Re: Report re bad water grains

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn,

Unfortunately I don't think I'm getting anywhere with my grain problem.

Every day I spend a bit of time picking out the grains with feathers, and

whenever it's time to strain I rinse very thoroughly and toss all the grains

with brown dots, since that seems to be where the feathers are growing.

Sometimes I think I've got them beat, but no - I guess the whole batch has

been infected, and even though I'm getting rid of the worst ones, the others

are all gradually producing these brown spots / feathers. And in the

meantime my batch of grains is getting smaller and smaller... Frustrating.

I don't like throwing them out, but trying to remove the feathers by hand

doesn't seem to work - I've tried that too. I'll keep going, but I think

I'm going to need another batch, I guess once Xmas etc. is over, since I'm

not sure I'll get to a bank before the new year (although tomorrow might

work - I'll try). I hope these'll keep struggling along until then!

francie

Re: Report re bad water grains (was " are my

water grains bad? " )

> I've noticed that apples sometimes make a thick water kefir that I have to

> throw out. I think it is something that comes with the apples. Yeast

> perhaps. Try not using any fruit at all for a few batches.

>

> Since I send them dried, it is never too later to send them because postal

> delays aren't an issue. Can we wait a while first to see if yours recover

> with no fruit in there? Just use sugar water for now, okay?

>

> Marilyn

[Guest guest]

Hi Francie,

The only thing I'm concerned about is if you don't figure out how this

happened it will happen again. I'll send you more water grains tomorrow.

Marilyn

On Dec 17, 2007 2:41 PM, Francie <francieww@...> wrote:

> Hi Marilyn,

>

> Unfortunately I don't think I'm getting anywhere with my grain problem.

> Every day I spend a bit of time picking out the grains with feathers, and

> whenever it's time to strain I rinse very thoroughly and toss all the

> grains

> with brown dots, since that seems to be where the feathers are growing.

> Sometimes I think I've got them beat, but no - I guess the whole batch has

> been infected, and even though I'm getting rid of the worst ones, the

> others

> are all gradually producing these brown spots / feathers. And in the

> meantime my batch of grains is getting smaller and smaller...

> Frustrating.

> I don't like throwing them out, but trying to remove the feathers by hand

> doesn't seem to work - I've tried that too. I'll keep going, but I think

> I'm going to need another batch, I guess once Xmas etc. is over, since I'm

> not sure I'll get to a bank before the new year (although tomorrow might

> work - I'll try). I hope these'll keep struggling along until then!

>

> francie

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn,

I know - I'm very concerned with that too and wish I could figure it out.

I'm very careful with cleaning and with keeping my milk kefir (milk and

implements) away from the water kefir. The only 'recipe' difference this

time was the addition of the salt solution, so I'll leave that out in future

just in case, and I also won't use dried apples, even though they used to

work fine, but I wonder if something happened because of them (after your

experience as well). I'll use raisins instead, or do you think I'd be

better to use nothing at all? Don't want them to starve...

Many thanks for sending me some more grains - so quickly! I'll throw these

out (sadly) and wash everything thoroughly before even opening your package.

francie

-------------------

From: " Marilyn Kefirlady " <marilynjarz@...>

Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 4:56 PM

> Hi Francie,

>

> The only thing I'm concerned about is if you don't figure out how this

> happened it will happen again. I'll send you more water grains tomorrow.

>

> Marilyn

------------------------

> On Dec 17, 2007 2:41 PM, Francie <francieww@...> wrote:

>

>> Hi Marilyn,

>>

>> Unfortunately I don't think I'm getting anywhere with my grain problem.

>> Every day I spend a bit of time picking out the grains with feathers, and

>> whenever it's time to strain I rinse very thoroughly and toss all the

>> grains

>> with brown dots, since that seems to be where the feathers are growing.

>> Sometimes I think I've got them beat, but no - I guess the whole batch

>> has

>> been infected, and even though I'm getting rid of the worst ones, the

>> others

>> are all gradually producing these brown spots / feathers. And in the

>> meantime my batch of grains is getting smaller and smaller...

>> Frustrating.

>> I don't like throwing them out, but trying to remove the feathers by hand

>> doesn't seem to work - I've tried that too. I'll keep going, but I think

>> I'm going to need another batch, I guess once Xmas etc. is over, since

>> I'm

>> not sure I'll get to a bank before the new year (although tomorrow might

>> work - I'll try). I hope these'll keep struggling along until then!

>>

>> francie

[Guest guest]

I like the idea of nothing at all. Sugar and water. Mine do fine on that.

I've been leaving out the fruit lately just for an experiment.. They are

doing great. I still put a squirt of germanium water in there. I've been

leaving out the salt, too.

Marilyn

On Dec 17, 2007 10:09 PM, Francie <francieww@...> wrote:

>

> Hi Marilyn,

>

> I know - I'm very concerned with that too and wish I could figure it out.

> I'm very careful with cleaning and with keeping my milk kefir (milk and

> implements) away from the water kefir. The only 'recipe' difference this

> time was the addition of the salt solution, so I'll leave that out in

> future

> just in case, and I also won't use dried apples, even though they used to

> work fine, but I wonder if something happened because of them (after your

> experience as well). I'll use raisins instead, or do you think I'd be

> better to use nothing at all? Don't want them to starve...

>

> Many thanks for sending me some more grains - so quickly! I'll throw

> these

> out (sadly) and wash everything thoroughly before even opening your

> package.

>

> francie

>

> -------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Okay I'll do that, although I can't find anything like your germanium water.

Oh I forgot that I have trace mineral drops, but I'm pretty sure that I

tried them one day - that's the other different thing that I think I did

which I'm not going to try again! (even though you'd think they'd be fine.)

One question - it may not make any difference at all, but what kind of sugar

are you using now? I've been using plain white sugar with these grains

instead of organic (beige) sugar, mostly so that I can see what they're

doing (the spots..).

---------------------

From: " Marilyn Kefirlady " <marilynjarz@...>

Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 10:32 PM

>I like the idea of nothing at all. Sugar and water. Mine do fine on that.

> I've been leaving out the fruit lately just for an experiment.. They are

> doing great. I still put a squirt of germanium water in there. I've been

> leaving out the salt, too.

>

> Marilyn

>

> On Dec 17, 2007 10:09 PM, Francie <francieww@...> wrote:

>

>>

>> Hi Marilyn,

>>

>> I know - I'm very concerned with that too and wish I could figure it out.

>> I'm very careful with cleaning and with keeping my milk kefir (milk and

>> implements) away from the water kefir. The only 'recipe' difference this

>> time was the addition of the salt solution, so I'll leave that out in

>> future

>> just in case, and I also won't use dried apples, even though they used to

>> work fine, but I wonder if something happened because of them (after your

>> experience as well). I'll use raisins instead, or do you think I'd be

>> better to use nothing at all? Don't want them to starve...

>>

>> Many thanks for sending me some more grains - so quickly! I'll throw

>> these

>> out (sadly) and wash everything thoroughly before even opening your

>> package.

>>

>> francie

[Guest guest]

White sugar is the best.

Marilyn

On Dec 17, 2007 10:50 PM, Francie <francieww@...> wrote:

> Okay I'll do that, although I can't find anything like your germanium

> water.

> Oh I forgot that I have trace mineral drops, but I'm pretty sure that I

> tried them one day - that's the other different thing that I think I did

> which I'm not going to try again! (even though you'd think they'd be

> fine.)

>

> One question - it may not make any difference at all, but what kind of

> sugar

> are you using now? I've been using plain white sugar with these grains

> instead of organic (beige) sugar, mostly so that I can see what they're

> doing (the spots..).

>

> -

[Guest guest]

thanks Marilyn,

francie

Re: Report re bad water grains

> White sugar is the best.

>

> Marilyn

>

> On Dec 17, 2007 10:50 PM, Francie <francieww@...> wrote:

>

>> Okay I'll do that, although I can't find anything like your germanium

>> water.

>> Oh I forgot that I have trace mineral drops, but I'm pretty sure that I

>> tried them one day - that's the other different thing that I think I did

>> which I'm not going to try again! (even though you'd think they'd be

>> fine.)

>>

>> One question - it may not make any difference at all, but what kind of

>> sugar

>> are you using now? I've been using plain white sugar with these grains

>> instead of organic (beige) sugar, mostly so that I can see what they're

>> doing (the spots..).

>>

>> -

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I am a newbie to kefir fermenting, but have done some wine ferments.

One thing we have to be careful of is that some dried fruits, and

packaged juices for drinking contain sodium bisulfite. It is used to

kill yeasts, bacterias and moulds. It is also used in finished wines,

or to stop a wine from further fermantation. Treated fruits or

juices, would I think kill or seriously retard the kefir grains.

There are some others also used.

I would just be careful to use all natural or organic. Check the

label to be sure anyhow.

Sorry to but in, but thought it might be pertinate.

I received milk grains last Fri. and they are already doing 5 qts.

total seperation and sour in 12 hours. From the size of a small pea,

they or at lest some are about 1 1/2 inch long and new ones also.

That was in 4 days now. This is really wonderful and rewarding thing.

I thought it would take weeks to achieve this.

mtnwalker

>

> Hi Marilyn,

>

> Unfortunately I don't think I'm getting anywhere with my grain

problem.

> Every day I spend a bit of time picking out the grains with

feathers, and

> whenever it's time to strain I rinse very thoroughly and toss all

the grains

> with brown dots, since that seems to be where the feathers are

growing.

> Sometimes I think I've got them beat, but no - I guess the whole

batch has

> been infected, and even though I'm getting rid of the worst ones,

the others

> are all gradually producing these brown spots / feathers. And in

the

> meantime my batch of grains is getting smaller and smaller...

Frustrating.

> I don't like throwing them out, but trying to remove the feathers

by hand

> doesn't seem to work - I've tried that too. I'll keep going, but I

think

> I'm going to need another batch, I guess once Xmas etc. is over,

since I'm

> not sure I'll get to a bank before the new year (although tomorrow

might

> work - I'll try). I hope these'll keep struggling along until then!

>

> francie

>

>

>

> Re: Report re bad water grains

(was " are my

> water grains bad? " )

>

>

> > I've noticed that apples sometimes make a thick water kefir that

I have to

> > throw out. I think it is something that comes with the apples.

Yeast

> > perhaps. Try not using any fruit at all for a few batches.

> >

> > Since I send them dried, it is never too later to send them

because postal

> > delays aren't an issue. Can we wait a while first to see if yours

recover

> > with no fruit in there? Just use sugar water for now, okay?

> >

> > Marilyn

>