Re: Re: MK grains growth - Help

[Guest guest]

Read it again. I was leaving my baby food jar go for days and days. My 2 qt jar

gets changed every 24 hrs and it turns to curds and whey every single day. I was

trying to remember to check it sooner, but couldn't get into a habit of that.

Kept forgetting and it would be curds and whey by the time I remembered.

My baby food jar is not starved. Those grains are my prettiest grains. They look

like the grains I see on the internet. I could really just take them and use

them for kefir making, but I want them to increase more first. It took 2 months

for this experiment to show growth, so I suppose it will take a month or two for

the next stage of growth to take place in the new 4 oz jar I have them in.

Lyn

----- Original Message -----

From: " Kim " <kimanjo@...>

Lyn, perhaps you can clarify something: from what I just read of your post,

you are leaving your milk kefir grains to sit for FIVE days, is this right?

If so, then you are leaving your grains for far too long, they are

starving: they are like children who aren't being fed, they don't grow.

Unless you live in a house that is very very cold, like fifty degrees, if

your home temperature is anywhere between 70 and 80 degrees or higher, then

your milk kefir grain are ready to be strained at a maximum of 2 full days

(48 hours). This means you will be straining your milk every other day.

Like, Monday morning and then again Wednesday morning. You will be going

through a lot of milk! Fresh milk will keep the grains fat, happy, and

growing. You will have more and more grains, and unless you buy gallons of

milk you will have to end up eating your excess grains or giving them to

other people or putting them in your garden or your toilet.

Kim

[Guest guest]

" Read it again " ? wow...

Really, you ask people for help, then say " read it again " ?

I did not reply to your post because it was rambling and not really clear.

I wish you the best with your kefir endeavors, but those responding are

trying to help you. Please keep that in mind.

Leo

On Sun, May 13, 2012 at 8:36 PM, <ly.ninwv@...> wrote:

> **

>

>

> Read it again. I was leaving my baby food jar go for days and days. My 2

> qt jar gets changed every 24 hrs and it turns to curds and whey every

> single day. I was trying to remember to check it sooner, but couldn't get

> into a habit of that. Kept forgetting and it would be curds and whey by the

> time I remembered.

>

> My baby food jar is not starved. Those grains are my prettiest grains.

> They look like the grains I see on the internet. I could really just take

> them and use them for kefir making, but I want them to increase more first.

> It took 2 months for this experiment to show growth, so I suppose it will

> take a month or two for the next stage of growth to take place in the new 4

> oz jar I have them in.

>

> Lyn

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: " Kim " <kimanjo@...>

>

> Lyn, perhaps you can clarify something: from what I just read of your

> post,

> you are leaving your milk kefir grains to sit for FIVE days, is this

> right?

> If so, then you are leaving your grains for far too long, they are

> starving: they are like children who aren't being fed, they don't grow.

> Unless you live in a house that is very very cold, like fifty degrees, if

> your home temperature is anywhere between 70 and 80 degrees or higher,

> then

> your milk kefir grain are ready to be strained at a maximum of 2 full days

> (48 hours). This means you will be straining your milk every other day.

> Like, Monday morning and then again Wednesday morning. You will be going

> through a lot of milk! Fresh milk will keep the grains fat, happy, and

> growing. You will have more and more grains, and unless you buy gallons of

> milk you will have to end up eating your excess grains or giving them to

> other people or putting them in your garden or your toilet.

>

> Kim

>

>

[Guest guest]

It's not necessary to put the grains in a clean glass jar every time. There are

lots of tiny baby kefir grains stuck to the jar that want yo grow. You will be

more likely to grow your grains if you are not changing the jar out. You may

also do a second ferment on the counter after the grains have been

strained...one, maybe two days. Just taste the kefir to your liking. The

second ferment is when it gets more tart and fizzy.

You also don't have to throw out the kefir that's been in the fridge for two

weeks id you use raw milk. I do not know if this is the case for pasturized

milk. If you have kefir that gas been in the fridge you can't get to and it's

getting too tart, strain the whey off with a cheese cloth and add herbs to it,

that is kefir cheese...I love it.

Al

Re: MK grains growth - Help

Another thought, Lyn, is that you must be leaving your grains too long,

because the cream cheese consistency you are talking about is when kefir is

left too long.

You are supposed to pour the fresh milk in a clean jar, pop some grains in

, cover tightly with a paper towel or napkin over the top, and let it sit

for about 18 to 24 hours. If there is clearish-yellow liquid on the

bottom, or separation throughout the white stuff, it means that it has gone

for too long and is turning to cheese. You need to change it out a bit

sooner.

Anyway, let's assume that this first time around you put the grains, and

just grains, in a jar with fresh milk. You take a paper towel and put it

over the top of the jar and put a rubber band around the top to keep the

paper towel tight. You do this at 8 on Monday morning. Your house is

pretty comfortable, like 72 degrees. 24 hours later, at Tuesday 8 in the

morning, your kefir is going to be ready. When you put it through the

strainer It pours out like a thick milkshake, or runny yogurt. That's what

the consistency should be like. Then you take the stuff you just poured

out--the kefir without the grains--and put it in the refrigerator. It will

get a little thicker in the refrigerator. You then take the grains still

in the strainer and you put them in a new glass jar with more fresh milk.

This time you let the kefir sit for about 30 hours, so you strain it

Wednesday afternoon. Now it will be more sour and even a little bit fizzy

on your tongue, maybe. You put THIS stuff in the refrigerator, too. Of

course you put the jar with the fresh milk and the grains on your counter

or on a shelf--you don't put it in the refrigerator.

So then you decide on Thursday at 8 in the morning you are going to change

your kefir again, just like you did yesterday (Wednesday) at 2 in the

afternoon. Which means it's just been 18 hours. You strain the kefir

again, take the grains and put them in a new jar with fresh milk, cover and

put it in the normal place on the counter or wherever. Let;'s say that

this batch of strained " stuff " tastes very mild, not tart, and it's very

runny. You put *this bat*ch of *finished kefir* in the refrigerator, where

it will last for about 2 weeks.* *

*

*

You will now have three jars of kefir in your refrigerator (unless you

drank them all!) and they wil lthicken and become more tart as time goes

on. They will last about 1 or 2 weeks in there.

* *

What you have just done is tried fermenting the kefir for 3 differnt

lengths of time, and you've found what tastes to you. So you have an idea

of how long you can let your kefir " go " before you have to change it out.

Hope this helps, Kim

The kefir is kind of like a goldfish, it needs to be take care of every day

or a little bit longe,r but no

[Guest guest]

I use raw goat's milk with the kefir seeds. I find that this thing never spoil.

I travel a lot and so one batch might be kefiring anywhere from 2-5 days before

changing out. I usually strain everything into one big bottle which I keep in

the refrigerator. I never wash the bottle that I use to kefir so I might have

cheese forming on the sides. I find that my dogs (boxers) love this thing.

Everytime I go to strain the grains they are drooling and beging.  

Bottom line is if you use Raw milk from a reputable supplier and you can

tolerate the tartness then you have nothing to worry about.

 

 

________________________________

From: " ouched63188@... " <ouched63188@...>

Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2012 11:54 PM

Subject: Re: Re: MK grains growth - Help

 

It's not necessary to put the grains in a clean glass jar every time. There are

lots of tiny baby kefir grains stuck to the jar that want yo grow. You will be

more likely to grow your grains if you are not changing the jar out. You may

also do a second ferment on the counter after the grains have been

strained...one, maybe two days. Just taste the kefir to your liking. The

second ferment is when it gets more tart and fizzy.

You also don't have to throw out the kefir that's been in the fridge for two

weeks id you use raw milk. I do not know if this is the case for pasturized

milk. If you have kefir that gas been in the fridge you can't get to and it's

getting too tart, strain the whey off with a cheese cloth and add herbs to it,

that is kefir cheese...I love it.

Al

Re: MK grains growth - Help

Another thought, Lyn, is that you must be leaving your grains too long,

because the cream cheese consistency you are talking about is when kefir is

left too long.

You are supposed to pour the fresh milk in a clean jar, pop some grains in

, cover tightly with a paper towel or napkin over the top, and let it sit

for about 18 to 24 hours. If there is clearish-yellow liquid on the

bottom, or separation throughout the white stuff, it means that it has gone

for too long and is turning to cheese. You need to change it out a bit

sooner.

Anyway, let's assume that this first time around you put the grains, and

just grains, in a jar with fresh milk. You take a paper towel and put it

over the top of the jar and put a rubber band around the top to keep the

paper towel tight. You do this at 8 on Monday morning. Your house is

pretty comfortable, like 72 degrees. 24 hours later, at Tuesday 8 in the

morning, your kefir is going to be ready. When you put it through the

strainer It pours out like a thick milkshake, or runny yogurt. That's what

the consistency should be like. Then you take the stuff you just poured

out--the kefir without the grains--and put it in the refrigerator. It will

get a little thicker in the refrigerator. You then take the grains still

in the strainer and you put them in a new glass jar with more fresh milk.

This time you let the kefir sit for about 30 hours, so you strain it

Wednesday afternoon. Now it will be more sour and even a little bit fizzy

on your tongue, maybe. You put THIS stuff in the refrigerator, too. Of

course you put the jar with the fresh milk and the grains on your counter

or on a shelf--you don't put it in the refrigerator.

So then you decide on Thursday at 8 in the morning you are going to change

your kefir again, just like you did yesterday (Wednesday) at 2 in the

afternoon. Which means it's just been 18 hours. You strain the kefir

again, take the grains and put them in a new jar with fresh milk, cover and

put it in the normal place on the counter or wherever. Let;'s say that

this batch of strained " stuff " tastes very mild, not tart, and it's very

runny. You put *this bat*ch of *finished kefir* in the refrigerator, where

it will last for about 2 weeks.* *

*

*

You will now have three jars of kefir in your refrigerator (unless you

drank them all!) and they wil lthicken and become more tart as time goes

on. They will last about 1 or 2 weeks in there.

* *

What you have just done is tried fermenting the kefir for 3 differnt

lengths of time, and you've found what tastes to you. So you have an idea

of how long you can let your kefir " go " before you have to change it out.

Hope this helps, Kim

The kefir is kind of like a goldfish, it needs to be take care of every day

or a little bit longe,r but no

[Guest guest]

I wasn't being nasty.

I just know that often we are in a rush when we do things like read something

and don't get the whole gist of what is being said, or whatever. So I just said

read it again. I say I let my baby food jar go 5 days. That seems clear to me.

And I don't think I was rambling when at least 4 other people replied to me and

gave me good advice.

Give people the benefit of the doubt when all you have are words on a page. If I

had wanted to be nasty, I would have ranted alot more than those three words.

Lyn

Re: Re: MK grains growth - Help

" Read it again " ? wow...

Really, you ask people for help, then say " read it again " ?

I did not reply to your post because it was rambling and not really clear.

I wish you the best with your kefir endeavors, but those responding are

trying to help you. Please keep that in mind.

Leo

On Sun, May 13, 2012 at 8:36 PM, <ly.ninwv@...> wrote:

> **

>

>

> Read it again. I was leaving my baby food jar go for days and days. My 2

> qt jar gets changed every 24 hrs and it turns to curds and whey every

> single day. I was trying to remember to check it sooner, but couldn't get

> into a habit of that. Kept forgetting and it would be curds and whey by the

> time I remembered.

>

> My baby food jar is not starved. Those grains are my prettiest grains.

> They look like the grains I see on the internet. I could really just take

> them and use them for kefir making, but I want them to increase more first.

> It took 2 months for this experiment to show growth, so I suppose it will

> take a month or two for the next stage of growth to take place in the new 4

> oz jar I have them in.

>

> Lyn

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: " Kim " <kimanjo@...>

>

> Lyn, perhaps you can clarify something: from what I just read of your

> post,

> you are leaving your milk kefir grains to sit for FIVE days, is this

> right?

> If so, then you are leaving your grains for far too long, they are

> starving: they are like children who aren't being fed, they don't grow.

> Unless you live in a house that is very very cold, like fifty degrees, if

> your home temperature is anywhere between 70 and 80 degrees or higher,

> then

> your milk kefir grain are ready to be strained at a maximum of 2 full days

> (48 hours). This means you will be straining your milk every other day.

> Like, Monday morning and then again Wednesday morning. You will be going

> through a lot of milk! Fresh milk will keep the grains fat, happy, and

> growing. You will have more and more grains, and unless you buy gallons of

> milk you will have to end up eating your excess grains or giving them to

> other people or putting them in your garden or your toilet.

>

> Kim

>

>

[Guest guest]

I have new news,..from the desperate cryer who couldn't grow grains.

My grains are growing!

My cheesy thick stuff that I mentioned below had disappeared not long after

starting to use my new, finer strainer. I worried about that but it was needless

worry. Because soon my grains started taking on new shape. Now today my kefir is

thicker! And it even tastes better -- the first time EVER. So many people talk

about liking their kefir plain and I never liked mine plain. Tonight I had some

plain because it looked so yummy as I was straining it, and it was GOOD.

Regarding the strainer, all the info I had gained so far just said not to use a

metal strainer. So I just made sure I got a plastic one. For a solid year, I did

not know that I needed a fine mesh strainer until I finally came to that light

bulb moment when I thot that might be my problem, and then put the question out

on this list.

So, at least for now, I think I am finally on the road with my kefir. I didn't

quit! No matter how awful my kefir looked and tasted! I will keep all these

suggestions that were given to me, tho, in case things change.

Lyn

----- Original Message -----

From: " kefirnewby " <jandlharris@...>

Lyn, I've had my MKG since September. All fall & winter, I regulated the ferment

by reducing the number of my small grains. Since it has warmed up, I've had to

put my freshly set up jar in the frig for 12-14 hours until leaving it out

overnight. Why, I can't say, but my pea sized grains are now marble sized and

multiplying. So, if you are up to another experiment....

All the best, LaDonna

>

> I have had trouble growing grains for too long. This is the third set of

grains in16 months and I cannot recognize real growth even after 3 months of

daily kefir making with these newest ones. These grains were large, so I thot

they would take off.

>

> I got me a finer strainer and have used that since Mon. So for three days,

after straining, I wld put all the cheesy thick stuff and the few grains I got

in January back into the jar. Should I keep doing that? I have about 3/4 c thick

cheese and grains and I use a 2 qt jar to make my kefir.

>

> (For the last 2 I have only just covered all this w/milk and have not touched

it. I just check it every day. The next might explain why I am doing this:

>

> Part 2 of my request is, I have been performing an experiment for two months.

I had a baby food jar that I put a couple of my big grains into and some milk.

Most jars I let sit up to 5 days between straining--meaning, I don't pay

attention to this jar at all. lol The result I am seeing is: They are growing,

slowly but very noticably! In fact, I just noticed this for sure Monday when I

strained them.

>

> Tho I thot I was seeing growth as soon as a week ago. And these grains are

pretty! They are my prettiest grains. They are big and creamy and glow and

reflect light. They are the most like cauliflour of the two methods. Tuesday I

put these into a 4 oz jar because I know they are growing now.

>

> This little jar never separates curds and whey. And it never looks starved and

it apparently isn't because the grains looks so wonderful. And it never gets

like cream cheese like my 2 qt jar does.

>

> That is why I am now tring jus a covering of milk in my 2 qt jar.

>

> Does anyone have any thots to help me think this through?

>

> My goal is, I want my grains to grow.

>

> Lyn

>