My Home Brew...

I've been brewing Water Kefir Grains... My daughter has been brewing

 for some time and gave me some grains to get me started...

Water Kefir is a probiotic beverage made with water kefir grains.

The term 'kefir grains' describes the look of the culture only. Water kefir

grains contain no actual "grains" such as wheat, rye etc.

The grains consist of bacteria and yeast existing in a symbiotic

relationship. Water kefir grains can be used to culture sugar water,

juice or coconut water...

This is what the 'grains' look like...

 If you look after them and provide the right conditions they

multiply then you have some to give away... They eat sugar

either added to water or the sugar in juice or coconut water.

If they don't have enough sugar they will eat each other and not be happy!

They are an organic living organism...

I had enough grains to start two jars... I have added to each jar...

a pinch of baking soda, six raisins, three tablespoons of organic sugar,

the juice and chopped skin of 1/2 lemon and some chopped

fresh ginger... Fill with filtered water... Screw on a plastic lid but not too 

tight as the gases need to escape a little. 

In warm weather leave for 24 hours to culture,
in colder weather it will take longer.

Put somewhere out of the way, not in the fridge, it's fascinating to watch

as it begins to fizz and bubble and the raisins float to the top.

 

In this  brew I did one jar of coconut water... I didn't like that so much.

The lemon and ginger mix makes a delicious slightly fizzy

drink like mild ginger beer full of probiotics and as with anything
fermented an alcohol content, but very small after only 24 hours...
Very refreshing.
You need a good supply of preferably organic lemons and root ginger.

The 'grains' can be used over and over again... Indefinitely.

In this brew instead of lemon and ginger I put one tablespoon of
 Pomegranate Molasses when I strained off the liquid...
That made a yummy brew.

Here are my two jars that I 'brew' daily... Ready to drink.

To make, use a plastic spoon lift out the lemon and ginger

pieces that will be sitting on the top. Strain the liquid

through a fine sieve into bottles. There won't be any sugar left, the

'grains' will have eaten it all. Tip the 'grains' into a sieve

and gently rinse. Put back into rinsed jar... and start again.

For a comprehensive list of the bacteria and yeasts found in

water kefir click here. It makes very interesting reading.

You can do all sorts of fermenting things with Water Kefir...

Here is a good website to look at for ideas and more details...

Look at the alcohol content and how to brew 'beer' and

alcoholic fruit juice...