Re: PLEASE HELP - MAKING KEFIR

[Guest guest]

@@@@@@@

The grains that I received in the mail looked like mush-up cottage

cheese. I used the one tablespoon that was sent to me with about 3/4

of a quart of raw milk. The consistency of my first batch this

morning was like water with mushed-up cottage cheese. The taste was

medium sour.

Was there something wrong with the grains I received? When I received

them in the mail, I put them in the fridge for 3 days. Did that harm

the grains?

What are they suppose to look like?

Much love,

Pamela

@@@@@@@

The refrigeration wouldn't've hurt the grains at all.

Try gently squeezing parts of the glop. If a piece of something

easily disintegrates without offering any resistance, then it's a

curd. If it offers a rubbery resistance then it's kefir grains and

you're in business. (And don't keep squeezing it!) To make it

easier, you can place your glop in a fine strainer and rinse it in

water. The grains should have a more translucent color than curds.

At their smallest they'd be about the size of a pencil eraser.

Even if you only have one tiny piece of kefir grains, that's enough to

make kefir and after a while you'll have large kefir grains. If

you really only have a tiny amount, it'll take a few hours longer to

make kefir, and it would be best to use a smallish amount of milk,

like a pint.

Mike

SE Pennsylvania

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. --Alan Kay

[Guest guest]

Answers below...

Peace,

Blane

If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom. 8:31b

To ignore the facts does not change that they are the facts. - Andy Rooney

Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right. - Henry Ford

*******************************************************

Pamela

<southallp@yahoo To: RawDairy

.com> cc:

Subject: Re: PLEASE

HELP - MAKING KEFIR

08/23/2004 07:56

PM

Please respond

to RawDairy

Hi Everybody!

The grains that I received in the mail looked like mush-up cottage cheese.

I used the one tablespoon that was sent to me with about 3/4 of a quart of

raw milk. The consistency of my first batch this morning was like water

with mushed-up cottage cheese. The taste was medium sour. All you

need/needed to do was shake it up, which really needs to be done every

couple of hours, if possible. Taste sounds right.

Was there something wrong with the grains I received? Not at all. When I

received them in the mail, I put them in the fridge for 3 days. Did that

harm the grains? No harm at all. That's where I keep my grains (in milk)

when I am low on milk.

What are they suppose to look like? Something like translucent

cauliflower. I have had just one tiny 'pearl' of a grain (smaller than a

BB) fished out before, but if you miss them, it won't hurt anything. I

don't EVER rinse my grains, unless I drop them on the floor or on the

counter. There is no need except in extreme circumstances. The curds will

look a lot like cottage cheese. They crush if you sweeze them, where a

kefir grain will be rubbery and bounce back. Here's the 'holy grail' of

kefir (and kombucha, for those that are interested):

http://ftp.newave.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html

[Guest guest]

So sorry, but I had formatted in color, and it didn't come across. I have

reformatted below...

Peace,

Blane

If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom. 8:31b

To ignore the facts does not change that they are the facts. - Andy Rooney

Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right. - Henry Ford

*******************************************************

****************

****************

The grains that I received in the mail looked like mush-up cottage cheese.

I used the one tablespoon that was sent to me with about 3/4 of a quart of

raw milk. The consistency of my first batch this morning was like water

with mushed-up cottage cheese. The taste was medium sour.

****************

All you need/needed to do was shake it up, which really needs to be done

every couple of hours, if possible. Taste sounds right.

****************

****************

Was there something wrong with the grains I received?

****************

Not at all.

****************

****************

When I received them in the mail, I put them in the fridge for 3 days.

Did that harm the grains?

****************

No harm at all. That's where I keep my grains (in milk) when I am low on

milk.

****************

****************

What are they suppose to look like?

****************

Something like translucent cauliflower. I have had just one tiny 'pearl'

of a grain (smaller than a BB) fished out before, but if you miss them, it

won't hurt anything. I don't EVER rinse my grains, unless I drop them on

the floor or on the counter. There is no need except in extreme

circumstances. The curds will look a lot like cottage cheese. They crush

if you squeeze them, where a kefir grain will be rubbery and bounce back.

Here's the 'holy grail' of kefir (and kombucha, for those that are

interested):

http://ftp.newave.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html

[Guest guest]

Hey Pamela,

Sounds right to me. The grains look like mushed up cottage cheese

curds. They can stay in the fridge for up to a week and a half or so

if they are in enough milk (enough to cover and then some). A medium

sour taste is fine. If you want it more sour, then let it ferment

longer.

You're on the right track. Take good care of your grains. As someone

who shares them when I have enough, just know that someone went to a

lot of trouble to keep them, grow them, and send them to you.

It's a labor of love for sure.

On Aug 23, 2004, at 11:41 PM, RawDairy wrote:

> Message: 12

> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2004 17:56:57 -0700 (PDT)

>

> Subject: Re: PLEASE HELP - MAKING KEFIR

>

> Hi Everybody!

>

> The grains that I received in the mail looked like mush-up cottage

> cheese. I used the one tablespoon that was sent to me with about 3/4

> of a quart of raw milk. The consistency of my first batch this

> morning was like water with mushed-up cottage cheese. The taste was

> medium sour.

>

> Was there something wrong with the grains I received? When I received

> them in the mail, I put them in the fridge for 3 days. Did that harm

> the grains?

>

> What are they suppose to look like?

>

> Much love,

>

> Pamela

[Guest guest]

Hey Pamela,

Sounds right to me. The grains look like mushed up cottage cheese

curds. They can stay in the fridge for up to a week and a half or so

if they are in enough milk (enough to cover and then some). A medium

sour taste is fine. If you want it more sour, then let it ferment

longer.

You're on the right track. Take good care of your grains. As someone

who shares them when I have enough, just know that someone went to a

lot of trouble to keep them, grow them, and send them to you.

It's a labor of love for sure.

On Aug 23, 2004, at 11:41 PM, RawDairy wrote:

> Message: 12

> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2004 17:56:57 -0700 (PDT)

>

> Subject: Re: PLEASE HELP - MAKING KEFIR

>

> Hi Everybody!

>

> The grains that I received in the mail looked like mush-up cottage

> cheese. I used the one tablespoon that was sent to me with about 3/4

> of a quart of raw milk. The consistency of my first batch this

> morning was like water with mushed-up cottage cheese. The taste was

> medium sour.

>

> Was there something wrong with the grains I received? When I received

> them in the mail, I put them in the fridge for 3 days. Did that harm

> the grains?

>

> What are they suppose to look like?

>

> Much love,

>

> Pamela

[Guest guest]

At their smallest they'd be about the size of a pencil eraser.

Ummm, actually, at their smallest, I have found them to be the size of

a grain of couscous. Very tiny. That's how they start out and then

they grow.

[Guest guest]

At their smallest they'd be about the size of a pencil eraser.

Ummm, actually, at their smallest, I have found them to be the size of

a grain of couscous. Very tiny. That's how they start out and then

they grow.

[Guest guest]

Hi Pamela,

I think it would depend on how long they came into contact with the

metal spoon. If you still have them they are probably fine. In my

experience, it's when they sit a long time in the metal, that they melt

away, as in they are just gone in a goo down the drain.

The plastic strainer should be fine, but just be sure that the hole are

small enough. Sometimes the plastic ones have holes that allow a lot

of grains to slip through undetected. Anyway, if you still have grains

they should be fine if that's all that happened.

On Aug 24, 2004, at 7:03 PM, RawDairy wrote:

> Message: 7

> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:34:26 -0700 (PDT)

>

> Subject: Re: Re: Re: PLEASE HELP - MAKING KEFIR

>

> Hi ,

>

> The grains did come in contact with a metal spoon. Are they all

> ruined?

>

> I had more than double the amount of curd-like substance that I

> received as kefir grains.

>

> I strained the grains thru a plastic funnel.

>

> Much love,

> Pamela

[Guest guest]

Hi Pamela,

It is perfectly okay, healthy even, to consume the kefir grains. Dom

even recommends eating a couple of grains a week for optimum benefit.

With the amount of kefir grains you say you have (about 1 tablespoon) I

would only use 1 cup of milk. If, after 24 hours. there has been no

activity or fermenting going on at all, then I would just start over

and order new kefir grains from people who share them. Be sure you

don't have too much milk for the amount of grains you have. A good

rule of thumb is 1 tbs. to 1 cup of milk. If your ratio is way off

(like 3 or 4 cups of milk to 1 tbs. grains), then it won't look like

there is much activity but there really is. Make sure that is right so

you can make the right decision about your dead or alive grains.

With regards to whether you can drink the milk that has been sitting

out. If it is raw milk that has been sitting, yes, you can. It may

taste a little funny but it is certainly healthy since it is raw milk.

Raw milk becomes something better as it sours and clabbers--more

beneficial bacteria forming. However, if you are using pasteurized

milk for your kefir, do not drink it after it has been sitting out as

that is putrid. Pasteurized milk becomes something worse as it sits

out.

Hope this helps,

On Aug 25, 2004, at 6:05 AM, RawDairy wrote:

> Message: 10

> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 19:16:15 -0700 (PDT)

>

> Subject: Re: Re: PLEASE HELP - MAKING KEFIR

>

> Hi ,

>

> I am 'brewing' some more kefir on my counter. I used the grains from

> my first batch. It has been 8 hours and there isn't much fermenting

> going on.

>

> You said that sometimes the plastic funnels have holes that allow a lot

> of grains to slip through undetected. It's not a problem if some

> grains slip thru, is it? It's ok to drink them, right?

>

> I just don't know if I have kefir grains.

>

> Question: let's say I don't have any grains left and the milk is just

> sitting on the counter without any grains for 24 hours. Would the milk

> be ok to drink?

>

> Much love,

> Pamela

>