water kefir and lemon...observations...and more questions...

February 16, 2008

With all the mineral,limestone,eggshell and lemon experiments going

on.. here is another observation to ponder. lynn, if you remember

we have had some discussions about lemon and water kefir grains. You

kept me from killing off my grains at the midnight hour. I know for a

fact that just a few more hours of lemon exposure and my grains were

going to be history. However, just for grins Mainly because I like

lemon,I have started adding chunks of lemon in the bottles of finished

water kefir. W....O....W...it is so fizzy... it will take 8 to 10

attempts (maybe more) at opening the bottle without foam going

everywhere! After you finally get it open it is VERY good...so I guess

my question now is...why does the lemon (organic of course) work so

well with a second ferment? The same exact critters are present in the

second ferment. So... it apears that the acid from the lemon is

destroying the mineral structure of the grains... but they like it. I

am sure that if you didn't burp these bottles OFTEN, 24 hrs would burst

them for sure! I need to get this batch drank in a hurry... it's a lot

of trouble. FYI

Don

February 17, 2008

Hi Don,

This was so much fun to read.

I don't know why lemon makes it so fizzy. It might have something to do with

creating yeast. It is really good to know that so now people can have their

cake and eat it too and not harm their water grains. I will repeat that

experiment and if it is the same for me I will add that to my instructions.

Right now I'm telling people I have low yeast water grains so you will not

get a fizzy drink.

Do you have kombucha, Don? It would be interesting to put a little lemon

juice or a chunk of lemon in the second fermentation jar and see what

happens. It might be trouble though. I'll do it in #1 plastic only. Your

common water bottles.

The way to open the bottle is to have ready a deep container to pour it

into. And do it over the sink.

Marilyn

On Feb 16, 2008 10:00 PM, lostriverrisin <lostriverrisin@...> wrote:

> With all the mineral,limestone,eggshell and lemon experiments going

> on.. here is another observation to ponder. lynn, if you remember

> we have had some discussions about lemon and water kefir grains. You

> kept me from killing off my grains at the midnight hour. I know for a

> fact that just a few more hours of lemon exposure and my grains were

> going to be history. However, just for grins Mainly because I like

> lemon,I have started adding chunks of lemon in the bottles of finished

> water kefir. W....O....W...it is so fizzy... it will take 8 to 10

> attempts (maybe more) at opening the bottle without foam going

> everywhere! After you finally get it open it is VERY good...so I guess

> my question now is...why does the lemon (organic of course) work so

> well with a second ferment? The same exact critters are present in the

> second ferment. So... it apears that the acid from the lemon is

> destroying the mineral structure of the grains... but they like it. I

> am sure that if you didn't burp these bottles OFTEN, 24 hrs would burst

> them for sure! I need to get this batch drank in a hurry... it's a lot

> of trouble. FYI

> Don

>

February 17, 2008

Yes...I have water kefir, milk kefir and kombucha. Right now 4 gallons + KT

brewing. Fizzy.... might not be a correct description. You try it. It took a

few days for this.... whatever to really get going. Bottles.... I have been

using 12 ounce plastic pepsi bottles with screw on plastic lids. They will hold

the pressure. They are handy. wash them out, rinse and refill again and again.

Funny thing about KT.....I don't seem to like the taste if I add very much to it

ie.dried fruit,rasins etc. It seems like as a whole, adding dryed fruit of

almost any type gives any and all of this a " I was just sick at my stomach " YUK!

after taste. That is what I do not like especially with the dryed apricots. I

bought goji berries. I tried eating a few...maybe just me but I didn't see any

taste at all????? I WILL find something I like eventually and something that

makes these still grow well. For me the lemon second ferment may be the answer.

That is pretty tasty!

Don

Marilyn Kefirlady <marilynjarz@...> wrote: