Kefir Grains - Living Probiotic Enriched

I have been using pro-biotics for years trying to battle digestive and skin issues. So far no luck or improvement in the conditions, despite good eating habits. I have spent a lot of money on those pills and don't even know if they contained any live cuItures when I consumed them. After reading about Kefir and not finding a ready made product that impressed me, because of all the added sugar and the high price, I decided to make my own. That way I know what is in it and it will be fresh. I received my Kefir grains about a week ago and they are already producing good Kefir and appear to be growing. They arrived in a small plastic container and looked very healthy, just like a piece of fresh cauliflower. The seller had also included a flyer with information about activating the grains which was very helpful. I immediately placed the grains into a glass mason jar added approx 3/4 cup of milk, covered the jar with a small piece of cloth, held in place by a rubber band, left it sit on the kitchen counter and let them do their thing. The first few batches separated into whey and curds and I have since figured out, that, since I live in Florida and it is very warm (my house stays around 78-80 degrees) the grains don't need 24 hours to ferment. There are lots of videos on YouTube with helpful information about making Kefir. Yesterday I made a batch with 1 1/2 cups of milk and after approx 18 hrs I noticed a sign of slight separation and whey at the bottom of the jar and decided to remove the grains at that point. Removal is easy. Just pour the contents through a plastic strainer, use a wooden or plastic spoon to gently stir the contents through the mesh until only the Kefir grains are left behind. Use the grains to start your next batch of Kefir, or place them into a small jar, cover with fresh milk and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to make more Kefir. The Kefir from this batch was very good and I plan on making many more batches. The process could not be any easier.. Definitely a good product and if all goes well these grains will continue to thrive and multiply and hopefully I will notice results in my digestive tract and overall health with regular use of homemade Kefir.

I had been looking for ways to improve my gut microbiome, and all my research pointed to fermented foods. I also occasionally have acid reflux, and fermented foods are usually make it worse.I tried store bought kefir, consumed it in tiny quantities for a bit and my gut seemed to like it, so I ordered these grains. When they came in the mail, they were very nicely packaged, and came with instructions. They seemed super sad looking though, but I thought I’d give them a go anyway.The best tip I read somewhere was to start with just 1 cup of milk rather than the 1-2 cups like it says in the instructions. Start small, give the grains time to adjust.In about 8 hours I strained the grains out, put them in another 1 cup of milk.Also, ultra pasteurised milk works just fine, all the grains need is lactose, which this milk has. Raw milk is likely better for quality, but honestly I’ve been using ultra pasteurised for a month now and it works perfectly. Over the first week I slowly increased the fresh milk quantity to about 2 cups. I also ended up throwing away no milk, none at all. I’m not sure why a lot of people recommend throwing away the first few batches.I usually let each batch ferment for about 18 hours each time, 9 hours on the counter and about 9 in the fridge. It’s probably not the best way to do this, but only a couple weeks in and the grains more than tripled in size, and they eat through the milk really fast. The best way to slow them down is in the fridge. They’re quite robust.I would definitely recommend this seller, although I doubt I’ll have to buy from them again just because I’m already struggling to keep up with my kefir grains 😅

I am loving my kefir! When I got the grains, they were just as shown in one of the other photos in the reviews--it looked like about maybe 1 T (max) in a tiny little container and I was kinda' feeling disappointed. But I followed the instructions and switched out the milk each day (I gave it to our dog and she loved it) and by the time 1 week was up, I was getting kefir! I started out with 1 cup of milk and about 3 weeks later, I have almost 1/2 cup of grains!I use raw cow's milk, but since they recommended starting out with store bought milk which I didn't have the first day or 2, I switched over to storebought milk for a few days and then back to raw milk. Now I switch back and forth from raw milk occasionally to Kroger's whole milk since I was told it's not ultra pasteurized and it makes lovely kefir as well. I think switching it back and forth occasionally seems to keep it happier for some reason.I've made kefir cheese, use orange kefir in my Shaklee shakes each morning (I LOVE it!) and am finding other ways to use it. I also give 1 cup to our 7-yr-old golden retriever every other day and the transformation in her is amazing! She used to have arthritis and I had to give her supplements. Now she practically bounces off the walls each morning, begging to go outside. She used to be stiff each morning and had to work out the stiffness, but that's all gone now! I haven't given her any supplements for arthritis since I gave her this kefir. Her fur is also getting nice and soft as well and she doesn't stink so much! Kefir has to be good for humans and for pets! My next stop is to give some to my chickens to keep them healthy this winter! (It's easier to get them to try healthy fermented things than it is to convince my husband and adult son!)I am very happy with these kefir grains and am so glad I got them! Looking forward to a long "relationship" with these little guys!Update 9/16/19: I am still loving these grains. I've given some away and sometimes just end up adding them to my smoothies. I find it does best when I only use about 1 T per quart. Lately my kefir has been like yogurt; almost gel-like. I love it! I still give some to our golden retriever; I can tell if she goes a week without it, so I give it to her every day or every other day at least. They work quite well. We still use raw whole cow's milk for our grains, but occasionally when I run out, we get store-bought milk and it works fine also.