Re: Kefir soupy and separated after 36 hours

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I just wanted to report that my first kefir batch was not necessarily a success.

I left it some extra 8 hours after the customary 24, because it was not

fermented enough and nowhere close to thick. Just some slightly sour milk. The

next day I checked and the milk was hardly any thicker but it was now separated:

some yogurt like substance in an almost transparent base.

Is this the well known " separation into curds and whey " ? (excuse the ignorance).

I poured out the kefir (more like a milky separated substance), placed the

grains back in the jar and poured some more milk over them for another batch. I

will go to the store and get some regular whole milk this time. Any other advice

you may have for me? Thank you so much!

Cristina

From: jdpro@...

Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2011 20:23:41 -0700

Subject: Re: New kefir grains NOT fermenting yet as I

approach 24 hours! Kindly help!

Hi ,

You can try reducing the amount of milk you're giving them. Put them in a

glass and add a small amount of milk (just enough to cover or float the

grains). Wait 24 hours then check again. If there is still no change,

strain and add milk again, but maybe try regular milk. Sometimes people have

difficulty with the organic milk but I'm not sure why. I use regular

pasteurized homogenized whole milk and they do great.

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

From: " csgheorghiu " <csgheorghiu@...>

Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 2:59 PM

< >

Subject: New kefir grains NOT fermenting yet as I

approach 24 hours! Kindly help!

[Guest guest]

Hi Cristina,

> ... it was now separated: some yogurt like substance

> in an almost transparent base.

> Is this the well known " separation into curds and whey " ?

Yes, the 'yogurt like substance' is milk curds and the clear liquid at the

bottom is whey. Milk has two types of protein that separate like that during

the fermentation: whey protein and casein.

>

> I poured out the kefir (more like a milky separated substance),

> placed the grains back in the jar and poured some more milk over

> them for another batch. I will go to the store and get some regular

> whole milk this time. Any other advice you may have for me?

When I got my kefir grains it took more than 2 months for them to start

making a consistent thickened kefir. It would just go from a watery sort of

soured milk to a separated curds/whey without thickening at all. I put mine

in a smaller amount of milk and changed it out daily until one day it gelled

the milk instead of just turning it to curds and whey. Be patient, they will

come around and you will get the hang of it.