kefiili

[Guest guest]

Ok, refresh my rusty memory on this. Is this milder than kefir? Is it cultured

as easy (room temp)? What's with the gloop? Maybe I'll try this kefir thing

again.

Mrs. Siemens

field Christian Fellowship

(519)698-2900

Helpmeet to , mommy to Zachary & Lydia

" For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto

salvation.... "

-Romans 1:16a-

http://www.freewebs.com/thedaughtersoftheking/

---------------------------------

Post your free ad now! Canada Personals

[Guest guest]

HA! I thought I remembered something about kefiili in the files and I was right!

So my next question would become, where do I get my hot little hands on this

precious commodity???

Mrs. Siemens

field Christian Fellowship

(519)698-2900

Helpmeet to , mommy to Zachary & Lydia

" For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto

salvation.... "

-Romans 1:16a-

http://www.freewebs.com/thedaughtersoftheking/

---------------------------------

Post your free ad now! Canada Personals

[Guest guest]

>HA! I thought I remembered something about kefiili in the files and I was

right! So my next question would become, where do I get my hot little hands on

this precious commodity???

You can buy some viili culture from GEM cultures and mix it with your kefir. Or,

I might be able to send some grains ... I tried an easier shipping method on

someone but she hasn't gotten back to me if it works or not (no one on this

list, so don't feel guilty, anyone).

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

What's the difference between kefir grains and kefiili grains?

Carol

You can buy some viili culture from GEM cultures and mix it with your kefir. Or,

I might be able to send some grains ... I tried an easier shipping method on

someone but she hasn't gotten back to me if it works or not (no one on this

list, so don't feel guilty, anyone).

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

> What's the difference between kefir grains and kefiili grains?

kefiili grains are kefir grains that have been " contaminated " with

viili culture. If you make the two in the same place for a while, it's

gonna happen. Viili is where the gloopiness comes from.

Lynn S.

------

Lynn Siprelle * web developer, writer, mama, fiber junky

http://www.siprelle.com * http://www.thenewhomemaker.com

http://www.democracyfororegon.com * http://www.knitting911.net

[Guest guest]

>Heidi,

>

>This is as good a time as any to tell you that I lost my grains that

>you gave me through a tragic accident for the grains and so I did

>just that! I ordered some kefir grains and some viili culture and I

>am trying to make kefiili. At first I was going to keep them apart

>and have both but it didn't last a week! I am having a hard time

>getting the right ratio of milk to grains. Tour grains were so good

>never a problem. It is still not stringy but it has a great taste!

>

>Del

Del:

Sorry to hear about the tragedy! Well, they multiply like mad so

you are welcome to more. When you say " it didn't last a week " you

mean they accidentally got mixed, or it was too much work? Course

if you have a culture that is non-sour AND non-stringy that could

be a great thing!

I don't worry about the ratio of grains myself. I did one batch with only

one TEENY grain and it still turned out. Warmth does them in though, they

like it cooler.

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

@@@

> I just heard back from my " experimental case " ... I shipped her the grains

> with no milk, just in a bubble envelope, which is really quick and easy! She

> said they arrived flat, but plumped up after 2 days and make fine kefiili.

> So ... I can send grains to those that wants 'em. (my previous shippings

> were really iffy, I think some of the post offices irradiate the mail, and

> those liquidy packages make them more curious than a light bubble envelope.

> Course I won't know til we do this a few times ...). Write me privately,

> anyone who is interested.

>

>

> Heidi Jean

@@@@

Try those tiny, slim glass spice jars from the McCormick company. I

have a bunch from my pre-gourmand days and find them useless in

general, but, heck, they're the tiniest glass containers I've seen,

and so I saved them. Also, if you fill it completely with a liquid

it won't be externally observable as liquidy. Alternatively,

half-pint mason jars are quite cheap, just a dollar or so, less than

the shipping.

Mike

SE Pennsylvania

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. --Alan Kay

[Guest guest]

I've also heard of people shipping grains in prescription pill bottles with the

screw on lids. They're plastic, but the grains are only in them a couple of

days normally. A lady send me kefir grains in a cup of milk, in a little

plastic 8 oz. water bottle, and then in a box. That was great, because the

grains were tremendously productive immediately. I paid a couple of dollars

extra for that, but it was well worth it. (It was still only $10 total.)

Carol

Try those tiny, slim glass spice jars from the McCormick company. I

have a bunch from my pre-gourmand days and find them useless in

general, but, heck, they're the tiniest glass containers I've seen,

and so I saved them. Also, if you fill it completely with a liquid

it won't be externally observable as liquidy. Alternatively,

half-pint mason jars are quite cheap, just a dollar or so, less than

the shipping.

Mike

[Guest guest]

Yeah, but amazingly enough, the grains survived in a zip lock

bag inside a tiny bubble wrap envelope. 36 cents postage.

What can I say? I'm lazy. (I WAS shipping them in a pop

bottle with an extra pop bottle, frozen, to keep them cold,

at a cost of 15 dollars or so).

>Try those tiny, slim glass spice jars from the McCormick company. I

>have a bunch from my pre-gourmand days and find them useless in

>general, but, heck, they're the tiniest glass containers I've seen,

>and so I saved them. Also, if you fill it completely with a liquid

>it won't be externally observable as liquidy. Alternatively,

>half-pint mason jars are quite cheap, just a dollar or so, less than

>the shipping.

>

>Mike

>SE Pennsylvania

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

This is as good a time as any to tell you that I lost my grains that

you gave me through a tragic accident for the grains and so I did

just that! I ordered some kefir grains and some viili culture and I

am trying to make kefiili. At first I was going to keep them apart

and have both but it didn't last a week! I am having a hard time

getting the right ratio of milk to grains. Tour grains were so good

never a problem. It is still not stringy but it has a great taste!

Del

Heidi Schuppenhauer wrote:

>

> >HA! I thought I remembered something about kefiili in the files

and I was right! So my next question would become, where do I get my

hot little hands on this precious commodity???

>

> You can buy some viili culture from GEM cultures and mix it with

your kefir. Or, I might be able to send some grains ... I tried an

easier shipping method on someone but she hasn't gotten back to me

if it works or not (no one on this list, so don't feel guilty,

anyone).

>

>

> Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

I would be ever so much abliged! Would you like anything in exhange? I can send

you some all natural homemade soap, I have one bar of cocoa-swirl left!

Heidi Schuppenhauer wrote:

I might be able to send some grains ... I tried an

easier shipping method on someone but she hasn't gotten back to me

if it works or not (no one on this list, so don't feel guilty,

anyone).

Mrs. Siemens

field Christian Fellowship

(519)698-2900

Helpmeet to , mommy to Zachary & Lydia

" For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto

salvation.... "

-Romans 1:16a-

http://www.freewebs.com/thedaughtersoftheking/

---------------------------------

Post your free ad now! Canada Personals

[Guest guest]

At 08:53 PM 11/26/04 -0800, you wrote:

>Course if you have a culture that is non-sour AND non-stringy that could

>be a great thing!

Okay, this is interesting. What's this bit about stringy? I've noticed

a certain amount of stringies when straining my kefir lately. Since as

far as I know, viili has never entered this household, what's it mean, Lucy?

MFJ

Yeeeeeeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! ~Hammond of Texas

[Guest guest]

>At 08:53 PM 11/26/04 -0800, you wrote:

>>Course if you have a culture that is non-sour AND non-stringy that could

>>be a great thing!

>

>Okay, this is interesting. What's this bit about stringy? I've noticed

>a certain amount of stringies when straining my kefir lately. Since as

>far as I know, viili has never entered this household, what's it mean, Lucy?

All kefir can get more stringy when it gets cooler, esp. if you let it " ripen "

in the fridge. The Leuconostoc Cremoris is native to kefir too, and it

flourishes at lower temps. But the LC in kefir isn't as strong as the LC

in viili, I think. Anyway, LC makes polysaccarides instead of lactic acid,

and polysaccharides are thick and gloopy.

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

At 10:39 AM 11/27/04 -0800, you wrote:

>The Leuconostoc Cremoris is native to kefir too, and it

>flourishes at lower temps. But the LC in kefir isn't as strong as the LC

>in viili, I think. Anyway, LC makes polysaccarides instead of lactic acid,

>and polysaccharides are thick and gloopy.

That sounds exactly like what I've got ... i.e. I pluck out the grains from

room temp and they're stringy (not a lot, just a little). I was just

curious 'cause I'd never noticed it before maybe a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks for the explanation!

MFJ

Yeeeeeeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! ~Hammond of Texas

[Guest guest]

Heidi wrote:

>

> Sorry to hear about the tragedy! Well, they multiply like mad so

> you are welcome to more. When you say " it didn't last a week " you

> mean they accidentally got mixed, or it was too much work?

Del wrote:

---I mean they accidently got mixed. After that it was a little like

my kefiili but now it has turned back to being more like kefiili

tasting kefir! I like the stringy kefiili and want to get it back.

Do you think I should keep adding the viili and also some filmjolk

to it each time I change it?----

Heidi Wrote:

Course

> if you have a culture that is non-sour AND non-stringy that could

> be a great thing!

Del wrote:

---don't you think that it is going to keep changing and evenually

get to be stringy kefiili?---

Heidi wrote:

> I don't worry about the ratio of grains myself.

Del wrote:

---You don't? I remember when I was doing the kefiili, and it

separated, it would separate at the top of the kefiili instead of at

the bottom as kefir does. So I wait till I see it separate and that

is when I change it. I am trying to get the ratio right so it will

separate at about 24 hours. I am wondering if and when it separates

earlier or later than 24 hours, if it loses any of its probiotic

capabilities?---

Heidi wrote:

I did one batch with only

> one TEENY grain and it still turned out. Warmth does them in

though, they

> like it cooler.

Del wrote:

---That is making it tough on my first batch of kombucha that I have

brewing. This is day 18.---

Del

[Guest guest]

Mine came from GEM cultures in a small plastic container with a

plastic screw on top. They sent about 1/4 cup with no kefir with it.

They looked like they had been rinsed. Container has a triangle with

a 5 inside it on the bottom. All was in a small box filled with

peanuts and a cold pack. It came UPS.

HTH,

Del

> I've also heard of people shipping grains in prescription pill

bottles with the screw on lids. They're plastic, but the grains are

only in them a couple of days normally. A lady send me kefir grains

in a cup of milk, in a little plastic 8 oz. water bottle, and then

in a box. That was great, because the grains were tremendously

productive immediately. I paid a couple of dollars extra for that,

but it was well worth it. (It was still only $10 total.)

> Carol

>

>

> Try those tiny, slim glass spice jars from the McCormick company.

I

> have a bunch from my pre-gourmand days and find them useless in

> general, but, heck, they're the tiniest glass containers I've seen,

> and so I saved them. Also, if you fill it completely with a

liquid

> it won't be externally observable as liquidy. Alternatively,

> half-pint mason jars are quite cheap, just a dollar or so, less

than

> the shipping.

>

> Mike

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>---I mean they accidently got mixed. After that it was a little like

>my kefiili but now it has turned back to being more like kefiili

>tasting kefir! I like the stringy kefiili and want to get it back.

>Do you think I should keep adding the viili and also some filmjolk

>to it each time I change it?----

The filmjolk might be fighting with the viili ... mine didn't actually

have filmjolk in it, I think. But kefir DOES get thick and mild

on it's own, mainly when it gets cooler, so they might not be

mixed at all.

Like I mentioned earlier though, when Dom tried the experiment,

sometimes the viili started inhabiting the kefir grain, sometimes

it didn't. I don't know what the variables are! In general kefir

doesn't " adopt " foreign microorganisms much, but I think the LC

gets by because it's just a different strain of a bacteria the kefir

has anyway.

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

>Mine came from GEM cultures in a small plastic container with a

>plastic screw on top. They sent about 1/4 cup with no kefir with it.

>They looked like they had been rinsed. Container has a triangle with

>a 5 inside it on the bottom. All was in a small box filled with

>peanuts and a cold pack. It came UPS.

>

>HTH,

>

>Del

Ah, thanks. They've changed their methods too! Adding milk

makes for the possibility of leakage and gas exhaust. The cold

pack is a good idea but increases the postage. I think I'll

try my bubble pack idea for a bit and see how it goes. I should

use UPS though, they don't irradiate.

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

I actually added some viili but did NOT add filmjolk. I though you

said you added filmjolk. So ignore the filmjolk part. So I might be

drinking kefir, not kefiili? So for you the grains accepted, so to

speck, the viili. Therefore kefiili was born.

Del

Heidi Schuppenhauer wrote:

>

> >---I mean they accidently got mixed. After that it was a little

like

> >my kefiili but now it has turned back to being more like kefiili

> >tasting kefir! I like the stringy kefiili and want to get it

back.

> >Do you think I should keep adding the viili and also some

filmjolk

> >to it each time I change it?----

>

> The filmjolk might be fighting with the viili ... mine didn't

actually

> have filmjolk in it, I think. But kefir DOES get thick and mild

> on it's own, mainly when it gets cooler, so they might not be

> mixed at all.

>

> Like I mentioned earlier though, when Dom tried the experiment,

> sometimes the viili started inhabiting the kefir grain, sometimes

> it didn't. I don't know what the variables are! In general kefir

> doesn't " adopt " foreign microorganisms much, but I think the LC

> gets by because it's just a different strain of a bacteria the

kefir

> has anyway.

>

>

> Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

>I actually added some viili but did NOT add filmjolk. I though you

>said you added filmjolk. So ignore the filmjolk part. So I might be

>drinking kefir, not kefiili? So for you the grains accepted, so to

>speck, the viili. Therefore kefiili was born.

>

>Del

Right.

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

Does anyone know how kefir fares shipping from the US to Canada? I'd

really like to send some to a friend but have been hesitant, not

knowing how Canada will take to such an import. Perhaps Heidi's bubble

envelope method would be the best bet.

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 10:38:29 -0800, Heidi Schuppenhauer

<heidis@...> wrote:

>

> >Mine came from GEM cultures in a small plastic container with a

> >plastic screw on top. They sent about 1/4 cup with no kefir with it.

> >They looked like they had been rinsed. Container has a triangle with

> >a 5 inside it on the bottom. All was in a small box filled with

> >peanuts and a cold pack. It came UPS.

> >

> >HTH,

> >

> >Del

>

> Ah, thanks. They've changed their methods too! Adding milk

> makes for the possibility of leakage and gas exhaust. The cold

> pack is a good idea but increases the postage. I think I'll

> try my bubble pack idea for a bit and see how it goes. I should

> use UPS though, they don't irradiate.

>

>

>

> Heidi Jean

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>Does anyone know how kefir fares shipping from the US to Canada? I'd

>really like to send some to a friend but have been hesitant, not

>knowing how Canada will take to such an import. Perhaps Heidi's bubble

>envelope method would be the best bet.

I did send some to Canada once, it took a couple of weeks to arrive. It

was still ok when it got there though. I think going UPS or Fedex would

be the way to go. My experience shipping other things to other countries

is that Fedex, in particular, seems to know how to get things through

customs even in problematic cases. (In one instance, when we went with

regular mail, the local officials wanted a large " customs fee " which

miraculously

wasn't present with Fedex).

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

-

I just found the best thing to ship grains in.....

My step son chews tobacco, and when I got out of hubbys truck last

night, this little flat plastic container

dropped to the ground.

what a great thing to ship grains in.

Yes, I know, wash it great...and line with suran wrap, but what a

perfect sze to put in bubble envelope

-- In , Fern <sonphos@g...> wrote:

> Does anyone know how kefir fares shipping from the US to Canada?

I'd

> really like to send some to a friend but have been hesitant, not

> knowing how Canada will take to such an import. Perhaps Heidi's

bubble

> envelope method would be the best bet.

>

>

> On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 10:38:29 -0800, Heidi Schuppenhauer

> <heidis@t...> wrote:

> >

> > >Mine came from GEM cultures in a small plastic container with a

> > >plastic screw on top. They sent about 1/4 cup with no kefir

with it.

> > >They looked like they had been rinsed. Container has a triangle

with

> > >a 5 inside it on the bottom. All was in a small box filled with

> > >peanuts and a cold pack. It came UPS.

> > >

> > >HTH,

> > >

> > >Del

> >

> > Ah, thanks. They've changed their methods too! Adding milk

> > makes for the possibility of leakage and gas exhaust. The cold

> > pack is a good idea but increases the postage. I think I'll

> > try my bubble pack idea for a bit and see how it goes. I should

> > use UPS though, they don't irradiate.

> >

> >

> >

> > Heidi Jean

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Coming out of the shadows to say that I received some of Heidi's

kefilli a year ago (or is it two). I am in Canada and when the grains

arrived they were no longer kefilli but just kefir.

Now I'm wondering if the grains are no longer functioning as the milk

does not separate. Gets very sour (different than regular sour milk)

and even after being left out for days is still the consistency of

regular milk. The grains have had periods of inactivity (resting in

milk) so I'm not sure what's happening. I do culture kefir in the

fridge for the most part as I don't use that much.

Shera

[Guest guest]

>>Now I'm wondering if the grains are no longer functioning as the milk

does not separate. Gets very sour (different than regular sour milk)

and even after being left out for days is still the consistency of

regular milk. The grains have had periods of inactivity (resting in

milk) so I'm not sure what's happening. I do culture kefir in the

fridge for the most part as I don't use that much.

Shera<<

~~~That's just what happened to my grains, although they were only kefir grains

from the beginning. I don't know what kind of milk you're using, but I have

been using ultrapasteurized for the most part, and figured that was the problem.

However, I left them in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks and they

thickened that milk up quite well, even though it was ultrapasteurized, and the

kefir was pretty good. But, it shouldn't take that long. Then, I got some

ultrapasteurized goat milk and now I'm back to just regular milk consistency

again. (I have no choice about the ultrapasteurized, by the way.) I am now

thinking maybe it just takes a lot longer with ultrapasteurized. I'm also

thinking that's possibly why it gives me so much gas. Although, I'm not at all

sure about that. I didn't take note of whether or not I got the gas from that

kefir that cultured for two weeks.

Carol