What should milk kefir look like

What does Milk Kefir taste like? It has a tart effervescent yogurty flavor. Some refer to it as the champagne of milk. It can also be compared to a thick Italian soda carbonated water with cream mixed in.

This is not something you have to 'tolerate', it is actually very delicious and most days we prefer it over our homemade yogurt! It's also very good blended with honey, fruit or other flavorings. It also subs in well for buttermilk, half and half or yogurt in recipes!

In our opinion kefir usually smells like a mix between yogurt and cheesecake with maybe a hint of bread or vinegar. It can range from smelly mild to sharp like a cheddar cheese. We've noticed in the spring it has more of a sweet vinegar twist, in the winter a more mild bread-like aroma, and in the summer a sharp cheesy tang. If you are re-using your jars without washing them out, this can also contribute to the aroma, usually amplifying whatever the kefir smells like at the moment.

Once you wash the jar you will notice the smell to be much milder in the next ferment. What should the consistency of Kefir be? A consistency similar to buttermilk is standard, with it getting thicker in the winter, after being refrigerated, or when more cream or higher fat milk is added.

It is not solid like yogurt. In the summer it may be much thinner almost watery , or when storing on the counter or using lower fat milk or other products like coconut, almond, rice or soy milk. Kefir can become agitated by a new environment. This can be anything from a seasonal change, climate change, temperature change, milk change, or ratio of grains to milk change for example. Kefir grains like a stable environment with minimal and gradual temperature changes.

If it's experiencing variable temperatures such as spring or fall where one day is hot and the next cool then it may be grainy or thin. This can also be the case if the night and day temperatures are drastically different. When the night is much cooler than the day such as in fall or spring or a desert climate , the temperature will alter the acidic curds into a more gritty texture.

If the grains do not seem to adjust and return to producing a normal kefir, than the environment may need to be adjusted. If you are trying to convert your grains to kefir a milk other than cow or goat, than give it a little time and patience for the grains to adjust to their new medium.

Also keep in mind that kefir in the summer is generally thinner and in the winter thicker. Because there are so many strains of bacteria and yeast in kefir, different temperatures and contents in the milk can make one strain respond and become more or less active, thus resulting in a slight variation to your finished kefir.

This is not something to be worried about, it is just a natural adaptation and response by the grains themselves, as they are designed to do. Kefir tends to get thicker and smoother the more productive the grains are. Grains tend to be their most productive when they are on the smaller side, thus having a larger amount of surface area exposed to the milk.

The thickest kefir we've gotten is when we threw some grains in the blender to make them as exposed as possible. Although this method does yield thicker milk kefir, some people don't care for the extra sourness. That's why method 2 is a great option, too! Drip it through cheesecloth. Drip your hours-old or so , mild, thinner kefir through 2 layers of count cheesecloth.

You can also use pillowcase-weight cotton cloth. After a couple of hours, you'll have thicker milk kefir! If you let it drip for a day, you'll have kefir cheese. Choose a time frame that results in the consistency you want. Gently stir every 6 hours while it is culturing at least during the day time. This helps achieve a more uniform, thick consistency.

It fermented too long. Allowing your kefir to ferment for longer than necessary 24 to 48 hours means that the whey can spill out of the curds. There's nothing wrong with this, except it can have a more sour flavor and texture-wise isn't as pleasant to drink. Shake the separated kefir well before using, to help it mix together, and make sure to stop the ferment earlier with your next batch. The temperature is too warm. Culturing happens much more quickly at warm temperatures.

The signs of over-culturing due to temperature are the same as above: kefir that has separated into curds and whey, with a strong, sour taste. Move it to a cooler place if possible. You don't have to toss the over-fermented kefir, however! Here are my best ideas for using it up so it doesn't go to waste! You aren't using fresh milk. Kefir, as well as yogurt, cheese, and anything cultured, tastes better if the milk is very fresh, so I prioritize doing most of my culturing within a few days of milk pickup even if we're not going to eat it right away.

They're running out of food. Dairy kefir grains aren't as sensitive as water kefir grains, but they do need food in the form of lactose to grow. Keep to a normal routine, as detailed in this post, to make sure your grains are healthy and fed! They're still acclimating to a change of conditions milk, temperature, location. In my experience kefir grains do multiply quickly, but they go in spurts, too. It is likely they're still acclimating to your milk or just taking a breather. If they're working fine, don't worry about it.

I normally teach that kefir grains will float to the top… but this isn't the case for everyone! Here's why hint: there's probably nothing wrong. The grains are heavier. Kefir grains that aren't fully re-hydrated from being dehydrated aren't as buoyant as older grains that are fully plumped up.

It can take weeks or months for dried grains to fully re-hydrate. Which is okay, because you can still be making kefir all that time. Kefir grains that aren't floating readily at the top can be hard to find. Yet remember, kefir curds collapse when touched whereas grains feel rubbery and spring back when released. You can fish the grains out of your finished kefir with a spoon, or pour the kefir through a strainer until you find the grains. I look for little bubbles at the top or bottom of my jar, where the grains are pressed up against the glass.

As long as it doesn't smell rotten then it can be eaten. Although most people won't care for it when it smells or tastes this strong, I do have ideas for how you can use it up without it being too noticeable! If the kefir ever develops mold on top, it's possible that could be skimmed away and the rest is fine. In a nutshell, kefir lasts one to two days at room temperature, two to three weeks or longer in the fridge, or one to two months or longer in the freezer.

See this article for more information. Kefir has gel-forming properties, and in certain conditions, slimy or string dairy kefir can occur.

The temperature is especially warm. Try to find a cooler location for the kefir to culture, and give it a few batches to adjust. There are a lot of grains for the amount of milk you're using. Decrease the amount of grains you're using. Remember, you need only 1 to 2 tablespoons per quart of milk. Or, if your grains are really hiding, search through the kefir in small batches as explained in this post on how to find kefir grains.

This is a development of certain yeasts with access to oxygen; it is not mold, and not pathogenic. It is caused by a few things….

Over-fermentation of a batch or many batches over time. Re-balance microbial activity of the kefir grains by decreasing the culturing time.

Too many grains for the amount of milk. Reduce the amount of grains you're using — down to only 1 to 2 tablespoons per quart of milk. Recipe easily scaled up or down.

Let culture until you are happy with how thick and sour it is about 18 hours to 2 days. It will get more thick and more sour over time, as well as more effervescent.

How quickly it cultures will depend on your preferred thickness, taste, and the temperature of the room. You can see where the grains are because they tend to float at the top, and they are bumpy whereas the milk is smooth. If you're dairy-free, you can even make coconut kefir!

Milk kefir grains may be stored, when not in use, in the refrigerator in a small amount of milk. Do you know how to make milk kefir? How do you like to eat or drink it? Is it really possible to "eat what you want to eat" like bread and butter, cinnamon rolls and cookies, meat and potatoes We only recommend products and services we wholeheartedly endorse. This post may contain special links through which we earn a small commission if you make a purchase though your price is the same.

Wardeh 'Wardee' lives in the Boise area of Idaho with her dear family. She's the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fermenting Foods and other traditional cooking eBooks , and she teaches online classes in the fundamentals of traditional cooking, sourdough, cultured dairy, cheesemaking, fermentation, kids cooking, dehydrating, allergy-free cooking, cooking outside, pressure cooking, and more.

You can freeze any leftover kefir smoothie to make popsicles — freezing does not destroy the friendly bacteria. My little guy drank some of his caterpillar soup that he made with liquid from the bird bath and many live green caterpillars and has been unable to keep dairy down.

Which is great because it was the only thing he would put in his mouth aside from the caterpillar soup, that is. He is doing better now but I was so happy to have kefir around to help nourish his body back to health. Sustainable Eats — Oh, my! I read your comment five times before I got it!

I was like… caterpillar soup? What an interesting recipe — what does it stand for? Poor kid. I love your suggestion to make the popsicles with kefir-smoothies! What a story! What an adventure! Wardee, The kefir sounds great! I have had it before and it is good, refreshing comes to mind. I guess I need to! This is totally un-related but I have a question. It looks like slightly tinted sugar.

In the past I have always purchased rapadura. Which is very brown and granule looking. Do you know if there is a nutritional difference? Just thought you might know. Thanks in advance. Tiffany — I had the same experience recently. Yes, for real. Sustainable Eats — Oh, that was too funny and a little gross! What a great post! Your poor husband. It is good you can write and laugh about it! Thank you so much for the chart!!! I knew that the stuff I recieved was not as good as rapadura, just by looking at it!!

This is common in spring and Autumn when the weather can change dramatically quickly, the grains are very temperature sensitive but they can also be affected by atmospheric pressure etc. Simply continue to use the grains as normal if this happens and they will naturally adjust themselves in a couple of brews. It may take a couple of batches before kefir grains function reliably. It is also common for the taste of the kefir and the activity level of the kefir grains to change over the first 6 to 8 weeks after the kefir grains are recieved.

This is a normal part of the process of working with a live culture. My grains have just arrived however the little sachet has leaked are the grains ruined? No, we try as hard as possible to stop this from happening however as there is no "off" switch with live grains they continue to ferment in the post.

This can at times lead to a bit of leaking from the little sachet and at times it can cause the sachet to burst. There is nothing we can do to prevent this. The little sachet is heat sealed inside the larger sachet to protect the contents so it does not matter if this occurs.

The grains will be fine and will brew as normal. Should i rinse my grains between brews? There is no real right or wrong answer to this question however it is not something that we would recommend as it may damage the grains. The grains naturally protect themselves in a sticky, slimy goo. This is normal and the grains do this to protect themselves. There is no need to rinse this off. If you do feel the need to rinse your grains then ALWAYS use unchlorinated water boil the water in the kettle and then allow the water to cool before using.

The kefir is ready as soon as you start to see this and will become more sour the longer you leave it from there. The milk will have thickened and it will no longer look like milk. If you leave the kefir once it is ready or if the weather is warm it can fully separate see image below this is not problematic although it may be a sign that the temperature is too high or you left the brew too long. The kefir will taste rather sour if the brew has fully separated but just give it a good stir and mix it back up again and sieve.

You might also find that your kefir separates like this in the bottle, again this is not problematic just give it a good shake before you drink it. In the warm weather kefir can separate like this very quickly. If this happens you need to consider moving the kefir somewhere a touch cooler and use a little more milk. To sieve the kefir simply give it a good stir and pour through the sieve.

Due to the thickness of the curds you may find that you have to keep pouring the liquid that has gone through the sieve back through to keep softening the curds but eventually the curds will break down and you will be left with just the grains in the seive. The kefir is safe to drink but may taste VERY sour. Try and avoid letting the kefir getting this separated if you can as it can mean that the grains have no food left.

Again there is no right or wrong answer here. There are several schools of thought on this matter and i can't really say that any are right or wrong. The advantage of this over actually tasting the kefir is that you can simply remove the paper towel cover and stick your nose in the jar without stirring the liquid and disturbing the working bacteria. Once you have tasted a small amount you can also just cover the jar again and let the bacteria continue their work for a few more hour if the taste was not yet to your liking.

Making sure your kefir is ready to drink is a simple process. There are several signs that you can look for. The easiest is to watch the fermentation jar carefully and notice when the grains float to the top and the whey starts to separate from the milk curds. Another way is just to use your senses and smell or taste the fermented milk. Everybody likes their kefir a bit differently which makes fermentation such a personal experience.

Experiment with different times and textures to see which one you like best. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Contents hide. Author Recent Posts.