffee filter or similar. If you are using a fermenting jar (like Fido), make sure to install the gasket around the lid and secure the wire bail. What we like about these jars is the fact they off-gas any excess carbon dioxide. There really isn’t a need to burp these.
**Do not use cheese cloth. It is nowhere near tight weave enough to keep out fruit flies. Trust us. Those pesky critters will burrow down into the cheese cloth straight into the jar contaminating your milk kefir grains. It’s ridiculous getting rid of the fruit flies once you get them, and even worse if you have houseplants.
Let ferment for a full 24 hours at room temperature between 70-78 degrees Fahrenheit.
After 24 hours go ahead and place your strainer over a bowl and pour the milk and grains into the strainer. It’s okay if the milk didn’t thicken. Check out the notes below, and keep going!
Pour the milk and grains into the strainer and gently move the liquid around with the spoon, a small silicone strainer, or you (very clean!) fingers until all you are left with are the grains. You probably won’t be eating those first batches as is (see notes below). Somewhere around the 5th or 6th batch, be brave and take a whiff: let your nose be your guide!
Now, scoop the grains back into the same jar and pour one cup of milk over the grains. It’s better to leave the jar a bit dirty with milk kefir to help lower the PH of the next batch. This helps deter mold, even though you’d think it’d be the opposite.
Cover and let ferment for 24 hours.
You are going to repeat these steps for a few days until the grains have fully recovered and have acclimated to their new environment. This can take anywhere from 7-10 days. You know they are getting there when they are kefir-ing (thickening) the milk in 24 hours.
Don’t stop reading! Now, on to the activation instructions for dehydrated milk kefir grains. If you do not need those instructions just skip over those and keep scrolling for the very simple guide to making regular batches of milk kefir.
Activating Dehydrated Milk Kefir Grains
Dehydrated milk kefir grains do not have to be activated right away. If you need to, you can pop them into the fridge until you are ready to start them. We recommend using them within 2-3 months. They’re usually viable longer if you dry them yourself and they haven’t been subject to temperature changes. The grains you receive will have been kept under refrigeration, then brought up to room temperature, because of the shipping process. So if you do not start them right away and decide to refrigerate them (another temp change) try to start them within that time frame for the viability of the milk kefir grains. Dehydrated milk kefir grains WILL take longer to activate. Patience is key here.
hat you will need:
2 Pint Sized Mason Jars
1/2 Cup Unchlorinated Water
1 Cup Milk
Dehydrated Milk Kefir Grains
Breathable cover (Coffee filters work great)
Rubber band
Fine mesh strainer (plastic, nylon, or stainless steel.)
Spoon (I like the silicone bendy spatulas that are one solid piece as they do not have any crevices that can potentially harbor bacteria.)
Glass bowl for your finished strained milk kefir
Let’s begin!
The first thing you will notice if you purchased your dehydrated milk kefir grains from us, is there is some dried milk powder surrounding the grains. Do not throw out the powder. Pour the grains and dried milk powder into a glass jar.
Pour the grains and dried milk powder into a glass jar and add a 1/2 cup non-chlorinated water, stir well, and cover with a breathable cover secured by a rubber band. If you are using a Fido jar make sure you installed the gasket, then close the lid, and secure the wire bail.
Let rehydrate for 1-2 hours.
Next strain and discard the now murky water from the grains and place the grains in a new jar, pour in 1 cup milk and stir. You do not want to put the grains back into the jar you rehydrated them in.
Cover with a coffee filter secured by a rubber band or simply close and secure the Fido jar.
Let ferment at room temperature between 70-78 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, go ahead and place your strainer over a bowl. Then pour the milk and grains into the strainer.
Pour the milk and grains into the strainer and gently move the liquid around with the spoon until all you are left with are the grains.
Now scoop the grains back into the same jar and pour one cup of milk over the grains. It’s better to leave the jar a bit dirty with milk kefir to help lower the PH of the next batch to deter mold. We know it should be the opposite, but it isn’t.
Cover and let ferment for 24 hours.
You are going to repeat these steps for a few days until the grains have fully recovered and have acclimated to their new environment. This can take anywhere from 7-10 days (possibly longer). You know they are getting there when they are kefir-ing (thickening) the milk in 24 hours. Dehydrated milk kefir grains usually are a bit discolored. This may go away after a few weeks, but in our experience, they usually do not go back to their beige/cream color after being dehydrated. Once the milk kefir grains start reproducing, the new milk kefir grains will have the beige/cream color.
Your re-hydrated grains may not start reproducing for a few weeks and some of the grains may never reproduce. As long as they are kefir-ing your milk, this usually isn’t a problem. You can tell the grains apart usually by their appearance. Healthy, reproducing milk kefir grains will be squishy, plump, and soft to the touch. Grains that will most likely not reproduce will look dull and have crusty bits stuck to them, Grains that still look dry and shriveled after a few weeks can be pick out and discarded.
Making Regular Batches of Milk Kefir
Place milk kefir grains in enough milk that they will ferment in a 24 hour period.
Ferment for 24 hours and strain using a fine mesh strainer to catch all your precious baby grains.
Place grains back into container and add milk.
Your ratio here is 1 tablespoon of grains per quart of fresh milk.
That is it!
This will take some trial and error. Every environment is different. If you notice that your milk kefir is fully fermented in under 24 hours, either remove a portion of grains or give them additional milk. You’ll know your milk is cultured when you see pea-sized whey bubbles in the jar. These usually are at the bottom of the jar, but they can be anywhere in the jar. If fully fermented, your kefir will separate into curds and whey.
Maintain your ratio of grains to milk once you find the sweet spot.
Notes
Metal strainers can tear your grains up, so be more gentle if you’re using one.
You can ferment your milk kefir in a Fido jar or other lidded jar. We prefer this. Sabrina uses a combinatoin of Fido and Wecks, and Allie is exclusively Weck. If you decide to go this route, you will not need the pint jar, breathable cover, or rubber band.
Do not use cheese cloth to cover your ar if you chose not to use a lid. It is nowhere near tight weave enough to keep out fruit flies. Trust us. Those pesky critters will burrow down into the cheese cloth straight into the jar. Coffee filters and a rubber band will work just fine.
OK - the milk has not thickened and the grains have done a whole lotta nothin! You’re probably thinking your grains are dead. Trust in the process and keep going. Whatever you do, don’t throw them out. We hear this so often. It’s always a tragic tale. The grains have done absolutely nothing for DAYS, so they get thrown out. We can hear their terrified little screams coming from the waste bin! Poor little guys. When in doubt……ASK.
Sometimes everything is fine and dandy after the first time. The trick here is to not sweat the small stuff, and in the early days with a culture it’s usually small stuff.
Often, the first few batches will smell and taste nasty. The grains can be quite yeasty/cheesy early in the recovery process, similarly to how you might feel after a nasty hangover. Sometime around the 3th or 6th batch (possibly longer) be brave, take a whiff, and let your nose be your guide. The milk from these batches can either be used in foods like bread dough or mashed potatoes, tossed out, or fed to pets. Dogs love milk kefir. We always say, if you haven’t seen a mastiff with a kefir mustache you have not lived! Allie always uses these batches for mashed potatoes, because the funkier the culture, the more delicious the potatoes!
Start dogs with 1 tablespoon per day, cats with 1/2 teaspoon. They’ll remind you on the days you forget to them their kefir - don’t worry!
Extra Resources
Help?! My milk kefir has been colonized by viili!
Fermentation and Seasonal Changes