Making Kefir From Kefir Grains (part 2)

[MrRonsaxton]

WHAT IS DOMS WEBSITE PLEASE

[rayunseitig]

I seem to have missed an ingredient list. Grain, milk, etc. etc. Looks great tho. Nice to see something other than TV dinner.

[vreed27]

Can you tell me the Don website you are talking about?

[1xDollyx1]

@vreed27 /users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/­kefirpage.html#microflora

[dowquartz]

I am wondering if you are actively able to mail some kefir grains out ,should i just go ahead and paypal on the website ?

[pocketsofthefuture]

@dowquartz Yes there should be a link on the video to the kefir page on our website if not there is a link on the side of our home page to our kefir grains page.

[zellerz1216]

do you think that chickens would like kefir/kefir grains?

[pocketsofthefuture]

@zellerz1216 Our chickens love kefir and kefir grains.

[dowquartz]

Are you able to actively mail out kefir grains?Should i just go your website and paypal you?

[dowquartz]

Are you actively mailing out kefir grains?

[muetter46]

I thought no metal should be used

[JuliaP777]

I still don't get it. How did you start your VERY FIRST batch? WHERE did you get the grain. Also is kefir just sour milk?

[pocketsofthefuture]

@JuliaP777 You have to get your first grains from someone else who has extra grains. We sell them, for instance. A number of people sell them. Some people give them away to friends and family which is very nice. At some point anyone will have extra grains because they grow. You either eat them (good for the gut) or pass some on to others. Kefir, the "Queen of Milks" is a complex beverage of fermented milk that is high in nutrients and probiotics. It is sour and thick and yummy! Leslie

[Forestdweller777]

Thank you for making this video. You seem like such authentic, homely, lovely family with integrity, thought for health and care in lifestyle. I am Anna, from Adelaide, Australia and have just been intrduced to Kefir. This is my 2nd week making it, so the video you made helped me get some good grounding. It is amazing that I live in the same place as Dom! That so rarely happens in Adelaide. I will be able to continue learning from him. I look forward to watching more of your videos. gives hope!

[CtrlAltDltYou]

good people living the good life...i wish i was there to sample some of that delicious medicine!! :)

[LoricaLady]

Very helpful & informative. Thanks.

[MrTremlett]

So am I looking for the "pockets" of whey to yield a nice consistency? I tend to have trouble with the kefir getting sort of lumpy. Does this mean I've left the grains in too long? I live in the Southwest U.S., so during hotter days, my grains will produce kefir in only about 4-8 hours. Cool Winter days takes 3 times as long. Also, the other day I accidentally poured my grains into the sink and had to rinse them with filtered water. Do you think they will be ok?

I LOVE the videos!

[pocketsofthefuture]

@MrTremlett When you start to get lines or pockets of whey, then the milk is kefired. Too much whey and it is over kefired which isn't good. With the warmer temps in your region, you want to use more milk so that you get your kefiring to go about 24 hours. It can get lumpy. That might be a little overdone. The lumps smooth out, though, if you need them too. Yes, your grains will be fine from being rinsed with filtered water.Glad you love the videos! Leslie

[lalalaina4life]

I'm sorry for asking this, I don't mean to offend. If these grains are alive and eat milk, does that mean that they poop in there?

[pocketsofthefuture]

@lalalaina4life A very interesting question! There are many things that are alive and yet do not have a digestive tract per se. So the grains are "alive" and they "eat" lactose. Really they "process" lactose and transform it into lactase. This transformation process in the milk does not create anything like a waste product. Rather the process only increases the nutrition and the digestibility of the milk. Thank you for your question.

[zarni000]

@lalalaina4life

you are actually eating poop when you drink bear and wine too.

any fermentation is technically poop. just smaller scale poop.

[Oliprof]

@lalalaina4life ethanol alcohol in beer, wine etc is yeast poop, comparing the excretions of microbial organisms to mammals is silly.

[dread313]

Awesome thanks for the video.

[LaCelestia]

The silver-hair lady looks like a real earth mama!

[freethaom]

A couple of contributions to the info in these comments...Kefir was originally found and grown by tibetan monks, in India and than made it's way to Caucasians. Also if you like to stay close to the original pronunciation of the word, it is ke-fear not kee-fer. Another fun thing is that within the fermentation process some alcohol is created about 1% - 2% so the champagne part is even more relevantt... Enjoy

[femmefiredragon1976]

Why didn't she use a wooden spoon, or plastic spoon to scrape off the left kefir inside the glass bottle /strain the kefir milk? she used only her bare hands... it's so unhygienic..even if it's good live bacteria in the kefir milk, it can still be contaminated wth other pathogens tha can cause disease using that kind of technique.

[Conanchicken]

Can you tell me why my kefir grains are stringy rather than cauliflower-like. They look similar to what you are using, but all the other kefir grain images I see online are firmer and more intact. Please let me know if you know why this is. Thank you for your information.

[TarotLadyLissa]

have you ever made kombucha?

[pdwesley]

Hello

What would be the time frame of using the grains over a period of time 6months ,one year etc.

Thank You

[pocketsofthefuture]

@pdwesley You use your grains forever! They are living, growing organisms (as opposed to a powdered culture) that will live and grow and ferment milk into kefir for as long as you feed them fresh milk. We are still working from our original batch which we received four or five years ago. That is another thing that is so great about these real kefir grains. They will produce and grow indefinitely. What a gift! Thank you for your question, Leslie

[pdwesley]

@pocketsofthefuture Thank you Leslie

I have been on antibiotics since feb 24 and just now they have found the bacteria that has been hindering my body .Though I have started to use kefir on a daily basis now I feel so much better.

How does one go about the cheese process if information available?

Thank You Again

Paul

\\

[pdwesley]

Hello Nice to see you have a healthy style of living .What would be the length of time that you would use the grains over a period of time 6 months one year etc?

Thank You

Paul

[yalghunaim]

Hi Leslei, thank you for the videos, is there different kinds of grains? what are they? which is the best kind of them? where would we buy them? i live in kuwait do you think that i can buy and ship it all the way to kuwait? and how much does it cost? Yousef

[ShanaMild]

What do you do with it if you need to take a break from kefir making - too busy, on vacation, etc.  How do you store it so you can start up again a few weeks later?

[pocketsofthefuture]

You can refrigerate and freeze the grains. We have refrigerated the grains successfully for about a week and then you have to change the milk as the grains eat it. If they stay in the fridge too long they get hard. We have not tried to freeze them.

[freethaom]

@ShanaMild

Between batches or if travelling you can keep you kefir in filtered water with some lemon juice (the juice of one lemon is fine for two handfulls of kefir), this will preserve it for more than a week, the water needs changing ideally every 3-4 days. :)

[Squabbles10]

Do you eat the Grains or drink the Liquid ?

[pocketsofthefuture]

You drink the liquid but the grains are also edible

[gardeniadream]

Hi Leslei,I love your videos!! Thank you for sharing with the world about this wonderful probiotic!! I being making my kefir at home for almost two months now, at first the flavour was really good but since last week the taste is too sour. Do you think that the weather has something to do with this? since I live in florida? Thank you again, Rita.

[pocketsofthefuture]

When your kefir gets too sour, it is likely that your grains have grown enough to require more milk in order to ferment in about 24 hours. So either add more milk and make more real kefir or reduce the number of grains by eating them or feeding to pets. They are very good for the gut. Cooler weather usually slows grain growth so you have that going for you now in October. Glad you enjoy the videos. We will keep them coming the best we can. Leslie

[AndreEllisonConnects]

dear pockets of the future blog, you have been and continue to be an inspiration for many. Your experience and knowledge brings value to those who seek it. I'll spread the word.

[pocketsofthefuture]

Thank you for your supportive comment.

[safetysquirrel]

I heard that Kefir has a slight dehydrating effect on the body and that it's good to have some a\water along with it. I've never really noticed anything though.

[pocketsofthefuture]

We have never heard that information or experienced it as near as we can tell. Of course drinking more water is probably good for most of us!

Leslie (wife to Paul)

[lemgq]

I was just recently turned on to Kefir by a friend. I have serious lactose issues and have not drank any dairy for 16 years. I was suprised when I was able to tolerate kefir(bought in the store "Lifeway"). I know the whey part is very healthy too. If i start homesteading kefir would I (theoretically)be able to tolerate the kefir whey part as well?

[pocketsofthefuture]

It depends upon what exactly you are allergic to in the milk. Most people are allergic to lactose. Kefir grains feed on lactose, transforming it into lactase. That is why many people who are allergic to milk can drink kefir. This may be the case with you since you tolerated the kefir from the health food store which would not be even as good for you as the real kefir you make yourself with kefir grains. Presumably, then, you would be able to tolerate the whey. Try making some and see! Leslie

[cuteshortee]

can u eat the kefir? is that nutritious

[pocketsofthefuture]

You drink the kefir and can eat the grains. Kefir is very nutritious and full of probiotics. The grains are also very healing and good for the gut.

[twopointsix]

Hehe... in Australia we also call it 'the bar' as well as 'the bench'. Thanks for these kefir videos! I have contacted Dom to see about getting some fresh grains from him, and have found a source of raw organic grass fed milk. Looking forward to it!

[pocketsofthefuture]

Good for you.

[exodus007]

Can you tell me where you picked up the strainer shown, I can't seem to find one like it except for stainless steel which I would rather not use.

[pocketsofthefuture]

Thank you for your question. We picked this strainer up at Walmart for $10 or less.

[click411]

I am in North Carolina and it is dificult to get raw milk because it is illegal. I have 3 questions. Can you make with Pasturized milk? and are you saying you dont have to heat milk up before you add the grains. And where can I order the best grains

[pocketsofthefuture]

Yes, you can make kefir with pasteurized milk. Yes, you are correct that you do not heat up the milk before adding grains (as opposed to the powdered culture which does require that you heat up the milk). We have always used milk straight from the refrigerator. Pour it over the grains and let the jar sit on a shelf. So easy.

You can email us privately about where to order highly productive kefir grains.

[KARStarla]

I never tried Kefir before, whats it taste like? I gotta go to Dom's site, this is exciting

[pocketsofthefuture]

Thank you for your comment. Kefir tastes exactly like you would expect "the champagne of milk" to taste. It is important to have more of a variety of tastes in our diet. Kefir fills an important role in many ways. Enjoy.

[redfootwalking]

Every morning, before I eat or drink anything else, I first have a glass of kefir. It is so loved by my family. My children will drink this even when their picky about other foods.

[pocketsofthefuture]

Yes, we all have a cup first thing in the morning too. When there is no other food in the stomach, the probiotics in kefir can go straight to work. We often have another cup at mid-afternoon to keep us going until dinner. It is wonderful that your children are being raised on such a healthy food. We find it goes far in maintaining health around here. Thank you for your comment.

[2Halifaxion2]

Definitely go online and buy a high quality raw high vitamin cod liver oil. Quantum labs makes an affordable brand.

[2Halifaxion2]

Raw milk is catching on and i'm glad. Its amazing, since I have started drinking raw milk, my resting pulse has fallen noticeably. This is probably due to the calcium and magnesium balances in my body evening out.

Have you guys heard of WestonAPrice,org? Definitely something to check out. Lots of good information, the most useful being the dietary guidelines for having children with perfect straight teeth consistently that existed in many other cultures. Funny how braces are normal.

[pocketsofthefuture]

My wife has used the Nourishing Traditions cookbook from the Weston Price people for years. We have westonaprice,org and many web sites like it on our pocketsofthefuture,com web site under Essential Links. So many things have become "normal" which really are not normal but rather signs of poor health. Thank you for your comment.

[abiquiukid]

There is a legend that kefir grains were a gift of the prophet Mohammed and the Caucasus people fiercely guarded their grains for fear they would lose their strength if given away and the secret of making kefir got out. Others heard of the "magical" properties of kefir and word spread. Even Marco Polo mentioned it

[abiquiukid]

There is a legend that kefir grains were a gift of the prophet Mohammed and the Caucasus people fiercely guarded their grains for fear they would lose their strength if given away and the secret of making kefir got out. Others heard of the "magical" properties of kefir and word spread. Even Marco Polo mentioned it. Then kefir was forgotten for centuries until news spread of its successful use in the treatment of tuberculosis, intestinal and stomach diseases.

[abiquiukid]

Kefir originated in the Caucasus Mountains. The word kefir is derived from the Turkish word keif, which loosely translates to "feeling good". This makes perfect sense as those who drink kefir regularly (myself included) claim it promotes a sense of well-being. The Caucasus peoples enjoyed longevity of over 100 years

[pocketsofthefuture]

Thank you for this information.

[CMLovejoy]

So is kefir like cotage cheese then?

[pocketsofthefuture]

It is a little like yogurt in taste but is thinner. When you strain the curd through cheese cloth and allow the way to drip off you get kind of a sour cream cheese.

[dionysusstar]

It seems like kefir is alot like a sourdough starter. I guess my number one question is how does it taste...but I can't figure that out really until I make it! Making a smoothie sounds like a great idea...even if I didn't care for the plain taste what tastes bad after adding a banana and strawberries? Thanks for posting.

[pocketsofthefuture]

Its sour. It is a little like yogurt but more sour. At first it was a little rough especially for the kids but we have all gotten used to it and like. We actually have some video of Leslie making sour dough bread out of kefir that I will put up then next couple of day.

[djayray]

Thanks for posting this, I would like to learn more about it. I will check out the Dom's kefir site.

-Dave