Hello fellow fermenter friends! Fall finally showed itself in San Diego over the weekend. The temperature has cooled off and the marine layer has made the day a little gray, but it’s a welcome change. Maybe I can finally break out my boots from hibernation?
I’m sitting in my home office and trying to remember how I discovered water kefir. I think I stumbled upon it when I was researching milk kefir. Anyway, all that matters is that it’s a probiotic rich soda like beverage that is simple to make and has mucho health benefits.
What is water kefir? In the book, “The Art of Fermentation”, by Sandor Katz he describes it as:
a versatile culture that can be used to ferment any carbohydrate-rich liquid. …Used to ferment sugar water with some fruit in it for flavor.
It’s basically a fermented beverage that uses a culture. The culture is called kefir grains and Sandor describes them as:
The culture – also known as tibicas or tibia, sugary water grains…- is a SCOBY, a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast, which appear as small whitish translucent granules and grow quickly when fed regularly.
The water kefir grains consume the sugar and turn it into a probiotic, fizzy drink. Some people call it a Kefir Soda because adding fruit juice for secondary fermentation makes it super carbonated.
According to Julia Mueller who wrote the book, “Delicious Probiotic Drinks”, some of the health benefits of drinking Kefir Water are:
- Probiotic rich
- Hydrating and a good sport drink replacement
- Contains enzymes and minerals
- Reduces inflammation
- Eases digestive discomfort
- Helps relieve skin irritation
- Liver detox
How awesome are all those health benefits?! Water kefir is a staple in my home. We always have it readily available in the fridge and another one brewing on the counter. It is super versatile, because you can make it taste however you want. You can even make one that tastes like cream soda. It’s very simple to make and has a very short fermentation period (only 1 -2 days). You only need to buy the kefir grains once and you can make it for a lifetime.
When you purchase the kefir grains for the first time there will be instructions on how to rehydrate them and get them going again. I like this recipe because its easy to flavor. I purchased live water kefir grains from Amazon and they have been very healthy and have been producing water kefir for over a year now.
- ¼ Cup Water Kefir Grains
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cap Liquid Minerals (optional)
- Quart Water
- Fill the mason jar half way with spring water, add the brown sugar and minerals and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the kefir grains and top off with the rest of the water. Screw on lid and sit on counter for 48 hours.
- Strain the water kefir with a plastic or wooden strainer (they don't react well to metal) into a pitcher or mason jars and place in the fridge. Repeat this recipe to make another batch.
- Drink plain or add your favorite juice.
See my Water Keifr chart at the end of this post for different ratios of sugar, water and kefir grains needed for different size containers.
Minerals
Water kefir grains require sugar and minerals to survive. Brown sugar has some minerals from the molasses but I noticed that if I don’t add in extra minerals, over time they start to break down. I add a capful of Ionic Tonic or a few drops of Trace minerals to my water kefir to keep it healthy. If you don’t want to buy minerals you can add a clean egg shell to it. The egg shell provides adequate minerals for the grains. Other variations include adding two dried figs and a slice of lemon to the basic recipe too. I have used this method before and it works well.
If you want a clearer water kefir use organic cane sugar, but be sure to add minerals to the water solution or the grains will become weak.
Kefir Soda – Secondary Fermentation
To make water kefir into a fizzy soda add 1 cup of 100% fruit juice for every 4 cups of water kefir. Place in a mason jar, screw on the lid and let sit on the counter for 24-48 hours.
Extra Grains
Over time the water kefir grains will multiply. You can split them up to make different batches, give them away to friends or put them in smoothies to give it a probiotic boost. You can also feed them to your dog or put them in your garden.
Water Kefir Chart Makes It Easy
I created a chart of the ratios of grains, sugar and water needed for various size containers. I keep this on my fridge for quick reference and it helps a ton. You can download a pdf of the Water Kefir Chart yourself to print or save later. Or pin it to a board for later.
Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy!
Resources and products I use:
The Art of Fermentation, by Sandor Katz
Delicious Probiotic Drinks, by Julia Mueller
Some links on this page are affiliate links and they are all for companies that I support and buy from myself. If you decide to purchase any of these products through these links, I will earn a small commission and you will have my sincere thanks for supporting Fermented Food Lab.
I just stumbled upon your site & am happy to see your fermented foods recipes! I’ve been making my own kraut & fermented carrots & onions & even zucchini, but was looking for some info on water kefir!
I found this page, ordered from amazon, & now will experiment with the grains when I receive my order.
Thanks again,
Matt
Chula Vista
Hi Matt, I am so glad to hear that you found my site and found it beneficial. I just made some fermented carrots today with ginger. It’s my first time fermenting carrots. Enjoy the water kefir and let me know if you have any questions :)
I do have one question…do you strain the grains before adding fruit juice for a second fermentation, or leave them in???
Hi Matt, Strain the grains out for second fermentation. You don’t use grains for second fermentation.
This makes me sad that I’ve been neglecting my grains. :) I love, love, love your water kefir chart. I usually just guess. I will be using as a reference for my next batch.
Hi Annette, I’m so happy that you like the chart. It was created because I kept forgetting the measurements myself. Good thing graine are resilient too :)
I need some help! So I bought some Kefir grains and made the first two batches last week one batch according to this recipe and one with some coconut water I bought. Both batches I made at my parents house and they turned out well I thought. I liked the taste nice and fizzy and not to sweet or sour! I was excited. I made 1 more batch while at home and turned out good too no coconut water this time though just followed the recipe above. So I am on my 3rd or 4th batch I made Tuesday at my house (which may be a little colder and draftier) and I thought I followed the directions well they seem simple enough, but the kefir when I tasted it today (Fri) is hardly fizzy and tastes kinda gross to me almost sickly sweet. Is it bad? Did I kill the kefir grains somehow? I am new to this and just unsure what to do. I placed the mason jars in the frig for tonight because I wasn’t sure. Another question I had: Are you supposed to stir the kefir during the fermentation process or just leave it be? Thanks! Sorry for all the questions
Hi Kayla, You are doing everything right. Switching back to making the water kefir in this recipe after using coconut water is the right thing to do to make sure they are getting enough nutrients. The taste is how it should be too. You are on track.
The colder temperature in your house is slowing down the fermentation process. That’s why it still tastes sweet. Put them in a fresh batch of sugar water solution and try to put them in a warmer spot. The cold and drafty temperature is making them less active. You may need to let them ferment for at least 3 days , maybe a little longer during the winter.
I am confident you didn’t kill your kefir grains. They are very resilient and take a whole lot to kill. I have been rough on my grains; leaving them out too long, putting them in a jar in the fridge for weeks when I was super busy, and they always bounce back.
For your other question: You don’t stir them during the fermentation process. Just let them be.
Let me know how it goes and if you have any more questions. I am happy to answer them.
Hi Kayla, I did some more research on syrupy water kefir and found this article http://www.culturesforhealth.com/rehabilitating-fixing-repairing-damaged-water-kefir-grains.
There could be too many minerals in the sugar solution, so if your next batch is still syrupy try leaving out the liquid minerals. I hope this helps. Let me know.
Thank you Danielle! I am excited to start this journey into fermented foods! I recently purchased and have been reading “the nourished kitchen” by Jennifer McGruther and love it. Have you heard of her or the cookbook! She has some recipes and information about kefir and kombucha and kvass! I really appreciate your informative sight and willingness to answer questions. So helpful. I just made a batch of the spiced apple cider kefir and it smells divine I can’t wait till it’s done! :) Thanks again.
Hi Kayla, No problem. I am happy to answer questions and I am so excited for you and your fermented food journey :) I am getting all of my friends and family into it too and they are having fun with it. Yes, I have heard of the book and it’s on my list to buy someday soon.
Just ordered water kefir grains from your link. Thank you for the tip. Can you make water kefir with coconut sugar?Please share your thoughts. Thanks
Thank you Lolly! Coconut sugar has a very high mineral content which can damage the kefir grains. If you are going to use it, use small amounts with cane sugar. Too much minerals can make it syrupy. I go back and forth between brown sugar and white sugar in my water kefir. Don worry about the sugar, the kefir grains turn all the sugar water into probiotic goodness. Its far less sugar than whats in juice. You can read more about the different sugars you can use in this post from Cultures For Health, http://www.culturesforhealth.com/water-kefir-ingredients
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Do you need to refrigerate the second fermentation? Should I put a lid on the second fermentation before or after I add fruit juice?
Add your juice and then put an air tight lid on it. Starving the water kefir of air on the 2nd fermentation is what makes it go fizzy. Once fizzy put into the fridge. It you let it sit on the counter in a warm spot after it gets fizzy burb the bottles daily.
Hi
I appreciate your effort here but I think that to label kefir water as a soda demonstrates true conflation of the understanding of the definition of a soda and how kefir is carbonated. This distinction is crucial because kefir can only be a soda if you were to artificially carbonate it. I think this distinctions vital in regards the unique properties of Kefir water. http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/05/14/carbonated_waters_defined_what_are_seltzer_club_soda_soda_water_perrier.html
Hi iv put an eggshell into my grains, just wondering if i can share with egg allergy sufferers I didn’t think about that before I did it…my friend wants to try it with her kids but they have severe egg allergies??? Any info greatly appreciated
I wouldn’t risk it if they have a severe allergy.
If I am making milk kefir can I use those grains to make water kefir?
I am a total beginner, so where do you buy kefir grains and just how do you preserve them so they can be used over and over again?
Can you share the recipe for Kefir water that tastes like cream soda? Trying to get my son to try it ;)!
Add a teaspoon of blackstrap molasses when brewing the kefir water. Then add about 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract when finished to get that cream soda taste.
Thank you ! :)
I’m trying to avoid sugar yet increase the pre and probiotics that I consume. It looks like this drink is loaded with sugar. Any substitutions you could recommend?
Sugar is the food that feeds the probiotic bacteria in this drink. If you want to avoid sugar completely I suggest eating lacto-fermented pickles or sauerkraut. They are full of probiotics without sugar.
Thanks!
Can I make kvass with kefir? I was looking for lacto to put in the kvass but I can’t find it.
You don’t need to add cultures to make kvass. Here’s the recipe for kvass. https://www.fermentedfoodlab.com/beet-kvass-liver-cleanser-two-ways-taste-good/
Thank you have you tried making it with ginger and Tumeric?
Here https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ff5ba8078a7f4052ed10678ddb79368bc0448dfc093669658176df3d71142699.jpg is my kvass 9 days in do you think it’s ready? How do you know? I
Is there a way, like using clean egg shells, to use purified water? I started drinking purified water from my new purifier four months ago, and my health has improved dramatically, so I’m afraid to drink anything else!
TIA