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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => FRESH LACTIC ACID COAGULATED - Normally No Whey Removed => Topic started by: cmharris6002 on September 13, 2009, 01:13:23 AM

Title: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: cmharris6002 on September 13, 2009, 01:13:23 AM
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 (http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefir_cheese.html)
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: DeejayDebi on September 13, 2009, 02:30:09 AM
Thanks yoy Christy. That helps with making them but what do you use the grain for once you have made them?
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: cmharris6002 on September 13, 2009, 02:37:17 AM
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
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: DeejayDebi on September 13, 2009, 02:57:07 AM
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?
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: cmharris6002 on September 13, 2009, 03:00:48 AM
Yep!! Now you've got it :)
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: DeejayDebi on September 13, 2009, 03:04:16 AM
Thank you for your patients I knew I was missing something but I could see the trees for the forrest.  ;D
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: Freeholder on December 26, 2009, 04:49:30 AM
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
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: vogironface on January 01, 2010, 06:42:11 AM
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.   ;)
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: mtncheesemaker on January 01, 2010, 04:18:42 PM
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
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: Gürkan Yeniçeri on January 03, 2010, 03:16:30 AM
I have some pictures here in this album (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=115254&id=146574334751) for Kefir on my Facebook Home Cheese Makers group.
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: Mateo on November 09, 2011, 12:28:17 AM
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?
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: ooptec on June 05, 2012, 06:14:42 PM
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.

(http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk265/ooptec/kefirgrains.jpg)

KEFIR GRAINS (CULTURE)

cheers
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: DeejayDebi on June 07, 2012, 12:50:43 AM
Someone here ... Boofer maybe made a kefir cheese a few years back. Maybe it was Christy? I never did get around to trying this.
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: StinkyCheese on August 01, 2012, 02:39:49 AM
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!
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: george on August 01, 2012, 09:55:33 AM
Rinse away if it's working.   :)
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: StinkyCheese on August 02, 2012, 10:39:31 PM
So far, so good.  Rinsing the grains has removed the strong goaty taste, and the kefir is not curdling nearly as much during secondary ferment.  :)  Can't wait to make a batch of lebneh with it (whenever I can stop drinking so much of it >:D).
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: Tiarella on October 13, 2012, 11:53:49 PM
I have a question for all you kefir folks.....I made a lot of kefir for years but then lost my grains when my goats were dry.  I had two different friends give me kefir grains but they both are producing kefir that has a fesh yeasty bread smell.  it's not unpleasant but it's so different than my other experience.  Any ideas about what's going on?  The kefir is tasty, the smell is good, just different......
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: george on October 14, 2012, 10:49:40 AM
Differences in how they did theirs, pretty much I think - different things grew more, others less, than what you were doing with your own.  I've actually done this myself with the same grains - usually when I didn't refresh that often during times when I wasn't using that much kefir.

Unlike you, however, I don't really like that strong yeastiness - I got rid of it by rinsing the grains between refreshes for a while (normally I don't bother to rinse, seems silly) - then they went back to what passes for normal for me.   ;)
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: Tiarella on October 14, 2012, 11:47:39 AM
Thanks MaryJ!  I have been washing them daily and like you that's not a normal part of care when I'm liking what I'm getting.  It's been a week of washing with no change but I'll keep at it and see.  Good to know it has happened to others and has changed around.  I was just flummoxed and didn't know what to think.  My cheeses don't seem to be contaminated by errant yeasties in the kitchen and the kefir jars are covered so I've just been puzzled.  Although the smell is not unpleasant to me, it's still not what I want my kefir to smell like.   Thanks.......   :)
Title: Re: Christy's Kefir Making Recipe-Procedure
Post by: Mighty Mouse on October 27, 2012, 08:00:55 PM
If the kefir is smelling and tasting super strong it might be that the cultures have grown too large and it is time to divide them. Personally, I do not like kefir that has a strong yeast taste to it. Light yeast is good for me, so I tend to keep my grains pretty small. I just divided my culture a week or so ago in fact. I was going to dry some out and keep as a dry backup.