Ask Allie!
Ask Allie is our advice column, where you can ask all your food-related questions to get digestible answers! No question is off limits!
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I am currently 3 days in starting my new milk kefir grains. All seems well but the grains are floating on top of the milk. Is that okay? They are increasing in size (or looks as if they are) and it smells very mild :) A bit yeasty but very nice (but I like the smell of yeast lol) Saving “used” milk for baking, etc. I’m new to the world of culturing and fermentation and loving so far! Thank you for your help!
— Tammy
Yep, floating grains is normal! Sometimes they won’t float, but I always find that weird because floating is the standard. I’m glad you’re enjoying them – welcome to the world of fermentation! It’s so much fun, and gives a lot of opportunities for creativity!
Hi there, if I can’t make yogurt in 5-7 days from the new culture, how should I store it? Can it be frozen? Also, we make our yogurt a gallon at a time. Is one cup of starter the right amount for this volume? Thanks!
— Kristi
Can be frozen, yes, and will act the same as fresh for reculturing purposes.
No, you should not do batches larger than half a gallon, because they tend to not set properly. So it’s yes to the 1c, but no to doing it all together in a single container.
I just received my order, Japanese Caspian culture. Can I use 2% fat milk or lactaid milk to activate culture?
— Soojin
Yes. You really can use any mammal milk, but 2% cow will produce a thinner curd in your yogurt than whole will. Lactaid is also fine, because lactose isn’t actually removed from lactose-free milk. They instead add lactase to it, which is the enzyme people with lactose intolerance don’t produce or don’t produce in sufficient quantity.
