Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure

[cmharris6002]

This is how I make my kefir,

First place grains into a clean jar -do not rinse them first the thick kefir surrounding them gets fermentation going quicker.

Then fill a quart jar 3/4 with cold goat milk (I use goat milk but I hear store milk works just as well too)

Leave the jar with milk and grains at room Temp for 24-36 hours -occasionally shake jar, loosen lid to let gas escape then tighten again. The milk will thicken into a yogurt like consistency, this will be a mild kefir. If you wait until there is whey separation the kefir will be tangy, zesty and fizzy.

Now it is time to strain the kefir into clean jar. I use a green fish net (you are not supposed to use a metal strainer as it can weaken your grains). I set the fish net over the mouth of a clean jar and pour the fermented kefir through the net. If you have whey separation, shake or stir then pour it through the net. You will need a spoon to stir the kefir and help it drain. When it is strained you will have grains in your net to start the next batch and a jar of yummy bubbly kefir.

Now you just go back and repeat the process.

Does this help?

Christy

ETA: To make cheese, let the strained kefir sit in the fridge a few days then drain in cheesecloth like labneh.  For more info check out Dom's Kefir InSite http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefir_cheese.html

[DeejayDebi]

Thanks yoy Christy. That helps with making them but what do you use the grain for once you have made them?

[cmharris6002]

You have to save the grains to make more kefir. The grains are the culture. If you want to take a break from your kefir you can pour milk over the grains and put it in the frigde until you want to make it again. I have left them for months, and got them active again with no problem.

Christy

[DeejayDebi]

Ah I think I just figured out what I didn't understand ... the grains are not THE kefir, they are used to MAKE kefer, which is the milk shake stuff?

Kind of like reculturing yogurt?

[cmharris6002]

Yep!! Now you've got it :)

[DeejayDebi]

Thank you for your patients I knew I was missing something but I could see the trees for the forrest.  ;D

[Freeholder]

I guess I'm bumping an old thread, but wanted to add another way of separating the kefir grains from the kefir.  I make pretty good quantities of kefir at a time -- sometimes I've had batches of as many as ten quart jars going at once.  So far the most efficient way I've found of dealing with it is this:  I take a SS mixing bowl and a plastic colander which fits in the mixing bowl -- resting on the rim so it isn't all the way down in.  I also need a saucer and a rubber spatula.  I line up the jars of kefir on one side of the bowl and the jars of new milk on the other side, and open all of them.  Then I pour a jar of kefir in the colander, lifting the colander and shaking it a bit to get most of the kefir through the holes and into the bowl.  Use the spatula to get the rest of the kefir to go down (usually need to scrape the thick stuff off the bottom of the colander, too).  Now use the spatula to get the grains out of the colander and into one of the jars of milk; put lid on milk and remove it to the area on the counter reserved for kefir jars.  Pour the kefir from the bowl back into it's jar, cap, and put in frig.  Repeat with next jars until done.  The saucer is there to put the spatula down on between uses.  I've tried a lot of things in the years I've been making kefir, and this is the best one I've found yet.

Kathleen

[vogironface]

all right, take pity on the masses of the ignorant (me).  I hear you talking about grains and I think of wheat or barley but something tells me this isn't quite right.  Could someone please explain to me what exactly a grain is?  The kefir I buy in the store does not have anything that resembles a grain in it.  Can I use it to start some kefir or are the mysterious grains a necessity?  Compose your response as though I know nothing about kefir and you will not be far from the mark.   ;)

[mtncheesemaker]

Hi Ben;
Kefir grains are the "mother" to make the fermented product. They are best described as little cauliflower buds.
You place them in milk like Christy describes and they ferment the milk. They are reuseable and will "grow" over time. You can't make Kefir from store bought stuff as it doesn't have the grains and the dry powder starter you can buy isn't the same.
I see you are in Utah. I'm in W Colorado and would be happy to send you some grains.
Pam

[Gürkan Yeniçeri]

I have some pictures here in this album for Kefir on my Facebook Home Cheese Makers group.

[Mateo]

We can make a kefir cheese semi-hard?

if add femented milk by kefir in jar and put it before put rennet in milk at 33º

can u get a semi-hard cheese?

anyone are trying it?

i did some ,with lemon i got hard cheese after press

with vinager i got soft cheese i put just 1/2 cup of appple vinegar


if i leave the kefir for 50 hour , can i use it for coagunlat?
even put after in 40º to 45º to get cultures , is posible that?
lol , i can try?

[ooptec]

hey,

Kinda a late reply but interesting (to me, as got into cheesemaking from kefir) and shows up in recent stuff anyways. Kefir is pretty versatile stuff, yogurt, soft and hard cheese, leavening agent in baking (sourdough kinda thing). And as far as a culture that is easy to keep/propagate in 'off grid' situation.

I have been making hard cheeses (cheddar style) using kefir as the culture and works well.

Also after making ricotta I will hang it overnight to drain well, then mixing in some salt and a 1/4C Kefir per 1lb ricotta and then pressing. Aged one week in a vacuum bag @ room temp. Very nice end product. The bag goes from vacuum to soft-pouffy. Better 1/2 and myself had the same instant thought as sampled it for the first time and that was would make a interesting brined/feta like cheese. So that's next.



KEFIR GRAINS (CULTURE)

cheers

[DeejayDebi]

Someone here ... Boofer maybe made a kefir cheese a few years back. Maybe it was Christy? I never did get around to trying this.

[StinkyCheese]

I thought I'd ask my kefir making question on this post, sorry if it is not a good place for it...

I wanted to know if anyone rinses their grains, and how often?  I did not rinse mine for the first month, and a very off taste has developed in the kefir (strong goat acid after-taste, like a strong chevre).  I rinsed the grains in spring water and it seems much better, though I've only made one batch since rinsing. 

Second batch just went in the incubator.  :)

Thanks for any advice about this!

[george]

Rinse away if it's working.   :)