Kefir Workshop Utah S Place

Kefir Workshop – Utah’s Place 8/25/2013

1. 2 types of kefir - Milk kefir - Water kefir

2. What is kefir? a. Milk kefir - Self-perpetuating, multilobular gelatinous mass consisting of LABs, Acetobacter and yeasts - Propagates when it consumes milk - Pearly white shells consist of proteins (soluble and insoluble), soluble polysaccharides, free amino acids, and some unknown ash substance - Kefiran – a polysaccharide, the sticky stuff on the grains which holds/binds the individual lobules together - Consists of over 40 beneficial yeasts and bacteria b. Water kefir - A type of a polysaccharide gum formed by the fermentation of sugars and consisting only of glucose - The polysaccharide gum is created by bacteria and yeasts - Translucent, firm, but very delicate! - Also consists of many bacteria and yeasts

3. Where does kefir come from a. Milk – from northern Caucus Mountains b. Water – some say from a cactus plant in Mexico, others say from Eurasia so I don’t know

4. Best places to get grains - Ebay - Local members of yahoo groups - Amazon - Cultures for health

5. 3 ways to receive milk kefir cultures - Fresh and fresh, but starved - Dried - Powder, but is synthetic and not self-perpetuating

6. Anaerobic Vs. Aerobic Fermentation - Both water kefir and milk kefir are prefer anaerobic fermentation which means that they do much better if during the fermentation process, they are kept away from oxygen. - The taste of your kefir will also be much more consistent when fermented anaerobically - Whereas, if you allow oxygen into your container, other bacteria and yeasts will also enter and will compete with the kefir for food and nutrients - Kefir is very hardy and will beat out the other bacteria, however, you’ll end up with a not-so- great-tasting end-product - Also, your kefir will not be well-fed - This happened to me at my old apartment because there were some mold spores in the air, my kefir suffered, but when I started fermenting anaerobically, they started to get healthier and healthier

7. Equipment a. Milk kefir i. Kefir ii. Container – glass is best - Ball or Kerr canning jars – most economical – though not the best because they are not air-tight, and therefore, not anaerobic, unless s processed using heat; kefir does not like heat too much – mesophilic (see below) - Fido jars – though not optimal for secondary fermentation because there is no way to release carbon dioxide which may cause your jar to explode harming yourself and/or your loved ones, and/or damaging your home - Pickl-it jars – expensive, but worth it because it gives you a consistent product and ensures an anaerobic environment - The Probiotic Jar –a bit more expensive than the Pickl-it; same system, but with better customer support - The Boss Pickler – similar to Pickl-it and The Probiotic Jar, except it has a waterless air-lock – oooooh!; around the same price - DIY – Do-it-Yourself – it’s possible to buy a Fido jar, a grommet, and an air-lock system and drill a hole on the Fido lid and make your own anaerobic system iii. Strainer - Plastic/Nylon mesh strainer best - Costs between $3-$7 online - Kefir will be harmed by any metal that isn’t stainless steel - You can’t really ensure that what you buy is stainless steel so it’s best to stay away - If you don’t have a nylon/plastic strainer, then it’s okay to use a “stainless steel” strainer lined with cheese cloth or something like that iv. Glass or plastic bowl for harvesting v. Plastic or wood spoon or something to stir with vi. Size a. Milk - Depends on the amount of kefir grains you have - General ratio is 1:32, for every oz of milk kefir you want 32 oz of milk - That’s 2 Tbsp to 4 cups - 1 tsp to a little over 5 oz b. Water - a little more complicated - It’s about 1:16 - But sugar and minerals must be accounted for (see below)

8. Culturing process – Milk Kefir a. Cleanliness - Make sure all equipment is super clean to reduce the amount of wandering bacteria introduced to your batch - Wash hands before beginning - Be as far away from other ferments and the garbage can as possible b. Mesophilic bacteria and yeast - Kefir likes room temperature – between 65 and 80 degrees - So, it would be best if milk wasn’t too cold, maybe leave it out for a few minutes before you start - Also, no need to heat milk like with many yoghurts c. All types of milk - Must be fresh - Kefir can be made with dairy, coconut, soy, nut, and rice milk - Any fat content in milk is okay – skim, heavy cream, whole milk – all okay - Raw, homogenized, pasteurized okay d. Afraid of light - No direct sunlight when making and storing the milk - In fact, hide it from any light by covering the container with a dish towel – do not cover the airlock if you are using an anaerobic system e. Best Place to store to ferment - A kitchen cabinet you don’t use too often f. When it’s really hot – above 80⁰ - In my opinion, it’s best not to ferment because the grains will be agitated. - The heat will cause them to be hyper-active, which they don’t like too much - Your milk will ferment too quickly and will within a few hours will separate into whey and curds - Bad tasting end product, though some people like it - If you do want to make kefir, I’ve found that making it in the basement or slow fermentation in the fridge works g. How you know it’s good and done i. Coagulation vs. separation - When the milk thickens and coagulates, it’s done - I’ve found that I like it when the milk just begins to separate, but hasn’t fully separated - Once the milk has separated into curds and whey, you’ve gone too far - Also, this is not good for the grains because it stresses them out and may kill them ii. Taste – thick, effervescent, slightly sour milk on your tongue h. Secondary Fermentation - Awesome way to boost vitamin content of kefir - A way to add flavor to kefir while transferring vitamin content of fruits, herbs and spices to kefir - Must be done after removing the grains - Increases alcohol content to 2% - Can be savory or sweet - Airlock systems BEST for this – during secondary fermentation, containers have been known to explode because of built up carbon dioxide, so it is good to have a system that allows the carbon dioxide to escape while the alcohol content of the beverage safely builds up - Directions below i. Ripening - Similar to secondary but without flavoring - Boosts vitamin content of beverage

9. Culturing Process – Water Kefir a. Cleanliness b. Mesophilic bacteria and yeast c. Food plus nutrients - Unlike milk kefir, water kefir needs water + sugar + nutrients to thrive and give you great tasting end product - Water must be chlorine-free - Sugar is best if not GMO - minimally processed if possible though not necessary d. Best sources of nutrients - Egg shells – pasture-raised if possible, but locally-grown, cage-free works well too - Blackstrap molasses - Some people say baking soda, but I’ve never tried it e. Best Place to store f. Afraid of light g. When it’s really hot – above 80⁰ h. How you know it’s good and done - 48 hrs is best, but it depends on taste - 24-72 hrs - More than 48 hrs and you will get a more vinegary taste and possibly harm your grains - Less than 48 hrs and the grains won’t metabolize enough of the sugars to make the kefir beverage very nutrient dense - So taste your beverage to see what suits you best i. Secondary Fermentation

10. Keeping your kefir happy and how to know they are a. Milk – change the milk regularly j. If in the fridge – every 7 days ii. If on the counter – every 2 days b. Water Kefir – food and nutrients & change sugar water regularly i. If on the counter – every 2-3 days ii. If in the fridge – every 7 days iii. Sugar + water + nutrients

11. Storing Kefir for long periods a. Up to 2 weeks – fridge b. 2 months – frozen c. Longer – though not recommended – dry it out

12. Resources - Cultures For Health - http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html - [email protected] - Anaerobic Fermentation Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/394264567301079/ - Good Kefir Grains Yahoo Group Instructions - Milk Kefir

Utensils 1 Pint Jar w/ or w/o airlock Nylon Strainer Plastic/Wooden Spoon Second jar for ripening, second ferment, and serving 4 cups milk 2 TBS kefir grains

1. Pour milk into jar 2. Add Kefir grains 3. Stir with spoon 4. Seal jar - Not airtight if using an aerobic system - Airtight if using an anaerobic system 5. Stir or shake every 6-8 hours

Harvesting 6. Strain milk through strainer or cheese cloth 7. Wash jar and lid 8. Repeat