Re: another question for joanna

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi Joanna,

>

> I used to have some water grains which worked perfectly, but I

managed to

> 'lose' them when I was away for a couple of weeks (they

never 'came back'

> properly). I've now tried 2 other batches and have had no success

and still

> don't know what my problem is. (Marilyn and I have both been

trying to

> figure it out.) The first batch started growing mucousy-feeling

stuff which

> looked like feathers or little hairs on each grain - they

obviously got

> infected with something. The second batch always ended up with

long strands

> floating above the grains, some attached, some floating loosely in

the

> water.

>

> I finally gave up and tossed out that batch too, but Marilyn is now

> wondering whether what I had the second time was just yeast - she

says she's

> seen that too on her healthy grains. I'm wondering if you've ever

had that?

> There are obviously grains which produce good water kefir in

different ways,

> and I wish I hadn't have given up on these last ones!!! My

original grains

> were different - no cloudyness and nothiing 'growing' on the

grains. These

> strands only appear at about 48 hours of incubation.

>

> I'd love to get back to my water kefir!!

>

> francie

>

> p.s. This is the description that I've just given to Marilyn, to

verify

> that it's yeast that I had: -

> Doesn't look too appetizing.... They're about 1/2 long, whispy-

looking,

> mostly attached to the grains, waving around in the water, of

course. Some

> floating loose in the water too.

>

Hmmm, that is very interesting. (just went to look at my batch) I,

personally, I have never seen any " hairs " growing from my grains but

did notice a couple of little " hairs " floating unatached. Not a lot.

I attribute that to the herbs and things I add to the grains.

Perhaps the hairs were the grains way of " re-sprouting " ? I will pass

your question on to someone who may be a little more knowlegable

about this and get back to you.

I probably would have suggested to keep brewing until the

grains " came back " , giving them loads of un-refined sugar, some

mineral water, egg shells, and sea coral or limestone (if you could

find it).

Joanna

[Guest guest]

I have not found a source for sea coral or limestone but, if I did I

would use them. In fact, later this week I am going to look around

again, there was one place I did not ask and the people at the farm

are very knowledgeable and so nice.

As for the egg shells, gently boil them to kill any bacteria. I also

very carefully remove the 'membrane layer' that is attached to the

shell after boiling, just a gross factor for me. For the mineral,

Montclair would be fine. I use the carbonated kind from the grocery

store, unflavored. Again, nothing special. Heck, I think Montclair

is way better than the stuff I buy!!

I have asked around about the hair question and noone seems to know

or has gotten back to m yet, sorry.

>

> Thanks Joanna,

>

> I agree about the little things floating around - I had that too

when I was

> adding dried apples for each batch. They were just bits of apples

from

> previous batches, I figured. Nothing like these long strands, and

nothing

> attached to the grains..

>

> I did keep on trying, with Marilyn's suggestions, before giving

up - I

> thought that it may have been getting worse. We were aiming for

eliminating

> any unwanted bacteria - using distilled water plus a very mild sea

salt

> solution for minerals, or else my spring water, boiled just in

case it had

> changed and was the culprit. And I was boiling the sugar too, and

rinsing

> in boiled water. No dried fruit - just the very basics to see if

they could

> be cured. (Whereas you'd have added other things...)

>

> I haven't been able to find any good mineral water (tiny town in

quebec),

> although there's Montclair, nothing special - would that do, do

you and

> Marilyn think? Bet there's not much sea coral or limestone around

here

> either! Egg shells I sometimes have - is there a special way to

prepare

> them in order to not introduce any bacteria?

>

> Boy it would be nice to figure this thing out....

>

> thanks again,

> francie

>

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

> > Hmmm, that is very interesting. (just went to look at my batch)

I,

> > personally, I have never seen any " hairs " growing from my grains

but

> > did notice a couple of little " hairs " floating unatached. Not a

lot.

> > I attribute that to the herbs and things I add to the grains.

> > Perhaps the hairs were the grains way of " re-sprouting " ? I will

pass

> > your question on to someone who may be a little more knowlegable

> > about this and get back to you.

> >

> > I probably would have suggested to keep brewing until the

> > grains " came back " , giving them loads of un-refined sugar, some

> > mineral water, egg shells, and sea coral or limestone (if you

could

> > find it).

> >

> > Joanna

>

[Guest guest]

Did you by chance take a picture of the grains with hairs? I'm

interested to see what it looks like.

Joanna

>

>

> Don't apologize, Joanna - I'm very happy that you have people to

ask!

> Although I'm beginning to think that I'm the only one in the world

who's had

> this. Marilyn's yeast sounds different from whatever I had going

on.

> Thanks for the answers re sea coral etc. If I try again I'll get

some

> Montclair.

>

> thanks again,

> francie

>

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

> From: " granolajojo " <granolajojo@...>

> Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 1:04 AM

>

>

> >I have not found a source for sea coral or limestone but, if I

did I

> > would use them. In fact, later this week I am going to look

around

> > again, there was one place I did not ask and the people at the

farm

> > are very knowledgeable and so nice.

> >

> > As for the egg shells, gently boil them to kill any bacteria. I

also

> > very carefully remove the 'membrane layer' that is attached to

the

> > shell after boiling, just a gross factor for me. For the mineral,

> > Montclair would be fine. I use the carbonated kind from the

grocery

> > store, unflavored. Again, nothing special. Heck, I think

Montclair

> > is way better than the stuff I buy!!

> >

> > I have asked around about the hair question and noone seems to

know

> > or has gotten back to m yet, sorry. --- In

>