Does Anyone Use Or Need Kefir Grains?

[simon43]

So I've just had my first attempt to make Kefir milk in Myanmar, and need some advice from the 'expert(s)'.

 

I bought a litre of fresh milk, put it in a glass container and added just under 1 tablespoon of my fresh kefir grains that I just bought in Bangkok.  I put a milk thermometer in the milk to monitor the temperature and then placed a cool bag around the container to keep the temperature cool during the night (I started to make this kefir around 8pm yesterday).

 

During the night, (with the air-con on), the temperature stayed around 22 degrees, and at 7am in the morning, there was a thin skin on the top of the milk.  I went to work and just got home around 4.30pm.

 

Without the air-con on during the day, the temperature in the container had risen to about 29 degrees, but there was a healthy 'sour' smell and 'tart' taste, and the skin was quite thick.

 

I poured the milk through a sieve and was able to collect about 3 times the amount of kefir

grains that I had put in the milk the evening before.

 

The milk has the consistancy of drinking yogurt, tastes 'tart/sour', (which I like), but importantly, there is no efervescence, which the kefir that I bought in Villa Market in Bangkok had.

 

Should I have left the milk longer to cultivate more?

 

I will make a new attempt tomorrow with a new batch of fresh milk (and maybe use some of the kefir grains that I got today).

 

I guess that the rise in temperature during the day is not helping.  I think I'll place the glass container with the milk in my fridge during the day, but switch off the fridge and see what the temperature stays at.

[edwardandtubs]

I don't think it's possible that there would be three times the amount of kefir grains after just one night. Maybe some curd has got mixed up with your grains. I've been making kefir for years in Bangkok and find the best way is to mix about a pint of milk with about a teaspoon of grains, leave it for 24 hours and keep that cycle going. I eat any excess grains which is about a teaspoon every few days.

[simon43]

What does the lack of evervescence indicate?

[edwardandtubs]

8 minutes ago, simon43 said:

What does the lack of evervescence indicate?

Mine has none either unless I second ferment with some fruit. If you want fizz you need to seal the jar but I prefer it nice and thick without fizz. Also the Bangkok heat hasn't done my grains any harm all these years.

Edited April 25, 2017 by edwardandtubs

[edwardandtubs]

:)

Edited April 25, 2017 by edwardandtubs

[tropo]

12 hours ago, simon43 said:

So I've just had my first attempt to make Kefir milk in Myanmar, and need some advice from the 'expert(s)'.

 

I bought a litre of fresh milk, put it in a glass container and added just under 1 tablespoon of my fresh kefir grains that I just bought in Bangkok.  I put a milk thermometer in the milk to monitor the temperature and then placed a cool bag around the container to keep the temperature cool during the night (I started to make this kefir around 8pm yesterday).

 

During the night, (with the air-con on), the temperature stayed around 22 degrees, and at 7am in the morning, there was a thin skin on the top of the milk.  I went to work and just got home around 4.30pm.

 

Without the air-con on during the day, the temperature in the container had risen to about 29 degrees, but there was a healthy 'sour' smell and 'tart' taste, and the skin was quite thick.

 

I poured the milk through a sieve and was able to collect about 3 times the amount of kefir

grains that I had put in the milk the evening before.

 

The milk has the consistancy of drinking yogurt, tastes 'tart/sour', (which I like), but importantly, there is no efervescence, which the kefir that I bought in Villa Market in Bangkok had.

 

Should I have left the milk longer to cultivate more?

 

I will make a new attempt tomorrow with a new batch of fresh milk (and maybe use some of the kefir grains that I got today).

 

I guess that the rise in temperature during the day is not helping.  I think I'll place the glass container with the milk in my fridge during the day, but switch off the fridge and see what the temperature stays at.

 

You're worrying far too much about temperature. I always brew kefir at room temperature, even when it's over 30C.

 

You used far too much milk for a tablespoon of grains. I would have suggested you start out with 250ml and build it up slowly (haven't I already suggested this), then start using the intermittent method I'd spent a great deal of effort explaining to you in an earlier post. If you use this method, you can brew at room temperature forever without having to monitor temperature and your grains will thrive.

[tropo]

10 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

Mine has none either unless I second ferment with some fruit. If you want fizz you need to seal the jar but I prefer it nice and thick without fizz. Also the Bangkok heat hasn't done my grains any harm all these years.

 

 Resting them in the fridge between brews eliminates the risk. The brewing process does continue in the fridge. When I leave my grains in milk in the fridge, after 2 weeks it's a very powerful brew.

[simon43]

OK, now I've got the hang of it.  I'm making kefir milk on a daily basis (because it is easy to fit into my work and lifestyle and amount that I drink).

 

I make about half a pint of kefir at a time, starting this each early evening after work. 24 hours seems exactly right to produce kefir milk with the required consistency and 'fizz' that I like.  So I just sieve out the kefir that I've started the previous evening, clean my utensils, put the kefir grains back in my glass jar and add a half pint of milk, seal the jar and leave it for 24 hours.  The room temperature is about 25 degrees during the evening and night (air-con on), and rises to about 30 degrees during the day when the air-con is off.

 

I don't want to make large quantities of kefir milk at a time, because my hotel room fridge is too small to hold more than maybe a litre bottle at a time (I have other fresh food in there).

[look1st]

On 11-8-2011 at 6:28 PM, mls said:

You're not wrong! The ones you gave me last week have already doubled in volume.

Will PM you later to let you know how it's going.

Wow, I finaly found it 555

I live in Pattaya, near Thepraya, Soi Bonkai to be exact, and I would love to try this out with the grains.

please let me know where to pick them up and I don't mind paying for them.

 

[sheepshank]

Earlier this year I was keen to obtain a tablespoonful of milk Kefir grains so that I could brew up a supply of Kefir milk for use as a starter culture when making cheese.

I wanted probiotics, and I thought they might be available in Bangkok, so I did a web search for "probiotics Bangkok".  There were a couple of likely looking "hits" among all the dross.  I emailed both sites introducing myself and asking for information about their Kefir.

One site didn't bother to answer my email, but the other site, run by a lovely lady called Halima and her partner Kurt, quickly came back to me with all the information I needed and a few days later I was the new custodian of 15 gm of live milk Kefir grains.

It cost me 450 baht, plus 189 baht for shipping.  That may sound expensive to some, but I received my grains from a reputable source, in a very short time-scale, with minimal effort on my part. GIYF (or yahoo in my case).

[tropo]

55 minutes ago, sheepshank said:

Earlier this year I was keen to obtain a tablespoonful of milk Kefir grains so that I could brew up a supply of Kefir milk for use as a starter culture when making cheese.

I wanted probiotics, and I thought they might be available in Bangkok, so I did a web search for "probiotics Bangkok".  There were a couple of likely looking "hits" among all the dross.  I emailed both sites introducing myself and asking for information about their Kefir.

One site didn't bother to answer my email, but the other site, run by a lovely lady called Halima and her partner Kurt, quickly came back to me with all the information I needed and a few days later I was the new custodian of 15 gm of live milk Kefir grains.

It cost me 450 baht, plus 189 baht for shipping.  That may sound expensive to some, but I received my grains from a reputable source, in a very short time-scale, with minimal effort on my part. GIYF (or yahoo in my case).

All kefir grains come from a mysterious mother source in The Caucasus region. No one knows how they started. "A gift from heaven" is about as likely an explanation as any, but they are a true miracle of nature. The ones you got from HK Probiotics in Bangkok probably came from my source originally as I've been spreading them around Thailand for many years before they set up shop. I mentioned this in order to inform you that any source is as "reputable" as another. There is no difference i.e. kefir grains are kefir grains. HK probiotics have been mentioned on this forum a number of times already and I also recommended them and have sent them a lot of business over the last 2 years.

[Siriluck1987]

Good Morning,

 

Was wondering if it's still possible to get some kefir grains from you?

 

Thank you :)

[look1st]

My batch from Tropo, which I took to Holland are doing absolutely fine and I'm thinking of taking some off to keep in the freezer for production on Ibiza.

All I wanted to say is Tropo's kefir grains Rock hahahaha

[Beck1976]

I am very interested as well, if somebody are willing to part with kefir grains. 
I am unsure whether same type of grain can be used for both milk and water kefir? I know I cant use the exact same grain changing them back and forth, but do I need two different kind of strains?

[look1st]

Somewhere in this topic I read that ppl switch from milk to water with the same grain. take about 4 to 5 days to adjust. is that right?

 

[tropo]

4 hours ago, look1st said:

Somewhere in this topic I read that ppl switch from milk to water with the same grain. take about 4 to 5 days to adjust. is that right?

 

I don't believe that is possible i.e. that they will become water kefir grains after an adjustment period. You may have some success switching between the two substrates though.

 

I think you're better off buying some water kefir grains. HK in BKK has them - perhaps you can find them in Amsterdam.

[gr8tha]

Does anybody have any grains that they could part with? I'm in Ban chang but I travel to Rayong and Pattaya most weekends.

I brought grains with me but my son turned the temperature dial in fridge and the grains froze! I have tried to revive them but the milk curdles each time (not like over cultured kefir which goes smooth again if stirred but like off milk) and the grains are now have an orange tinge so I think I need to throw them away. 

[tropo]

3 hours ago, gr8tha said:

Does anybody have any grains that they could part with? I'm in Ban chang but I travel to Rayong and Pattaya most weekends.

I brought grains with me but my son turned the temperature dial in fridge and the grains froze! I have tried to revive them but the milk curdles each time (not like over cultured kefir which goes smooth again if stirred but like off milk) and the grains are now have an orange tinge so I think I need to throw them away. 

I wouldn't throw them out. Rinse them well in bottled water and try again. Grains last for years in the freezer. That curdling you get when you brew is quite normal because the kefir grains cause separation of the curds and whey of the milk. Most of my brews look like cottage cheese at the top before I stir and strain it.

 

You worry too much. I've been drinking kefir for over 6 years - no 2 batches look exactly the same, taste the same, or have the same consistency... but it's all good. I store the grains in milk in the fridge for 2 - 3 weeks between batches. I drink the kefir milk that they are stored in. Some of that is powerful tasting. The current batch has a blue-vein cheese kind of taste because I used zero fat milk. It's also quite bitter and slimy. It goes down like a charm and I've never had any negative reaction. 

 

BTW, kefir milk would taste like off-milk i.e. sour milk. That's what it is. It's just sour milk with its own unique flavour.

 

Another tip: Because kefir grains sour the milk anyway, you don't need to start with perfectly fresh milk. I always stock up on half price or reduced price near expired milk at the supermarket if I can find it. Sometimes I use this milk over a week after the use-by date. I brew 7 to 8L batches every 2 -3 weeks.

 

Edit: Forgot to mention, I've accidentally frozen my grains that were in storage at the back of the fridge a number times over the years when the fridge settings were too low. It really is no problem.

Edited September 23, 2017 by tropo

[gr8tha]

8 hours ago, tropo said:

I wouldn't throw them out. Rinse them well in bottled water and try again. Grains last for years in the freezer. That curdling you get when you brew is quite normal because the kefir grains cause separation of the curds and whey of the milk. Most of my brews look like cottage cheese at the top before I stir and strain it.

 

You worry too much. I've been drinking kefir for over 6 years - no 2 batches look exactly the same, taste the same, or have the same consistency... but it's all good. I store the grains in milk in the fridge for 2 - 3 weeks between batches. I drink the kefir milk that they are stored in. Some of that is powerful tasting. The current batch has a blue-vein cheese kind of taste because I used zero fat milk. It's also quite bitter and slimy. It goes down like a charm and I've never had any negative reaction. 

 

BTW, kefir milk would taste like off-milk i.e. sour milk. That's what it is. It's just sour milk with its own unique flavour.

 

Another tip: Because kefir grains sour the milk anyway, you don't need to start with perfectly fresh milk. I always stock up on half price or reduced price near expired milk at the supermarket if I can find it. Sometimes I use this milk over a week after the use-by date. I brew 7 to 8L batches every 2 -3 weeks.

 

Edit: Forgot to mention, I've accidentally frozen my grains that were in storage at the back of the fridge a number times over the years when the fridge settings were too low. It really is no problem.

Thank you for the advice tropo. I have tried washing the grains twice and I have used fresh milk at least 8 times but the kefir produced is not right. 

[tropo]

4 hours ago, gr8tha said:

Thank you for the advice tropo. I have tried washing the grains twice and I have used fresh milk at least 8 times but the kefir produced is not right. 

I don't really know what you mean by "not right" as I can't taste it. I'm sure it would be right for me. There can be quite a variation in bitterness, sourness and even sweetness depending on what milk you use. For example, the last few batches I've brewed in zero fat milk seem too sweet for my liking. The grains do not die when you freeze them. I defrosted grains that were frozen for 2 years and they never skipped a beat.

 

The only time I've heard of problems here is when people continue to brew on a daily basis in high heat. Eventually, they could become unproductive and die. Try soaking them in fresh milk in the refrigerator for a few days - give them a rest from the heat. The climate here is not ideal for continuous brewing. My grains are very healthy and I only brew a batch once in 2 - 3 weeks and I've been doing it that way for many years. Another option is to brew some kefir in the refrigerator. It will take quite a few days, but it will get there.

[AlbinoAsian]

Does anyone have healthy water kefir grains they'd be willing to share. Happy to pay for them.

Thanks,
 

[tropo]

2 hours ago, AlbinoAsian said:

Does anyone have healthy water kefir grains they'd be willing to share. Happy to pay for them.

Thanks,
 

HK Probiotics in Bangkok has them. 500 baht for 4 tablespoons.

[PhuketFarang]

On ‎12‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 8:27 PM, AlbinoAsian said:

Does anyone have healthy water kefir grains they'd be willing to share. Happy to pay for them.

Thanks,
 

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2017 by PhuketFarang

[The manic]

I buy kefir milk from Linda's in Jomtien.

[tropo]

1 hour ago, The manic said:

I buy kefir milk from Linda's in Jomtien.

Why not get some grains and make it yourself. You only have to purchase them once and you'll have them for life.

[fieke333]

Do you still have the water kefir grains ? I am interested.

[tropo]

2 hours ago, fieke333 said:

Do you still have the water kefir grains ? I am interested.

I have never had water kefir grains. Try HK Probiotics in Bangkok. The last time I checked their website they still had them.

[gaff]

On 7/31/2011 at 5:32 PM, bkkrox said:

I am looking to buy kefir (already made). Seems finding it in Pattaya and Phuket is no prob but have searched in Bangkok with no luck. Do you have any idea where I might find it ? If not I could give growing it by myself a shot but isnt it a fairly difficult process? Any leads would be great. Cheers!

 

hello, do you know where to buy kefir milk in pattaya ?

and D limonene ?

About kefir culture I found 2 places after checking on the forum:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir

 

 

https://www.hkprobioticsbangkok.com/product-page/one-tablespoon-of-milk-kefir-grains-1

 

https://www.facebook.com/HKprobioticsbangkok/

 

https://thaiartisanfoods.com/shop/milk-kefir-grains-tibetan-mushroom-live/

 

 

thanks.

Edited August 14, 2018 by gaff

[gaff]

Thank you Tropo, I have read the 27 pages of this thread and people are lucky to have you to reply to their question.

 

Just one thing that I still didn't get, is why some people want water kefir ?! is it because they do not want to rink milk ?

 

And someone talked about commercial kefir that has a limited life span, but do we know if the one sold at HK probiotics or thaiartisan foods can be used forever as tropo kefir ?

 

hkprobiotics sells for 450 thb

One Tablespoon of Active Milk Kefir Grains

and

thaiartisan sells for 200 thb

In the sachet includes 1 teaspoon of dehydrated milk kefir grains and 1 tablespoon of powdered milk to help keep the grains healthy and happy.

 

is it exactly the same thing ?! just the tablespoon is bigger, so the price is finally similar ?

 

 

Thanks again.

 

 

[tropo]

8 hours ago, gaff said:

Thank you Tropo, I have read the 27 pages of this thread and people are lucky to have you to reply to their question.

 

Just one thing that I still didn't get, is why some people want water kefir ?! is it because they do not want to rink milk ?

 

And someone talked about commercial kefir that has a limited life span, but do we know if the one sold at HK probiotics or thaiartisan foods can be used forever as tropo kefir ?

 

hkprobiotics sells for 450 thb

One Tablespoon of Active Milk Kefir Grains

and

thaiartisan sells for 200 thb

In the sachet includes 1 teaspoon of dehydrated milk kefir grains and 1 tablespoon of powdered milk to help keep the grains healthy and happy.

 

is it exactly the same thing ?! just the tablespoon is bigger, so the price is finally similar ?

 

 

Thanks again.

 

 

The Thaiartisan grains are definitely dehydrated kefir grains that will produce fresh active kefir grains that you can use forever. It's a good deal, although you will need to do a bit of work to get them up to speed. I have never used them myself as I have only dealt with fresh or frozen grains, but here's a detailed guide about how to get them working from Dom's famous website:

 

http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/Makekefir.html#Storing_kefir-grains

 

They are only offering one teaspoon of dehydrated grains, so it could take quite some time to make any reasonable quantity of drinkable kefir.

 

Reactivating Dehydrated Kefir Grains

First reconstitute dry kefir grains by placing the dry grains in a jar with the addition of a glass of fresh milk. Activate by renewing the milk daily after straining that batch, whether the milk has coagulated or not. Do not drink this milk until it produces a clean, sour aroma. Reconstituting dry grains may take between four days and in some cases up to one and a half weeks to occur. When the milk starts to coagulate within 24 hours, producing a clean, sour aroma, with a hint of fresh yeast, your grains have reactivated and are rearing to go!

NOTES When activating dehydrated kefir grains, for the first few days the milk will go through some unusual stages, regarding appearance and aroma. The milk will initially produce a predominance of friendly yeast activity, evident as froth or foam forming on the surface of the milk. Yeast activity may reach a peak after 3 to 5 days, then subside as consecutive batches are cultured thereafter. As consecutive batches are cultured, the microflora should find a balance between the bacteria and yeast components, which kefir grains can achieve quite naturally on their own. This may take between 1 to 2 weeks.

Growth rate of kefir grains may not be evident, in some cases, until the third week, or even longer. The grains should become whiter in colour after each consecutive batch. Any yellow or yellow-pink-brown grains that don't have an elastic property, should be removed from the batch after the forth week. These are non propagable grains [do not grow], the portion of which is determined by length and storage conditions and dehydration method.

Non propagable grains disintegrate when squeezed between two clean fingers, having the texture similar to a Cheddar cheese. Whereas propagable grains are white and elastic with a slightly slimy feel [Kefiran], when gently squeezing a grain between clean fingers.

Please see FAQ 38 at my Kefir FAQ in-site for further details regarding drinking the initial batches of kefir prepared during reactivation.

 

If you're in a hurry, the HK fresh kefir grains will get you brewing drinkable kefir from the very first day.

 

Or, if you're after a source in Pattaya, PM me.

 

 

Edited August 15, 2018 by tropo