The Ultimate Guide To Water Kefir

I can’t remember the exact day or time when I was first introduced to water kefir but I will attest to the fact that it has changed my life. It’s bubbly goodness and beneficial health properties can’t be matched. 

There’s nothing better than reaching inside the fridge and popping open a big bottle of our fizzy grape water kefir. The summer days are long and hot here in central Pennsylvania and it’s such a treat to have a healthy refreshing drink when we need a breather. 

I get questions nearly on a daily basis regarding the process and care of water kefir grains and I figured it’d be easiest to consolidate all the questions and tips here on this blog post. We’re going to walk through the whole process and i’m going to try to keep it as simple as possible.

Step 1 

To start off you’re going to need some sugar, I prefer this cane sugar because it’s minimally process, but really any white sugar will do the trick. You’ll also need some kind of glass container ( quart jars work fine!), a silicone funnel and strainer, and some filtered water. It’s very important that the water kefir and water kefir grains don’t come in contact with any metal! Use only plastic/bamboo/silicone.

For one quart of water you will need 1/4 c sugar and 1/4 kefir grains. Place the sugar in the jar, next fill the jar with water until the jar is about 3/4 of the way full and let the sugar dissolved for just a minute or two, it doesn’t have to be long. After your sugar has dissolved for a few minutes go ahead and add your water kefir grains to the water. You can tell here that our water kefir game is going strong so I make 4 quarts at a time.

Lastly you’ll want to place some kind of breathable fabric/cover over your jar. I use a paper-towel but you can also use a thin cloth or cheese-clothe as well. Now set that bay in a cupboard somewhere and let it ferment for about 48 hrs. 

Step 2 

After your water kefir has sat for 48 hours it’s time for the second step! You’ll need a skinny top glass bottlefor this, the skinny necks make it really nice and fizzy! I use the left over ningxia red bottles but I know other ladies who use the flip top bottles and rave over the success! You’ll also need 100% pure grape juice. I use pure concord grape juice that I canned myself and it is honestly the only juice i have ever used. I’m sure that you can sweeten/ferment it with other juices but you will want to make sure that there are no preservatives in the juice and that it is 100% pure juice! I can’t stress that enough! 

Add 1/4 of the grape-juice into the glass bottle, it’s important that you add it first, not last because you want the whole 1/4 of juice to go in! After you added the juice top off the bottle with the fermented kefir water. You’ll want to strain off the water kefir grains with the silicone strainer and also use the silicone funnel if needed. Next you close the lid and place it in a dark warm area and let it sit for another 48 hours. In the summer it may not need as much fermenting time ( you don’t want exploding water kefir bottles!) and in the winter time it may need an additional 12 or so hours. 

Step 3

After the water kefir has sat for the second ferment it’s time to pop it open. You may want to stand over the sink, take it from someones who’s experienced many water kefir volcanos. If I’m in the mood for chilled water kefir I’ll pop it in the fridge instead of opening it right away. If you open it and put it in the fridge it will loose it’s pep, so it’s important that if you want it cold and fizzy you put it into the fridge unopened! 

FAQ

So now that you have your grains, you’ve completed a ferment, but wait, “my grains are mushy” , ” my water isn’t peppy”, ” My grains aren’t multiplying”. “What is going on?” 

In this next section I’m going to break down the most commonly asked questions with what is hope to be some helpful answers!

Q. Why aren’t my water kefir grains multiplying?

A. There can be a few reasons why your grains might not be multiplying. The first is usually the grain/water ratio. You want to make sure you have at least 1/4 c. kefir grains to 1 QT. water. If you only have 2 T. only make a pint. After the 48 hours you can just toss the water and start over again. You can also try adding just a tiny pinch of salt to your water as well. The grains love the perfect ratio of minerals as well so you can add some salt in your water to boost the reproduction as well. You can also add a tsp of molasses in as well. For this method you make your water kefir like instructed above then add 1 tsp molasses and let it sit for 48 hrs. I usually just toss the water and do the exact thing over again. You can repeat this process 2-3 times. After that, simply rinse off your grains and continue the the regular process.

Q. Why are my water kefir grains mushy?

A. Mushy grains mainly stem from 2 things. Too many minerals, or not enough. I’ve had my water kefir grains for a few years now so they are very mature and healthy. If you are experiencing mushy/syrupy grains chances are you have either too many minerals or not enough. Try adding a pinch of sea salt in with your next few batches and see if that makes your grains happy again. If you think too many minerals may have affected your grains due to using water or sugar ( like Rapadura or Sucanat) that are too high in minerals, try switching up the sugar brand you use and you may also try switching your filtered water to spring water. 

If you are experiencing: 

• Grains diminishing in volume

• Syrupy Kefir

• Mushy Grains

• White film forming on top of kefir

You may want to experiment with the replenishing method using a resting solution. First you want to make the water kefir like listed in the above instruction ( the very first instructions) . Then you will want to see if you need to add minerals or not. Let the water kefir sit on your counter for 1-2 days, rinse, and then repeat. When it is finished sitting on the counter for the second time, rinse, cover with water, add 1-2 T. sugar and place in a glass jar with with a plastic lid. Place the jar in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Placing them in the fridge will allow them to rest and ” sleep” and will help them recover. If the grains still seem to be tired after the 1-2 weeks, complete the entire process again. Once the grains are recovered and seem to be peppy and bubbly you can use them again!

Q. Can I store my water kefir grains when I travel?

A. Yes! Simply take your rinsed off water kefir grains, place them in a glass jar with 1-2 T. sugar, fill with water and cover with a plastic lid and place in the refrigerator. They will last for a long time ( 3-4 weeks) without needing more sugar! 

Q. Why is my water kefir not fizzy?

A. Once your grains are happy and healthy then all other problems will diminish. When your grains are healthy then your water will be super fizzy and alive! If your grains are healthy and multiplying and your kefir is still not getting fizzy, you may need to invest in some different bottles. Remember, long skinny necks make the fizziest kefir! And also make sure that you have bottle that have TIGHT lids/tops!