What is Milk Kefir?

Milk kefir is a fermented dairy product. It is similar to drinking yogurt and buttermilk.  Milk kefir ferments dairy milk into milk kefir at room temperature, generally within 12- 48 hours. The process of milk kefir starts with milk, ferments to a milk kefir, to a thicker drinking yogurt, and then finally it splits into whey and fermented kefir. This can then be used to make kefir cheese. When milk kefir splits, this is an indication it has fermented for too long or at too warm a temperature if you are wanting a drinkable milk kefir. 

Although genuine kefir grains have common strains of bacteria, some grains vary slightly from one to the next. Symbiota’s kefir grains originate from multiple sources to maximise the diversity of bacteria, leading to stronger milk kefir grains and yummier, healthier milk kefir. 

Milk kefir grains will last a lifetime if correctly cared for. 

What are the benefits of milk kefir?

• Low in lactose and can often be consumed by people who are normally lactose intolerant
• Diverse probiotic profile
• Great source of vitamins and minerals
• Supports gut healing and gut health
• A more powerful source of probiotics than yogurt
• Rich in probiotic bacteria

How to make milk kefir

Milk kefir is really easy to make. You simply need milk kefir grains and milk to ferment. One tablespoon of milk kefir culture/grains can ferment one litre of milk into delicious probiotic-rich milk kefir.

Add your milk kefir grains to your milk in your glass jar and leave to ferment. One liter of milk with one tablespoon of milk kefir grains will generally ferment within 48 hours at temperatures between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius. If you ferment less milk, or you ferment at higher temperatures this can ferment in as little as 12 hours. For example, 1L of milk with 1 TBS milk kefir culture at 24 degrees will ferment in 12-24 hours. 

Once fermented to your desired taste, drain your fermented milk kefir drink while reserving your cultures to repeat the process. 

If you purchase dried milk kefir grains, these will need to be placed in 1 cup of milk and refreshed every 48-72hrs. Rehydrating your grains may take up to 7 days before you can ferment with them. 

Your culture will last a lifetime if looked after- no need to buy more culture.

Please note, if you are going to use raw milk, milk kefir generally does better when the milk has been pasteurized. This is so the bacteria in the milk kefir and raw milk do not compete against each other. Some people have success using raw milk, but this can be problematic for others if it is not pasteurized. 

Milk kefir can be flavoured with a variety of fruits and herbs to keep you coming back for more. To read more on milk kefir, read our blog All About Kefir.

 What does my milk kefir kit include?

• 1L Symbiota glass jar
• 1 Tbs of milk kefir grains/culture nourished with a local dairy's wholesome milk
• 1 Stainless steel Strainer
• Elasticated Cotton top cover
• 1 stainless steel Lid
• Instructions, recipes and ongoing support. 

Choosing dried milk kefir grains

If you do not plan to ferment your milk kefir within 3 days of receiving your culture it is best to purchase our dried milk kefir grains. If you purchase dried milk kefir grains you will need to soak them in a cup of milk for 48 hours to rehydrate. After 48 hours, drain off this milk. If the grains still look hard and not spongey yet, you will need to repeat this process until they look spongy and the cup of milk is tasting fermented. Once they have fermented the cup of milk they are ready to ferment milk. You can now place them in 3-4 cups of milk to ferment. 

****NOTE:

• Please use an urban address where possible.
• Live cultures are couriered out on Mondays & Tuesdays to avoid delays. 

Please note, if you are going to use raw milk, milk kefir generally does better when the milk has been pasteurized. This is so the bacteria in the milk kefir and raw milk do not compete against each other. Some people have success using raw milk, but this can be problematic for others if it is not pasteurized. 

Milk Kefir and Viili yogurt should be kept apart. Do no mix utensils without thoroughly cleaning as these two cultures can cross very easily and require extra care in keeping separate.