Re: Stomach upset/indigestion/burping after my first cup of homemade kefir

[Guest guest]

Thank you everyone for your advice and guidance so far.

To continue with my beginner-adventures and related questions...now to top it

all off, I

seem to have gotten stomach upset/indigestion/burping from my first cup of kefir

this morning.

What should I do?

I really don't want to give it up because I hope to solve my

intestinal-related problem in the long run (Candida); but then again, I

don't want to gain indigestion/burn/stomach upset problems either.

I am 100% sure that this was the culprit as I didn't eat anything unusual today

and my diet has been very healthy over the past three months or so.

In fact, I have only extremely rarely had stomach/indigestion problems,

none in recent memory (over the past five years) - even when I was eating very

baddy-baddy

foods.

I read somewhere that, when starting on homemade kefir, you should start

with small doses and build up gradually to avoid stomach upset.

I think I had slightly more than a

cup today.

Do you think I overdid it for my first time? I thought I was

already " primed " with Lifeway but if that is not REAL kefir, perhaps it

wasn't doing much anyway.

Finally, I took the kefir grains out of the refrigerator (after having them in

there for about 8 hours) as soon as I

heard it is not OK to keep them in there AT ALL; but then again, they

seem to require too much milk every day and I don't need to produce that

much right now. Is it OK to sometimes keep the kefir grains on the

counter WITHOUT milk for a day or two?

Or is the only solution getting

rid of some of the grains regularly to decrease production and continue to feed

them milk every day?

It can get a bit pricey this way.

Thank you so much!

Cristina

CC:

From: happyheartmom@...

Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2011 23:11:15 +0000

Subject: Re: Taking a few days break: what to do with the

kefir grains in the meantime?

Hi ,

I was told by a local commercial producer of delicious kefir and yogurt that

the commerical kefirs contain Lactobacilis (sp?) which is not a natural

component of the kefir we make from scratch with grains.

The molecular makeup of this culture has a longer structure, therefore will

result in creamier mouth feel and consistancy like Lifeway. They also add tiny

amounts of inulin for this particular bacillis' benefit - as it helps stabilize

or nourish it in the lower intestine where it supposedly acts as a pro-biotic.

Inulin apparently isn't needed for the cultural makeup of the kefir we make from

scratch from grains.

I have extra kefirs I have been keeping in the refrigerator and change the milk

about once a week - and I drink that kefir also. I am afraid of somehow losing

them and am somewhat curious how long I can do this. My grains grow very

quickly.

Others on this list have much more experience than I do and have special

preferences. I always shake any whey up and drink everything because the whey

is supposed to have important vitimins also. And I cover the jar with a paper

bag to keep it dark in an effort to preserve vitamins also.

If people want to add sugar and blend in frozen fruit, I imagine they would have

the tastiest, most healthy version of ice cream possible although the

unsweetened kefir is fine for me.

Hope this helps.

h from Eugene, Oregon

I got interested in making kefir from scratch because I noticed an over-all

improvement in my health and energy levels drinking just the commerical kefir

brands - unsweetend. But not only was this expensive for me, I've always been

interested in traditional ways of doing things and delight in realizing kefir

was actually a way of preserving milk long before refrigerators.

I purchase 1% milk from our local Dairy Mart which uses milk from Oregon. It

does not have any growth or antibiotics in it. My kefir grains thrive in it but

as a living thing, each day it will be different. Each day there will be

slightly more grains cultivation or variation of temps, etc. But I have never

had to throw any away.

I often add either freeze-dried or frozen unsweetend fruit, some cinnamon, some

vanilla and blend it up. Most of the milk I drink now is kefir which probably

helps save the pancreas as some, if not most of the natural sugars in milk are

predigested.

New kefir grains NOT fermenting yet as I approach

24 hours! Kindly help!

Dear kefir makers,

I am completely new to kefir making and I would appreciate some advise.

Yesterday I received new kefir grains from lin and I followed the

instructions she provided. I used organic PASTEURIZED (not ULTRA pasteurized!!)

milk from Trader Joe's and left the jar on my counter in the kitchen at about

67-68F room temperature.

As I am approaching the 24 h mark, I have noticed that the milk is nowhere close

to fermenting. The kefir grains just sit in the jar but the milk is still just

milk. I even tasted a little bit and there is no trace of fermentation in it.

My question is: now what?

First I should specify that I am in Massachisetts in the middle of serious

winter. I found my kefir grains in the mail box so they certainly sat out there

in the cold for a few good hours. When I entered the house with them, I placed

them in the fridge as I could not proceed with the kefir making at that very

moment.

They stayed in the fridge for another couple of hours.

Why do you think things are not working yet and what should I do?

Do you think the kefir grains are still trying to come around to room

temperature or that they are still " comatose " from all the cold they've been

through?

Could it be that my room temperature is not high enough for fermentation to

begin?

Could it be that the milk is not good? It says " pasteurized " on it (NOT UP) but

it is also organic - and I heard that many organic milks are pasteurized close

to " UP " levels, even if it says only " pasteurized " on them. I just didn't want

to do my first kefir with regular milk full of estrogens and antibiotics.

What advise do you have for me? Should I wait beyond the 24 hours to see what

happens?

Any input would be highly appreciated!

Cristina

[Guest guest]

Hi Cristina,

> I read somewhere that, when starting on homemade kefir, you should start

> with small doses and build up gradually to avoid stomach upset.

I don't know if it is for homemade kefir only, just kefir in general. It

would be unusual if you tolerate the commercial product just fine but not

the kefir made with grains. Let us know more details about exactly how you

are culturing your milk. It would help to know the following:

What kind of milk and what temperature is the milk?

How much milk?

How much grains (measure in tablespoons or teaspoons) and can you describe

what your grains look like?

What kind of container?

How did your homemade kefir smell and taste compared to the Lifeway brand?

The texture can vary but it should have that refreshing and clean smell and

taste.

> Finally, I took the kefir grains out of the refrigerator (after having

> them in there for about 8 hours) as soon as I

> heard it is not OK to keep them in there AT ALL; but then again, they

> seem to require too much milk every day and I don't need to produce that

> much right now. Is it OK to sometimes keep the kefir grains on the

> counter WITHOUT milk for a day or two?

It's perfectly fine to let the grains sit IN MILK on the counter for a few

days. Actually there are differences of opinion on whether they are okay

left in the refrigerator for a time. Many people do it without any problems.

It will slow down the production of your kefir. I have done it and it can

change the balance of the grains after a while, but a few days isn't really

a problem. It would be much worse to have them sitting out without milk.

I am the only one in my house who drinks milk kefir, and I only make enough

for me each day. This makes it easier to manage so I don't make more than

needed. I put about one teaspoon of grains in about 6 ounces of milk

straight from the refrigerator. It sits in a 8 oz glass on the counter with

a glass cover. After 24 hours, it thickens into a nice sort of yogurty

gelled texture and is mildly tart, not separated. I strain it into another

glass, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the next day when I

drink it. The grains get another glass of milk and go back to their spot on

the counter. This way I have a glass in the fridge ready to drink after it

ripens, and one on the counter fermenting. When the grains multiply, my

daughter or I will eat them, or I will let them continue to grow until I

have enough to give away.

[Guest guest]

I'd be interested to know more about pros/cons of kefiring in the

refrigerator - d'Entremont wrote " Don't refrigerate your grains as

they don't do well " and Cristina says " ... I took the kefir grains out of

the refrigerator (after having them in there for about 8 hours) as soon as I

heard it is not OK to keep them in there AT ALL; but then again, they seem

to require too much milk every day and I don't need to produce that much

right now. Is it OK to sometimes keep the kefir grains on the counter

WITHOUT milk for a day or two? Or is the only solution getting rid of some

of the grains regularly to decrease production and continue to feed them

milk every day? It can get a bit pricey this way. "

Whats the deal with kefiring in the fridge? What does mean " they

don't do well " ? I have too many grains myself right now, and kefir enough

for one cup out on the counter at room temp but keep the rest of the grains

in the fridge with the ratio of 1 spoonful kefir grains:1 Cup milk. (this

ratio works great for me at room temp). In my limited experience (September

2010) it kefirs a lot more slowly (2-3 days) but I have been assuming that

product is still kefir. Am I right or wrong? Am I hurting those grains?

Thank you!

Ronna

[Guest guest]

On my " basic " grains, (i.e., those I need to keep going into perpetuity

for us & hopefully on to another generation of kefir-users after we're

" gone " ), I keep them with Marilyn and DOM's " tried and true " advice

which is basically at room temp. for " balanced " grains. There are

" exceptions " allowed on the " tried and true " which is occasionally ..

for very short periods .. greater ratios, different temps, etc. or for

producing " kefiran " or " kefiride " with a little bit of them (i.e., basic

grains) in water. (See exceptions, and alternate recipes, etc. on

DOM's sites, or the archives of Marilyn's. )

Those two have seen a lot of kefir producers come and go, with different

theories and experiments and have answered a lot of questions .. but

when it all comes down to is this ... keep at least a basic amount at as

close to a good room temp as possible. I have appreciated the patience

shown in answering my own " same " questions I asked, & now note others

asking, again and again. The answer is always the same ... " to keep the

yeasts and bacteria in balance " . In balance means proportioned the way

they are meant to be. If they get too cold, certain ones proliferate.

If too warm, others. Different tastes result depending on which way the

" balance " goes. I've tried some various techniques and while the

" experiments " " lived " , some fell out of " balance " such that it took

awhile to revive to propagating (i.e. growing), again.

Marilyn has been more " hands on " the last couple years sharing her

advice steadily with newcomers, but DOM definitely has the website

knowledge in place for anyone who wants to " dig " for his " tried and

true " beyond the basics.

They (Marilyn & Dom both), are experimenters too .. but with " extra "

grains. I continue to be amazed by kefir grains ... and the potential

for different uses and recipes with them ... but I have learned to keep

my basic supply at a good temperature!

Joyce Simmerman