Guest guest Posted March 17, 2011 Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 Can I ferment longer to get the sugars out of my kefir? How long is safe? Thanks! " In a regular ferment of two days (depending on the weather), approx two thirds of the lactose is consumed in the ferment. If you ferment too long you are going to get separation, which ruins the kefir and indeed makes it no longer kefir. So all up, you should not expect in my view, to get more than a two thirds reduction in sugar in your kefir - remember that this is a big reduction.. The Kefir will continue to ferment when you put it in the fridge and that further reduces the sugar content - however if it goes too far, it will become far less palatable, so that 'what you gain on the swings you will then lose on the carousels'. best, Lizzie in Oz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 My kefir always separates.  Some of my fellow kefir makers in Holistic Moms said that was normal, that the stuff you buy in the store doesn't look that way because it's so processed. But I've never really cared for the taste of my home made milk kefir and always just put it in a fruit smoothie so I don't have to taste it. Store kefir is yummy, I can drink that plain, is my kefir supposed to taste like that? Oh no! What have I been doing wrong? Am I getting any health benefit from it at all?  E. Stone Doula, aspiring midwife ~~rockyourbirth@...~~ www.jessimonster.wordpress.com ________________________________ From: Shulama <sofiachristiana@...> Marilyn's Kefir < > Sent: Thu, March 17, 2011 9:54:56 PM Subject: SUGARS OUT OF KEFIR?  Can I ferment longer to get the sugars out of my kefir? How long is safe? Thanks! " In a regular ferment of two days (depending on the weather), approx two thirds of the lactose is consumed in the ferment. If you ferment too long you are going to get separation, which ruins the kefir and indeed makes it no longer kefir. So all up, you should not expect in my view, to get more than a two thirds reduction in sugar in your kefir - remember that this is a big reduction.. The Kefir will continue to ferment when you put it in the fridge and that further reduces the sugar content - however if it goes too far, it will become far less palatable, so that 'what you gain on the swings you will then lose on the carousels'. best, Lizzie in Oz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 I myself have been trying to ferment the kefir right at 24 hours, mainly because I really like the tart taste, as opposed to the the sweet-ish taste that comes out from less fermenting. Anything under 24 h seemed too much like regular milk taste to me. The trouble is that often times, I end up with serious separation. I try to mix really well afterward but it still somewhat separated. I later added more milk for the amount of grains just to make sure there is enough but I also rinsed the grains as they had become too cheesy/curdy from the repeated separations, and they seemed to cause further separation every time. Right after I did this I got the nicest, thickest kefir ever, but now it's starting to separate again, even though I drain before the 24 hours are up. Otherwise, just wanted to add that I am the person who had reported serious stomach upset when I first started making kefir, over a month ago. I first cut way back and had just a little bit every day and now I have no more problems and I love it. Trouble is you get hooked and you have to keep producing as the grains don't wait. :-) It's really the only dairy I like now (aside from milk, which I can also have fine). I get a really weird taste from any yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, etc as a result of a rare condition called Parosmia which I got following an upper-respiratory infection last year and which affects the sense of smell and the taste buds; sadly, it's also not curable but after a while I got used to it. Happily enough, my taste buds gone haywire are really fine with the kefir, but not with other dairy. Cristina From: sofiachristiana@... Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:54:56 +1100 Subject: SUGARS OUT OF KEFIR? Can I ferment longer to get the sugars out of my kefir? How long is safe? Thanks! " In a regular ferment of two days (depending on the weather), approx two thirds of the lactose is consumed in the ferment. If you ferment too long you are going to get separation, which ruins the kefir and indeed makes it no longer kefir. So all up, you should not expect in my view, to get more than a two thirds reduction in sugar in your kefir - remember that this is a big reduction.. The Kefir will continue to ferment when you put it in the fridge and that further reduces the sugar content - however if it goes too far, it will become far less palatable, so that 'what you gain on the swings you will then lose on the carousels'. best, Lizzie in Oz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 Hi , If your kefir separates you are either: (a) letting it ferment too long; or ( using too much grains for the amount of milk. It is normal for the process to result in curds and whey but that isn't what we're looking for when we drink kefir. That's great for making cheese though You're still getting probiotics from your kefir curds and whey. To get a nice thick kefir you will need to experiment with reducing the amount of grains you are using. Right now, because the weather is getting quite warm here, I have had to reduce my grains to less than half a teaspoon to ferment my one cup of milk. This way I have a nice kefir after 24 hours. It's perfect when it is just about to separate, so I adjust the amount of grains so that it can go about 24 hours before separation begins. It doesn't get any disturbance during the fermentation. If the kefir has firmed up and I see a little pocket or two of whey at the bottom that is the best time to remove the grains. After removing the grains I stir and put it in the refrigerator for another 24 hours which thickens it some more and increases the vitamin content. I use whole pasteurized cow's milk and the grains are producing a beautiful, thick, smooth, slightly tangy yogurty kefir. Yum! -------------------------------------------------- From: " Stone " <jessijessibobessy@...> Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 8:47 AM < > Subject: Re: SUGARS OUT OF KEFIR? > My kefir always separates. Some of my fellow kefir makers in Holistic > Moms said > that was normal, that the stuff you buy in the store doesn't look that way > because it's so processed. But I've never really cared for the taste of > my home > made milk kefir and always just put it in a fruit smoothie so I don't have > to taste it. Store kefir is yummy, I can drink that plain, is my kefir > supposed > to taste like that? > Oh no! What have I been doing wrong? Am I getting any health benefit > from it > at all? > E. Stone > > > Doula, aspiring midwife > ~~rockyourbirth@...~~ > > > www.jessimonster.wordpress.com > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Shulama <sofiachristiana@...> > Marilyn's Kefir < > > Sent: Thu, March 17, 2011 9:54:56 PM > Subject: SUGARS OUT OF KEFIR? > > > Can I ferment longer to get the sugars out of my kefir? How long is safe? > Thanks! " > > In a regular ferment of two days (depending on the weather), approx two > thirds > of the lactose is consumed in the ferment. If you ferment too long you are > going > to get separation, which ruins the kefir and indeed makes it no longer > kefir. So > all up, you should not expect in my view, to get more than a two thirds > reduction in sugar in your kefir - remember that this is a big reduction.. > > The Kefir will continue to ferment when you put it in the fridge and that > further reduces the sugar content - however if it goes too far, it will > become > far less palatable, so that 'what you gain on the swings you will then > lose on > the carousels'. > > best, Lizzie in Oz. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 Separating kefir may have at least one other cause, besides over-fermenting or using too much grains. I used to try everything to make my kefir come out right. Separation was only part of the problem; taste was another. After following everyone's advice and being very careful with every factor anyone mentioned, in the end I had to get rid of my grains and start with someone else's. I had thought it was my fault, that I was doing something wrong. However, with these new grains, I never have the separating problem and the taste is better as well as the texture. My guess is the old grains were corrupted slightly. > > Hi , > > If your kefir separates you are either: (a) letting it ferment too long; or > ( using too much grains for the amount of milk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 I travel often and I am away for a week or two at a time. I usually store my grains in milk in the refrigerator while away. Upon returning, I sometimes mix a container of plain yogurt in with the grains and milk and let sit for a day, strain out the grains, add fresh milk and start consuming once this new batch has hatched. I find this method refreshes and renews the grains after being dormant for awhile. Just my own experience. Good Luck Chuck > > > > Hi , > > > > If your kefir separates you are either: (a) letting it ferment too long; or > > ( using too much grains for the amount of milk. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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