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Kefir Milk

Started by sub82, March 23, 2016, 07:39:18 PM

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Will_D

So after another 24 hours there was certainly the "slimy mess". Much thicker.

So poured off some for drinking and pitched more milk.

No sign of Scoby's though, I will let this run for a few days now as I believe that after some time you will get Kefir cream cheese or even a Kefir cheese?

I must say my "gut health" has improved a hell of a lot since experiment started!
Remember: The Nationals are just round the corner - time to get brewing

Eoin

Once you have the pedio style ropy slime then the scobys should be on the way.
The first phase of kefir tends to be a fizzy yoghurt, the next step, it starts to seperate out into kurds and you're getting into some more solid and very sour yoghurt, eventually as you say you will end up with something pretty solid and cheesy.

If you strain it through a sieve you should eventually start to catch the beady gelatinous grains and when they step up to sufficient numbers you'll have an overnight turnaround in your kefir production.

It certainly does have a good effect on the stomach and is great if you are lactose sensitive.

I tend to be on the kimchi and sauerkraut these days for my probiotic kick.

Beermonger

Was going to add something about how it develops over time, but Eoin said it all.

Kefir is mass produced in eastern Europe and sold in cartons; it's drinkable, but it's an industrialized version. Less diversity in the culture, pasteurized, probably no viable organisms in it, less taste, quite stable (it'll go bad but not develop). The same story as yoghurt, butter, buttermilk and all the rest.

You might succeed in making more of it by using it as a clabbering agent: just adding something more acidic to milk will cause it to change.

The real deal is lovely, but like all of these thing, you need to get into a rhythm with it. I think I found about 8 days enough to get from milk to the level of kefir I liked. The grains grow with each cycle, too, so there should be lots of free grains floating around.
Planning: DIPA, Kweik PA, Calibration Pale Ale
Putrifying: nothing
Pouring: Lovely Saison, Czech Lager, 1804 Porter
Past: Cashmere PA

Will_D

Quote from: Beermonger on April 01, 2016, 06:00:39 PM
Less diversity in the culture, pasteurized, probably no viable organisms in it,
But surely you can't sell a probiotic that's been pasteurised!
Remember: The Nationals are just round the corner - time to get brewing

Beermonger

No, but was the one you bought sold as a probiotic? In, e.g., Poland this stuff appears in every little shop and supermarket and most of it is pasteurized and not sold as a probiotic. Maybe we get the fancy stuff here!
Planning: DIPA, Kweik PA, Calibration Pale Ale
Putrifying: nothing
Pouring: Lovely Saison, Czech Lager, 1804 Porter
Past: Cashmere PA

googoomuck

Bought a small bottle in my local health food shop last week after reading this thread, also bought one in Tesco during the week. Health food shop one was Irish, definitely advertised as probiotic, Tesco one was Polish.  Huge difference between the two. When we are talking about gut health here, are we talking about blowing the trunks off yourself?! Eh a friend was wondering.....

Eoin

Quote from: googoomuck on April 01, 2016, 09:01:57 PM
Bought a small bottle in my local health food shop last week after reading this thread, also bought one in Tesco during the week. Health food shop one was Irish, definitely advertised as probiotic, Tesco one was Polish.  Huge difference between the two. When we are talking about gut health here, are we talking about blowing the trunks off yourself?! Eh a friend was wondering.....

Haha, we're really talking about just feeling good in the stomach department.

I presume if you had other issues that it would help you too.

If you were to take a course of antibiotics, kefir would be great to take alongside the pills to ensure that the balance remains, I often get a very sick stomach from antibiotics as it messes with the stomach so badly. Kefir seems to have a lot of the stuff that a healthy gut system needs so it's like regularly innoculating yourself to ensure your stomach cultures work well.

There's a great program on netflix called "cooked" by Michael Pollan which is not your average foody show, the 4th episode in the series is about fermented food and he covers this stuff nicely in it.
Highly recommended show by the way, it's more about the development of food with humans and for humans than a real foody show.

DEMPSEY

I was told that if you are on a course of antibiotic's that you should not take yogurt as it will neutralize the antibiotic but do take after the course is finished. :-\
Dei miscendarum discipulus
Forgive us our Hangovers as we forgive those who hangover against us

gazz

Antibiotics kill all the biotics hence why you should take pro biotics afterwards

googoomuck

@Eoin my "friend" must have had something else going on that day cause he has drank some since and experienced no I'll effects.... Watched that episode of "cooked", really good show. Gonna catch up the rest over the week. If I were to make kefir, how long do the grains last? Say if I made a batch this week how long do the grains last and how are they stored when not making kefir?

Eoin

The grains last for ages. Once you're making kefir once a month you're good. Just feed it a bit of milk now and again, a bit like a sourdough starter with less maintenance.

googoomuck

Quote from: gazz on March 31, 2016, 02:58:58 PM
Have a few starters spare if anyone wants em, send me Addy and I'll post out
I'll take you up on that offer please gazz.

gazz

Quote from: googoomuck on April 04, 2016, 01:59:36 PM
@Eoin my "friend" must have had something else going on that day cause he has drank some since and experienced no I'll effects.... Watched that episode of "cooked", really good show. Gonna catch up the rest over the week. If I were to make kefir, how long do the grains last? Say if I made a batch this week how long do the grains last and how are they stored when not making kefir?

If you want to slow down the kefir you just put it in the fridge in milk, can last weeks..When you get your kefir multiplying freeze some grains then if anything happens to your culture you have a backup.

googoomuck

Quote from: gazz on April 05, 2016, 01:33:30 PM
Quote from: googoomuck on April 04, 2016, 01:59:36 PM
@Eoin my "friend" must have had something else going on that day cause he has drank some since and experienced no I'll effects.... Watched that episode of "cooked", really good show. Gonna catch up the rest over the week. If I were to make kefir, how long do the grains last? Say if I made a batch this week how long do the grains last and how are they stored when not making kefir?

If you want to slow down the kefir you just put it in the fridge in milk, can last weeks..When you get your kefir multiplying freeze some grains then if anything happens to your culture you have a backup.
Cool, I've just replied to your message, thanks again!

irish_goat

I picked up a bottle of Polish Kefir yesterday in Tesco. Initial taste wasn't great but I got used to it after a gulp or two and was looking forward to finishing the bottle today. Going to take a run over to the Polish shop and see if they've any grains there.