Kefir Milk - Using As A Starter Culture

[Brentsbox]

I make Kefir milk from kefir grains and am wondering if the kefir milk can be used for any type of starter.  Has anybody ever tried this?

[KosherBaker]

Yes, I have. And it made an amazing Feta like cheese. At least to me it smelled like Feta. I had some Organic Store bought Kefir, without the grains obviously. So I took some Organic Store bought milk poured it into 3 empty 32 ounce yogurt containers and added about 5 - 10% Kefir to them. I left it on the kitchen counter for 3 days. The first two days it continued to look and smell like milk. However, on the third day, a beautiful curd was formed, I mean it was perfect. No need for further cooking or anything. So I pressed it and brined it and am enjoying it as Feta right now. It has that well developed Feta taste that is difficult to describe in words. Gamey perhaps?
In any even I really love it, and will certainly make it again.

[Miss Muffet]

Wouldn't that just be more kefir that you made?  I know when I have left the grains fermenting for too long I have got really thick curds and obviously separated whey.  I never really thought to do anything other than throw them out because they were quite sour.  Interesting that you pressed them 

I need to get some more kefir grains as I recently had some cream that was cultured using kefir.  OMG it was to die for.  You could try that if you have your own grains (and haven't tried it already!).  The woman that made it said that the cream was quite thin when she initially strained it but it thickened up into this beautiful scoopable consistency in the fridge. 

[KosherBaker]

Wouldn't that just be more kefir that you made? 

No. I'm pretty sure it was not Kefir I made. I think that to make Kefir one has to have the grains which I don't have. As I mentioned this was store bought Organic Kefir. Also as you know Kefir has a very thin consistency, normally, even thinner than buttermilk and certainly yogurt. Although it can be made thicker, but again you need grains. No these were curds, and they were floating on top of the crystal clear whey. Not only were they curds, they were strong enough to resemble curds that are "cooked" up to 85F - 90F temperature, even though they never saw heat. And the aroma was simply amazing. I think I will post this finding in the "LACTIC ACID COAGULATED - Normally No Whey Removed" forum and see what the experts think about this. I seem to remember LB talking about acid coagulation, so perhaps this was it. Am not sure, we'll see what they say.

[Miss Muffet]

Interesting.  I have only had kefir from grains but I can tell you that can get pretty thick if you leave it too long. 

[DeejayDebi]

Chrisy makes kefir from her goats milk. I believe there's a thread here somewhere about it and someone made cheeses just from kerfir grains.

[Boofer]

I make Kefir milk from kefir grains and am wondering if the kefir milk can be used for any type of starter.  Has anybody ever tried this?

I make my own kefir from grains, but I came across a commercial kefir that seemed to beg me to make it into a cheese.

So I did.

-Boofer-

[Brentsbox]

Dont stop there Boofer.  Tell us what you did.  Did you use it as a starter and mix it with milk?  Did you cook it?  What did you do?   How was it?   

[Boofer]

Dont stop there Boofer.  Tell us what you did.  Did you use it as a starter and mix it with milk?  Did you cook it?  What did you do?   How was it?   

Click the "So I did."

-Boofer-

[DeejayDebi]

I knew I read it somewhere - Sorry I forgot it was you sweetie! Brainfart!

[Boofer]

No problemo. Just trying to keep it fresh.

-Boofer-