What is Water Kefir?
Water kefir is a living culture commonly referred to as “grains” which are made up of beneficial bacteria and yeasts. The grains are added to a sugar water solution which then begin feeding on the sugars and minerals in the water, fermenting the solution, creating a healthy probiotic beverage. Drinking this fermented beverage can help promote better gut health that can also lead to increased immunity and better overall health.
What You’ll Need To Get Started
- 1/4 cup of sugar. Any type of sugar will work, but natural raw sugars like sucanat and turbinado are better options because of the minerals they contain.
- Mineral supply, choose only one of the following, however, you can rotate between choices every few brewing cycles.
- a tablespoon of molasses
- a pinch of sea salt
- a pinch of baking soda
- one cleaned eggshell
- one squirt of liquid trace minerals
- a couple raisins
- one squirt of liquid trace minerals
- one cleaned eggshell
- a pinch of baking soda
- a pinch of sea salt
- a tablespoon of molasses
- One quart natural spring or filtered water. Boiled and cooled tap water can also be used. Caution: Some city water can be harmful to water kefir grains; therefore, we do not recommend using it.
- One 1-quart jar
- A coffee filter or cheesecloth to cover jar
- A rubber band
- A non-metal fine-mesh strainer, metal will hurt the water kefir grains.
Brewing Your Water Kefir
Start by adding the water, sugar, and mineral supply to a saucepan and heat slightly. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved, then allow water to cool to room temperature. Note: Never add kefir grains to hot water, hot water can kill the grains.
Once the water has cooled, empty the entire contents of your water kefir package into a clean 1-quart mason jar, making sure to get all the grains and liquid from the package. Fill jar to about 2 inches from top with your sugar water solution. Cover jar with coffee filter or cheesecloth and secure with rubber band.
Put jar somewhere warm with light, but not in direct sunlight. Ideally they should be somewhere that is 78-82 degrees Fahrenheit, though they will still grow a little slower in cooler temperatures. A north-facing window is a good place to give the grains plenty of light and warmth without direct sunlight. Some people even put their water kefir grains in the oven with the oven light on, just be sure to take the jar out before turning the oven on when cooking.
Leave the jar there for 48 hours, you can gently stir with a wooden spoon after 24 hours but it is not necessary.
After 48 hours, using a non-metal fine-mesh strainer, strain out the liquid into a clean container and add the grains in to a fresh sugar water solution. The strained liquid is ready to drink as is, although most people enjoy the taste better after it has been chilled for a few hours. You can also add in pieces of fruit or a splash of juice for flavor and do a second ferment for a fizzier, flavored drink.
Repeat the process every 48 hours for an endless supply of healthy probiotic beverages. Over time your grains will grow and multiply. You can take the extra grains out and eat them (they are very nutritious) or add them to smoothies, or give them to friends and family so they can enjoy their own fermented drinks. You can also store your grains in the sugar water in the fridge for up to 7 days to slow their growth, just be sure to change their sugar water every 7 days to keep them alive and healthy.
Important Note: We ship our live water kefir grains in a small amount of sugar water to keep them alive and active. The grains are double bagged to prevent leakage, package may be slightly ballooned due to the gases created in fermentation. Keep in mind that the grains may go in to a hibernation cycle during shipping and may take a couple of brewing cycles to become fully active. You’ll know if they are not active if your sugar water is still sugary sweet and not fermented after 48 hours. Just start a new cycle in fresh sugar solution and pour the unfermented liquid down the drain.