Author Topic: Using Kefir as Thermophilic Starter  (Read 18286 times)

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Using Kefir as Thermophilic Starter
« Reply #15 on: February 18, 2012, 05:23:33 PM »
I am very impressed with your experiment and your explainations. Good job Gürkan!

I do believe that is worth another cheese!

Offline Gürkan Yeniçeri

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Re: Using Kefir as Thermophilic Starter
« Reply #16 on: February 19, 2012, 09:58:39 PM »
Thanks Debi  :D

Corina

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Re: Using Kefir as Thermophilic Starter
« Reply #17 on: February 20, 2012, 10:17:59 AM »
How long do you keep kefir at high temperatures before you empti the grains and repeat ?
The grains used for this heating, do you still use them for usual kefir-you have lost some bacteria in the process- or you keep another batch of grains for kefir making?

Offline Gürkan Yeniçeri

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Re: Using Kefir as Thermophilic Starter
« Reply #18 on: February 20, 2012, 10:29:45 PM »
Hi Corina,

I only use strained kefir (kefiran) for this process. Kefir grains (kefir gems) are not used in the yogurt maker. I wouldn't put them under that much of stress  ;)

Once you get a fairly thick kefir going at room temp, strain the gems and use only kefiran in your yogurt maker.

Corina

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Re: Using Kefir as Thermophilic Starter
« Reply #19 on: February 21, 2012, 06:20:41 AM »
Thank you.
I make kefir every day, had some stomach problems and it took care of those, so I will give it a try.

Annie

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Re: Using Kefir as Thermophilic Starter
« Reply #20 on: June 19, 2012, 02:12:11 PM »
Just wanted to say thanks for the information about what to do with the kefir to make it right for a cheese starter :D

I looked up making yogurt in a crockpot, and a lady said she did it.... she put a towel over the crockpot which had the yogurt mixture to the right temp, turned off the crockpot, and put a heavy towel over it. She turned the crock pot on a couple of times for 10 minutes during the 7 hours to maintain the heat.

So I will be trying two things at once :) (I am sooo tired of using a cooler and heating pad for making yogurt!)

Will return in a few days to let folks know how it all turns out!

TraditionalGoats

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Re: Using Kefir as Thermophilic Starter
« Reply #21 on: June 20, 2012, 05:22:45 AM »
I have extra grains if anyone needs any, they do well in raw or pasteurized milk.

I have made Tvorog and kefir cheese from the kefir.  We use Tvorog quite often in our cooking.  I didn't even think of using it as a starter culture in anything else. 

Tracy

Spellogue

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Re: Using Kefir as Thermophilic Starter
« Reply #22 on: September 14, 2012, 09:29:12 PM »
I make Kefir from grains regularly.  I usually only ferment it for 12 hrs.  Good stuff to drink straight, warm or cold, or used in fruit smoothies.  I often do secondary fermentations after the grains are removed too.   I tried it as a starter for lactic coagulated chevre twice. 

Once I cultured two quarts of goat milk with 1/3 cup buttermilk and 1/6 cup finished kefir.  at 80 degrees F for 18 hrs.  Then drained through buttermuslin for 18 hrs at room temp. salted. (failed to record amount of salt)  Formed into 2 logs and coated one with herbs.  My tasting notes are recorded as " excellent throughout.  became slightly lemony at 10 days.  Wonderful, firm, creamy at three weeks when last of it was eaten"

Next time I cultured 1 1/2  gal. goat milk with 1 1/2 pt 12 hr kefir and 1 1/2 pt 24 hr kefir  and 1/2 cup buttermilk.  85 deg F for 24 hours.  Drained 24 hrs.  mixed in 1 1/2 tbsp salt.  Rolled into 3 logs, left one plain, one with Greek spices, one with Sicilian spices.  tasting notes:  " a little tart at the outset.  cut kefir by more than half next time.  at 3 weeks far too sour.  edible, but not to enjoyable on its own.  ok on a salad."  I remember this one tasing like vinegar.

Fun experiments.  I would use kefiran as chevre adjunct culture again in the future, but in very small amounts, and I would eat it young.

idahoseashell

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Re: Using Kefir as Thermophilic Starter
« Reply #23 on: October 19, 2012, 05:23:59 AM »
I am puzzled why you used so much starter? Most of the recipes I have across call for 2 oz of starter per gallon of milk. It seems to me that using more would guarantee a very acidic cheese. In the first recipe you used approximately 4 oz  total of kefir and buttermilk in half a gallon which is 4 times more than I would think would be necessary but apparently it worked okay. But in the second recipe you used about 52 oz of kefir an buttermilk in a gallon and a half? You should only have needed 3 ozs. I have been using buttermilk to make cheese and it seems to acidify faster that the normal cultures so I was thinking I should be able to use less than 2 oz per gallon!
« Last Edit: October 19, 2012, 05:40:20 AM by idahoseashell »

Spellogue

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Re: Using Kefir as Thermophilic Starter
« Reply #24 on: October 20, 2012, 02:47:53 PM »
That was early on in my Cheesemaking endeavors.  Even from that last wxperiment I noted "cut back on the kefir". At that point I might still have been under the mindset of 'more is better'. I normally use commercial DVI starters now.  Next spring when milk is again plentiful I'll try using kefiran as a starter adjunct in some more chèvres.  I didn't always get what I deemed to be satisfactory results using just buttermilk.  I much preferred the cheeses I made using yogurt as a starter.  I haven't tried kefiran alone.

I just had a thought of trying to take advantage of the yeast in kefir as a rind treatment, as one would PLA. Perhaps I'll try diluting  with 3% brine and adding a pinch of geo to wash a rind sometime too.