CO2 in kefir

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/8/04 4:07:11 PM Eastern Standard Time,

gramlin@... writes:

> Well thanks. I've learned something new. My kefir USED to produce CO2

> and my water kefir also used to produce it too. I thought it was ME, not

> getting the lids on tight enough, but maybe the culture is changing. (play

music

> to Twighlight Zone!) I now have a HUGE milk kefir grain, rather than lots

> of smaller ones (I gave the small ones away) and I've noticed that it takes

> longer to ferment......

>

That's possible; there's so many variables it's hard to tell. I'm not saying

that the capping wouldn't make any difference. I guess it would be easy to

test it-- just airtight cap your kefir for one night, or if you're using more

than one jar, cap one tight but not the other one, and see what happens.

Chris

[Guest guest]

wrote:

>But as Heidi pointed out, sometimes kefir will not develop CO2 even with

airtight capping. So it depends on more factors-- namely, all of the ones I'd

mentioned before: kefir grains, competing bacteria in milk, temperature, time,

and air in the jar.

Well thanks. I've learned something new. My kefir USED to produce CO2 and my

water kefir also used to produce it too. I thought it was ME, not getting the

lids on tight enough, but maybe the culture is changing. (play music to

Twighlight Zone!) I now have a HUGE milk kefir grain, rather than lots of

smaller ones (I gave the small ones away) and I've noticed that it takes longer

to ferment......

and the K9's

[Guest guest]

>Well thanks. I've learned something new. My kefir USED to produce CO2 and my

water kefir also used to produce it too. I thought it was ME, not getting the

lids on tight enough, but maybe the culture is changing. (play music to

Twighlight Zone!) I now have a HUGE milk kefir grain, rather than lots of

smaller ones (I gave the small ones away) and I've noticed that it takes longer

to ferment......

>

> and the K9's

How is the temperature? Mine gets thicker in the winter ... the " thick " kefir

bacteria seem to be the less fizzy ones too. If you want fizz

and thinner kefir, letting the air get in and adding some sugar

or fruit juice might help (the yeasts are what make the most fizz).

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

I thought it was ME, not getting the lids on tight enough, but maybe the

culture is changing.

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

My kefir grains definitely change over time. I'm on my third set (they seem

to peter out or get a " funny " taste to the finished kefir after awhile.)

[Guest guest]

Heidi wrote:

>How is the temperature? Mine gets thicker in the winter ... the " thick " kefir

bacteria seem to be the less fizzy ones too. If you want fizz

and thinner kefir, letting the air get in and adding some sugar

or fruit juice might help (the yeasts are what make the most fizz).

Aha! Maybe that's it. It's cold here, and I've also been partially brewing in

the fridge. My kefir is lovely and thick, and I'm not complaining about lack

of fizz, just concerned that my grains might be going through a sea change,

especially since they have not increased very much of late.......

and the K9's