Guest guest Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 Look into a Modified Radical CWD, 30 years since mine and it has not come back. The only things I can do is Skin Dive and Sky Dive, not that I did either. If you have had more than a few removal attempts most Otologist's that know what they are doing go for the Modified Radical and yes reconstruction can be done after one. I did. Keep in mind your kid goes through X-amount of pain each time there is removal or 2nd look, why not end the pain by going with the Modified Radical? tom hansen --- <jmart5577@...> wrote: > My son is 9 years old. He was diagnosed w/ > cholesteatoma Sept. 06. He has had 5 surgeries > since he was diagnosed, with his last one being Oct. > 24, which was a second look surgery and > reconstruction. He did great and has been > recovering wonderfully. Yesterday he started having > ear pain and he had a low-grade temp. I had to take > him to his pediatrician since his otologist is 2+ > hours away. It turns out that his ear is infected. > We have a follow-up appointment with his otologist > Monday but until then his pediatrician prescribed > Omnicef and Cipro. I just don't know what I'm doing > wrong. We've been keeping his ear dry and following > all of the dr's orders. It's so frustrating... > > > > ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ > Never miss a thing. Make your home page. > http://www./r/hs ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. Make your homepage. http://www./r/hs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 In Modified Radical EVERYTHING is taken out, mastoid and inner ear. The key to getting rid of c-toma is not to leave any place for it to regrow. Very rarely is a Modified Radical is done on the 1st removal attempt, normally its when you have 2 or 3 previous operations when they will do it. The pain one goes through in a operation of any type for c-toma is unmeasurable, my heart go out to the kid who have this stuff and have repeat operations. Basically you will have a ear canal that resembles a Pare cut in half, it take about 6 month for the inner ear to totally heal. Almost 30 years and I'm still c-toma free. Keep in mind everyone is different and what worked for me may not be in the best interest of someone else.... tom hansen --- dskempton <dskempton@...> wrote: > Hi Tom, > Can you explain the differences between " Modified > Radical CWD " and > the " standard " approach? What are the risks and > benefits of " Modified > Radical CWD " ? > > Thanks! > > > > > > > My son is 9 years old. He was diagnosed w/ > > > cholesteatoma Sept. 06. He has had 5 surgeries > > > since he was diagnosed, with his last one being > Oct. > > > 24, which was a second look surgery and > > > reconstruction. He did great and has been > > > recovering wonderfully. Yesterday he started > having > > > ear pain and he had a low-grade temp. I had to > take > > > him to his pediatrician since his otologist is > 2+ > > > hours away. It turns out that his ear is > infected. > > > We have a follow-up appointment with his > otologist > > > Monday but until then his pediatrician > prescribed > > > Omnicef and Cipro. I just don't know what I'm > doing > > > wrong. We've been keeping his ear dry and > following > > > all of the dr's orders. It's so frustrating... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > ______________ > > > Never miss a thing. Make your home page. > > > http://www./r/hs > > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > ______________ > > Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. > > Make your homepage. > > http://www./r/hs > > > > > ________________________________________________________________________________\ ____ Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. Make your homepage. http://www./r/hs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Hi Irina, I have 6,4 liter jars of KT brewing, all using close to the same recipe as yours. Most don't bubble, but a couple have. The new baby scoby always forms at the top on ALL kombucha, not just mine. When you add a mother scoby when you're starting a new brew, it can float, sink, or be somewhere in between during the brewing cycle. Before I was able to get a starter and brew my own, I had a lot of bottles of GTs kombucha from the health food store. Only one or 2 of those bottles had any carbonation. Hope this helps, Dee >> My kombucja is not turning out all bubbly and " carbonated " > I use White Tea though, could that be a reason? May be not enough > sugar? (150g for 2 liters of tea)? > Also I am reading here that baby scoby is NOT supposed to float on > top? Is that so? Because mine does... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Hi Irina, I have 6,4 liter jars of KT brewing, all using close to the same recipe as yours. Most don't bubble, but a couple have. The new baby scoby always forms at the top on ALL kombucha, not just mine. When you add a mother scoby when you're starting a new brew, it can float, sink, or be somewhere in between during the brewing cycle. Before I was able to get a starter and brew my own, I had a lot of bottles of GTs kombucha from the health food store. Only one or 2 of those bottles had any carbonation. Hope this helps, Dee >> My kombucja is not turning out all bubbly and " carbonated " > I use White Tea though, could that be a reason? May be not enough > sugar? (150g for 2 liters of tea)? > Also I am reading here that baby scoby is NOT supposed to float on > top? Is that so? Because mine does... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Dear sleduuschaya... The absence of carbonation does not indicate anything necessarily wrong other than a possible yeast/bacteria imbalance. You can read about that herre: http://www.geocities.com/kombucha_balance/ Scroll down to the subject table and go to the far right column labeled Techniques...you should find something that will help you there. If carbonation is very important to you and you don't have it, try adding a a couple raisins or a small slice of peeled ginger when you bottle. I've reached a point where carbonation in KT isn't that important to me...but if I want a fizzy one I just splash in some seltzer water in the glass. That works, too! ; ) As someone else already mentioned...the baby SCOBY always forms on top. The mother will go anywhere she pleases! I've never used white tea...so I can't speak to that.... 150 g (approx 3/4 cup) should be adequate for two litres....but you can up that a bit...maybe 200 g for 2 L and see how it goes. How much sugar vairies from brewer to brewer. Your KT will still be healthy and drinkable even without the carbonation...just bottle when it is to you personal preference in terms of tartnes and residual sweetness. Good luck...keep us updated...Gayle > My kombucja is not turning out all bubbly and " carbonated " as the one > I buy at Whole Foods > > I use White Tea though, could that be a reason? May be not enough > sugar? (150g for 2 liters of tea)? > > Also I am reading here that baby scoby is NOT supposed to float on > top? Is that so? Because mine does... > > Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Dear sleduuschaya... The absence of carbonation does not indicate anything necessarily wrong other than a possible yeast/bacteria imbalance. You can read about that herre: http://www.geocities.com/kombucha_balance/ Scroll down to the subject table and go to the far right column labeled Techniques...you should find something that will help you there. If carbonation is very important to you and you don't have it, try adding a a couple raisins or a small slice of peeled ginger when you bottle. I've reached a point where carbonation in KT isn't that important to me...but if I want a fizzy one I just splash in some seltzer water in the glass. That works, too! ; ) As someone else already mentioned...the baby SCOBY always forms on top. The mother will go anywhere she pleases! I've never used white tea...so I can't speak to that.... 150 g (approx 3/4 cup) should be adequate for two litres....but you can up that a bit...maybe 200 g for 2 L and see how it goes. How much sugar vairies from brewer to brewer. Your KT will still be healthy and drinkable even without the carbonation...just bottle when it is to you personal preference in terms of tartnes and residual sweetness. Good luck...keep us updated...Gayle > My kombucja is not turning out all bubbly and " carbonated " as the one > I buy at Whole Foods > > I use White Tea though, could that be a reason? May be not enough > sugar? (150g for 2 liters of tea)? > > Also I am reading here that baby scoby is NOT supposed to float on > top? Is that so? Because mine does... > > Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 > > My kombucja is not turning out all bubbly and " carbonated " as the one > I buy at Whole Foods > > I use White Tea though, could that be a reason? May be not enough > sugar? (150g for 2 liters of tea)? > > Also I am reading here that baby scoby is NOT supposed to float on > top? Is that so? Because mine does... > > Help! > Hi Irina, If you want alot of fizziness and carbonation, you need to have a tight seal. I bought some dark root beer bottles with plastic screw on lids and get a perfect seal every time. You may have to stand back when you open the bottles or open them very slowly! ) The baby scoby IS supposed to float on top. The mother may sink at first but the baby that forms should always be on top. They need to breathe. God bless & you have a Happy New Year! bhappy4j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 > > My kombucja is not turning out all bubbly and " carbonated " as the one > I buy at Whole Foods > > I use White Tea though, could that be a reason? May be not enough > sugar? (150g for 2 liters of tea)? > > Also I am reading here that baby scoby is NOT supposed to float on > top? Is that so? Because mine does... > > Help! > Hi Irina, If you want alot of fizziness and carbonation, you need to have a tight seal. I bought some dark root beer bottles with plastic screw on lids and get a perfect seal every time. You may have to stand back when you open the bottles or open them very slowly! ) The baby scoby IS supposed to float on top. The mother may sink at first but the baby that forms should always be on top. They need to breathe. God bless & you have a Happy New Year! bhappy4j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Somewhere I read, if you put in too much sugar it will not fizz or bubble while it is brewing. I usually add more sugar after it gets going before I bottle. I may be all off. Let me know if so. You should see mine, it has lots of bubbles while it is brewing. Oh course I love my Kombucha and talk to it and tell it it is beautiful, maybe that is why it is so happy. LOL Sunny > > > > My kombucja is not turning out all bubbly and " carbonated " as the one > > I buy at Whole Foods > > > > I use White Tea though, could that be a reason? May be not enough > > sugar? (150g for 2 liters of tea)? > > > > Also I am reading here that baby scoby is NOT supposed to float on > > top? Is that so? Because mine does... > > > > Help! > > > Hi Irina, > If you want alot of fizziness and carbonation, you need to have a > tight seal. I bought some dark root beer bottles with plastic screw on > lids and get a perfect seal every time. You may have to stand back > when you open the bottles or open them very slowly! ) > The baby scoby IS supposed to float on top. The mother may sink at > first but the baby that forms should always be on top. They need to > breathe. > God bless & you have a Happy New Year! > > bhappy4j > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Somewhere I read, if you put in too much sugar it will not fizz or bubble while it is brewing. I usually add more sugar after it gets going before I bottle. I may be all off. Let me know if so. You should see mine, it has lots of bubbles while it is brewing. Oh course I love my Kombucha and talk to it and tell it it is beautiful, maybe that is why it is so happy. LOL Sunny > > > > My kombucja is not turning out all bubbly and " carbonated " as the one > > I buy at Whole Foods > > > > I use White Tea though, could that be a reason? May be not enough > > sugar? (150g for 2 liters of tea)? > > > > Also I am reading here that baby scoby is NOT supposed to float on > > top? Is that so? Because mine does... > > > > Help! > > > Hi Irina, > If you want alot of fizziness and carbonation, you need to have a > tight seal. I bought some dark root beer bottles with plastic screw on > lids and get a perfect seal every time. You may have to stand back > when you open the bottles or open them very slowly! ) > The baby scoby IS supposed to float on top. The mother may sink at > first but the baby that forms should always be on top. They need to > breathe. > God bless & you have a Happy New Year! > > bhappy4j > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Hi Irina and EveryOne, Some commercial brands of KT have carbonation added, so it may or may not be from the natural carbonation sometimes found in KT. To increase carbonation in your home brewed KT take at least a cup or more of the starter KT from the _bottom_ of the brewing jar when you start your next batch. The KT on the bottom contains more yeast cells and it is the yeast cells that create the carbonation. Adding about a cup and a half or even a bit more sugar per gallon also encourages the yeasts to grow. I find it helps to keep several layers of Kombucha Colonies on the top of my brewing KT. They help to keep the carbonation that does form from escaping. If anyone lives near you and has very fizzy KT it can also work to add some of their KT to yours as starter KT. That again, can add more yeasts. If you add sugar or raisins when bottling your KT that can help to create fizz as well. Just be sure to open the bottles every day to let the excess carbonation escape or keep them refrigerated. Peace, Love and Harmony, Bev Manna International: Kombucha Information and Resources Kombucha Drops - Convenient, Safe, Effective, Easy to use. http://KMI.mannainternational.com Manna Green & White Tea Extract - Liquid Green & White Tea Extract http://GTE.mannainternational.com All products made and bottled in glass 100% Certified Organic, Fair Traded, Ingredients > > My kombucja is not turning out all bubbly and " carbonated " as the one > I buy at Whole Foods > > I use White Tea though, could that be a reason? May be not enough > sugar? (150g for 2 liters of tea)? > > Also I am reading here that baby scoby is NOT supposed to float on > top? Is that so? Because mine does... > > Help! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Hi Irina and EveryOne, Some commercial brands of KT have carbonation added, so it may or may not be from the natural carbonation sometimes found in KT. To increase carbonation in your home brewed KT take at least a cup or more of the starter KT from the _bottom_ of the brewing jar when you start your next batch. The KT on the bottom contains more yeast cells and it is the yeast cells that create the carbonation. Adding about a cup and a half or even a bit more sugar per gallon also encourages the yeasts to grow. I find it helps to keep several layers of Kombucha Colonies on the top of my brewing KT. They help to keep the carbonation that does form from escaping. If anyone lives near you and has very fizzy KT it can also work to add some of their KT to yours as starter KT. That again, can add more yeasts. If you add sugar or raisins when bottling your KT that can help to create fizz as well. Just be sure to open the bottles every day to let the excess carbonation escape or keep them refrigerated. Peace, Love and Harmony, Bev Manna International: Kombucha Information and Resources Kombucha Drops - Convenient, Safe, Effective, Easy to use. http://KMI.mannainternational.com Manna Green & White Tea Extract - Liquid Green & White Tea Extract http://GTE.mannainternational.com All products made and bottled in glass 100% Certified Organic, Fair Traded, Ingredients > > My kombucja is not turning out all bubbly and " carbonated " as the one > I buy at Whole Foods > > I use White Tea though, could that be a reason? May be not enough > sugar? (150g for 2 liters of tea)? > > Also I am reading here that baby scoby is NOT supposed to float on > top? Is that so? Because mine does... > > Help! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Your kombucha sounds like it is doing fine. And scobies do normally float, so don't worry about that. If you want more fizz, you need to bottle your kombucha after brewing. Just pour the brew into bottles that can handle pressure from CO2 build-up. Plastic bottles can work well for this since they flex with the pressure. Certain glass bottles that are designed for carbonated beverages can work (avoid thin glass as the pressure from the CO2 can cause glass to break). You can also add a little ginger, or a couple raisins or something like that at time of bottling. Basically, what happens when you bottle is you shut off the kombucha oxygen supply, causing it to go into anaerobic fermentation, where the yeasts ferment the remaining sugars and create CO2 - which is your " fizz " . good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Your kombucha sounds like it is doing fine. And scobies do normally float, so don't worry about that. If you want more fizz, you need to bottle your kombucha after brewing. Just pour the brew into bottles that can handle pressure from CO2 build-up. Plastic bottles can work well for this since they flex with the pressure. Certain glass bottles that are designed for carbonated beverages can work (avoid thin glass as the pressure from the CO2 can cause glass to break). You can also add a little ginger, or a couple raisins or something like that at time of bottling. Basically, what happens when you bottle is you shut off the kombucha oxygen supply, causing it to go into anaerobic fermentation, where the yeasts ferment the remaining sugars and create CO2 - which is your " fizz " . good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Carbonation is a factor of the activity of the yeast and the amount of dissolved oxygen in the ferment. However too much carbonation during the primary ferment reduces the activity of the bacteria that are responsible for producing the beneficial acids. White tea typically produces more carbonation. more on the category of tea and how they affect the kombucha ferment http://tinyurl.com/2w7wh2 The mother mushroom serves the purpose of forcing the yeast into alcohol production and protecting housing the bacteria. When it sinks it has lost that function. However a new mushroom will always appear on the surface. The bacteria need surface oxygen to produce. The thickness of the new mushroom is inversely related to the percentage of the acetic acid produced.. .i.e., a thin mushroom will be more vinegary (higher acetic acid) than a fat mushroom / Time and temperature being relative. [from a 2002 study by Soh and Lee, Production of Microbial Cellulose and Acids in Kombucha] Store bought stuff is in bottles and undergoing a second ferment You can do the same by bottling. http://tinyurl.com/3amyz7. Besides bottling you can create numerous super elixirs, such as kombucha champagne, a dry or (more) sugar-free, diabetic friendly kombucha without the sourness, or add flavors and medicinal herbs, and more in a Second Stage Ferment http://tinyurl.com/2k5o3o Merry Christmas & Peace to all Ed Kasper LAc. & family www.HappyHerbalist.com ........................................ What am I doing wrong? Posted by: " Irina " sleduuschaya@... kidscottonknits Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:14 pm (PST) My kombucja is not turning out all bubbly and " carbonated " as the one I buy at Whole Foods I use White Tea though, could that be a reason? May be not enough sugar? (150g for 2 liters of tea)? Also I am reading here that baby scoby is NOT supposed to float on top? Is that so? Because mine does... Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Carbonation is a factor of the activity of the yeast and the amount of dissolved oxygen in the ferment. However too much carbonation during the primary ferment reduces the activity of the bacteria that are responsible for producing the beneficial acids. White tea typically produces more carbonation. more on the category of tea and how they affect the kombucha ferment http://tinyurl.com/2w7wh2 The mother mushroom serves the purpose of forcing the yeast into alcohol production and protecting housing the bacteria. When it sinks it has lost that function. However a new mushroom will always appear on the surface. The bacteria need surface oxygen to produce. The thickness of the new mushroom is inversely related to the percentage of the acetic acid produced.. .i.e., a thin mushroom will be more vinegary (higher acetic acid) than a fat mushroom / Time and temperature being relative. [from a 2002 study by Soh and Lee, Production of Microbial Cellulose and Acids in Kombucha] Store bought stuff is in bottles and undergoing a second ferment You can do the same by bottling. http://tinyurl.com/3amyz7. Besides bottling you can create numerous super elixirs, such as kombucha champagne, a dry or (more) sugar-free, diabetic friendly kombucha without the sourness, or add flavors and medicinal herbs, and more in a Second Stage Ferment http://tinyurl.com/2k5o3o Merry Christmas & Peace to all Ed Kasper LAc. & family www.HappyHerbalist.com ........................................ What am I doing wrong? Posted by: " Irina " sleduuschaya@... kidscottonknits Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:14 pm (PST) My kombucja is not turning out all bubbly and " carbonated " as the one I buy at Whole Foods I use White Tea though, could that be a reason? May be not enough sugar? (150g for 2 liters of tea)? Also I am reading here that baby scoby is NOT supposed to float on top? Is that so? Because mine does... Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Wow! that explains quite a bit! Thank you so much everybody! > > Carbonation is a factor of the activity of the yeast... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 Wow! that explains quite a bit! Thank you so much everybody! > > Carbonation is a factor of the activity of the yeast... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2008 Report Share Posted April 15, 2008 , I am in TX also. I got my grains last week, I think it was. They are working their thing, I guess. I could not make cottage cheese out of the kefir I am getting I don't think. BUT then I don't know. I am sorta new at all this, I had some kefir in the past and goofed it up so got me some more from our Marilyn, Where in TX are you? Waiting to see what Marilyn comes back with. Maybe I am doing mine wrong too.......... Rita Marilyn, I'm on my third batch of milk and kefir grains and I do not see any evidence of kefir appearing. The milk is slightly sour, like kefir, but the consistency of the milk is unchanged with the exception of small curdles throughout the milk. I am using organic, pasteurized 2% milk and am exchanging the milk every 24 hours. I strain the milk in a colander and remove the larger pieces of kefir grains, place them into a fresh container of milk and wait another 24 hours. I am in Texas, however, its been pleasant here---neither too hot or too cool...so, this isn't a factor. Please help---as I hate wasting the milk, nearly a gallon now. I am sure I'm leaving out an important step?? Thanks, Kelsei's Creations Soap Molds, Tamanu Oil, Monoi Oil, Unrefined Shea Butter, Handmade Soaps and Other http://www.kelseiscreations.com Join Our Group www./group/kelseiscreations/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 15, 2008 Report Share Posted April 15, 2008 Hi , The trip through the mail sometimes sets them back. Plus you changed species on them. They are used to goat milk and now you are giving them cows milk and only 2%. You are not doing anything wrong, just different from what they are used to. It takes them a while to " settle in " . It sounds like you are giving them a little more milk than they can handle. One gallon in only three batches? Try giving them three cups of milk at a time instead of five BTW, nothing need go to waste. If your kefir is half done, it is fine for baking purposes.. Marilyn On Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 2:51 PM, Belton <bnoni22@...> wrote: > Marilyn, > > I'm on my third batch of milk and kefir grains and I do not see any > evidence of > kefir appearing. The milk is slightly sour, like kefir, but the > consistency of the milk is unchanged with the exception of small curdles > throughout the milk. I am using organic, pasteurized 2% milk and am > exchanging the milk every 24 hours. I strain the milk in a colander and > remove the larger pieces of kefir grains, place them into a fresh container > of milk and wait another 24 hours. I am in Texas, however, its been pleasant > here---neither too hot or too cool...so, this isn't a factor. Please > help---as I hate wasting the milk, nearly a gallon now. I am sure I'm > leaving out an important step?? > > Thanks, > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 16, 2008 Report Share Posted April 16, 2008 Just excercise some patience. Keep giving them regular milk changes and as Marilyn says, a little less milk. And the milk isnt really wasted. I drank all of the batches that I made even though they were pretty much watery to start. There is still some really good stuff in it. I thought that the watery version was a good way of introducing my body to kefir anyway. When we were kids at home learning to cook my Mom always said we could try cooking anything we wanted. The only rule was that we had to eat what we made. I still go by that. You can still kick it up with a little cinnamon and raw honey or anything you fancy if the taste isnt quite to your liking yet. Enjoy, it's part of the learning process. .....sharon , I am in TX also. I got my grains last week, I think it was. They are working their thing, I guess. I could not make cottage cheese out of the kefir I am getting I don't think. BUT then I don't know. I am sorta new at all this, I had some kefir in the past and goofed it up so got me some more from our Marilyn, Where in TX are you? Waiting to see what Marilyn comes back with. Maybe I am doing mine wrong too.......... Rita Marilyn, I'm on my third batch of milk and kefir grains and I do not see any evidence of kefir appearing. The milk is slightly sour, like kefir, but the consistency of the milk is unchanged with the exception of small curdles throughout the milk. I am using organic, pasteurized 2% milk and am exchanging the milk every 24 hours. I strain the milk in a colander and remove the larger pieces of kefir grains, place them into a fresh container of milk and wait another 24 hours. I am in Texas, however, its been pleasant here---neither too hot or too cool...so, this isn't a factor. Please help---as I hate wasting the milk, nearly a gallon now. I am sure I'm leaving out an important step?? Thanks, Kelsei's Creations Soap Molds, Tamanu Oil, Monoi Oil, Unrefined Shea Butter, Handmade Soaps and Other http://www.kelseiscreations.com Join Our Group www./group/kelseiscreations/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 22, 2008 Report Share Posted December 22, 2008 Hi , You have not given your kefir grains enough milk from the get go so now it is getting worse. They are running out of food way before you are straining. The 30 hour ferment made them wait way too long for their next meal so naturally it separated again. But don't worry, your kefir grains will be fine. Read on. You see, the reason it is separating is because it is too acidic. It is too acidic because the kefir grains have used up all the milk sugar. You are making cheese. That's why you are getting curds and whey instead of nice thick kefir. The amount of kefir grains I sent you were making a quart of kefir per day for me. By now they should be up to a half gallon of milk per day. I bet you aren't giving them near that amount of milk. #7 of the instructions says to taste the kefir you just made and adjust the milk for the next batch. You can remove some kefir grains from the jar if it is too sour. What I don't say is don't pay attention to the consistency. When you get it to taste right, that is, not too sour, the consistency will be right, nice and smooth. You never want to wait until it gets thick after it has already started separating. Once it is over done it will never get thick. It is separating. If it is separating it is too sour. So you need more milk or less kefir grains. You can rinse them with water to wash away some of that excess yeast. Rinse before every new batch. Be sure to taste it every time so you know when it isn't necessary to rinse any more. Thanks for the question. Marilyn ------------------------------------------------------- I apologize in advance if other newbies have posted this same question but I am rather frustrated that something that I was under the impression would be so simple to do is turning out to not be working so well for me. I got grains from Marilyn, the first time I added organic 2% cows milk and by the next day it had separated into thick curds on top, white milk in the middle, lots of yellow liquid a the bottom. Marilyn told me I let it go too long. So washed off the grains as Marilyn told me to and I started over. 24 hours later there were curds on top but the milk below was exactly the same consistency as it was when I added it. So I am assuming this was not right either. I thought maybe I should have let them go longer. So day 3 I let them sit for 30 hours and it's the same thing, thick curds on top with normal milk texture white liquid below. Is this the way it is supposed to be? I thought that the liquid portion was supposed to thicken.?? And I'm not sure what plain homemade kefir is supposed to smell like but my mixture has a yeasty smell. Can someone point me in the direction of a straight forward explanation of how to do this right? I am getting discouraged. I just feel like I'm wasting a lot of milk and getting no kefir out of the effort. I really want this to work so I can stop buying store bought kefir. Thank you, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 22, 2008 Report Share Posted December 22, 2008 Hi , It is time to get used to tasting your kefir straight. How else will you know how much milk to put over the next batch or if you need to remove kefir grains from the jar? Taste is the best way. Just start doing it. When you get used to tasting every batch and then associate that taste with how your culture jar looks before straining, you'll know why your kefir is the way it is. Taste really tells all. Don't worry about perfect kefir. Who cares? Some batches will be better than others. Some will be more sour. So what? It's all good. So enjoy it. Marilyn ----------------------------------------------------- Hi Marilyn- Thank you for your detailed reply, I really appreciate it especially knowing you have likely said all this a hundred times over. So basic question: should the kefir grains/curds be mixed evenly throughout the milk when it is done? If they have risen to the top but no apparent clear/yellow liquid present does this mean it is already over done? So if I am to ignore consistency, what will I see visually to tell me that it is time to start seeing if it tastes right for me? And inherent personal problem: since I have only ever used fruit flavored store bought kefir and I have only ever mixed it into a green drink and never drank it straight, nor have I ever drank straight plain kefir, nor am I a yogurt eater, I really have no idea what " perfect " kefir should taste like! What do I do about THAT? Good grief. I don't mean to make this so complicated. I think for Christmas I will ask for a perfect batch of kefir with the knowledge of how to repeat it! :-) Then if my wish comes true I will throw a party! A round of kefir for everyone! :-) hahhaa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 22, 2008 Report Share Posted December 22, 2008 Ok, I'll give it a try again (and again). From what you say about how much these grains produce it sounds like I need to give some of these grains away because there is no way I need that much kefir in a day. I hope to have good news for you soon! Thank you again for your patience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2010 Report Share Posted March 28, 2010 I am on the diet for 3 weeks and I am not feeling so good, I feel bloated and nauseated most of the time because of all the fat I eat. On the first week I only ate eggs, fish, chicken and some veggies. Then, I introduced pork and bacon and reduced my veggie servings to the point that there are days when I eat only garlic and spring onions and days when I don't eat veggies at all. Is it good not to eat veggies? Cause I read carbs are not necessary for our health, that's why I wanna limit them. So I started eating bacon, and I mean a lot, like maybe 200g a day. Is this too much? Although I haven't found unsmoked, I prepare it the way it's recommended in an older post, soak it in salt water for at least 24 hours. Since introducing all this fat, I feel very bloated all the time, compared to the time when I was eating fish and chicken. And of course, acne came more powerful than ever... I hadn't have not one single day without at least a pimple to show up, not even when I gave up birth control pills my face didn't look this bad (it is a known fact that when giving up on those, acne worsens). I never wanted to be one of those people who say too much fat causes acne, but here I am asking the same question. I know my body releases toxins through acne, but isn't it possible that it flushes out also extra fat through my pores if he doesn't need so much of it? And the question remains for cellulite also, cause I don't exercise now, so the fat just remains unused in my body. What should I do? To continue eating fatty meals, even butter? Cause I don't like the taste of coconut oil, I only eat 3 teaspoons a day, that's why I'm thinking to substitute it with butter till I can tolerate more. Or to eat only fish and chicken? Cause I didn't have so severe acne reactions then. How often and in what amounts is it safe/healthy to eat bacon, butter and liver? I never counted calories, grams, cause I have always been skinny, so I don't do it now either. I just eat like I said, mostly bacon, fatty meat, eggs and almost no veggies. What do you say, Bee, am I doing wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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