Seperation Question

[Guest guest]

Ok, my grains are finally beginning to multiply, although very slowly. But my

next question is: since I use raw milk that we hand skim (not mechanical) I get

this floating mass of curd in what cream is left, on top of thin but tasty

kefir. Is this normal for raw milk?

My family will NOT drink the kefir that has this cream in it because they say

" it's like drinking a cold Mom, too snotty " so I give that creamy top to the

chickens/dogs/cats/ducks and we drink the thinner milk at the bottom. I just

strain off the kefir cream, lift the curds out, by hand, give the cream to an

animal and keep the thinner liquid. Start again. It does thicken some when I

give it the second ferment in the fridge, and eventually does reach that

" snotty " thickness, but it takes about a week of adding new ferment to old and

leaving it in the fridge.

Normal? I assume it's the polysaccharides getting really stringy and slimy. And

that the cream is higher in milk sugars (lactose?) so gets that texture?

Doesn't really matter, it is helping us so much we won't quit, I'm just

checking. And I know it's a matter of personal taste/texture.

BTW the taste is always great, just not the texture.

TIA,

Moni