Well here I am making batch #115 today and realized that is has been 115 days (4 months) since I started drinking Kefir Milk for my health. I average a full 8 ounce cup per day. Every week I eat about a tablespoon of the Kefir Grains know also as Tibetan Mushrooms. The first month I drank 3 cups per day and found it made me a bit constipated so after trying different amounts I have found the perfect amount for me; 1 cup. I also have a good system in place now and have been topping up the jug in the Fridge for the last 2 months which never has less than 1/2 a liter in it. This keeps it well fermented. You can read more about that in my previous posts.
So how do I feel?
Sugar Cravings are at a minimum. I actually bought a Caramilk bar a few days ago as a treat and not because I had to. I actually enjoyed eating it and once completed did not feel like having another three like I used to. I find I have less gas in my stomach and going to the washroom is much easier than before. I noticed that change about 5 days ago. I can see things are not changing over night and it may take up to a year before some of my other health problems subside. I am definitely going to continue with my one cup a day of Kefir Milk made with Live Kefir Grains in Goat Milk.
I was asked my someone how to make your Kefir Milk fizzy like the commercial brand Liberte. Funny I would be asked that because that is what I used to drink before I decided to make my own and one of my own goals was to make mine as close I could to theirs when it came to fizz. From what I have figured out the fizz slowly builds up in the commercial brand because it is well sealed before shipment. They also have expiry dates on the containers. If you seal your own Kefir Milk up in its container for a week or so in the fridge then open it, it will have the same fizzy effect of the commercial brand. It is just the natural build up of released gases while the Kefir Milk slowly ferments in your fridge. Once you take the sealed lid off the commercial brand the fizz is gone. It is all about sealing it up. That is the trick. You can have you daily batch going and one batch that sits aside in the fridge who’s only purpose is for you to open each week to appreciate the sparkly fizz. Yum!
Hot
Well unless you have the benefit of an air conditioned area that stays at a constant 20 – 23 degrees centigrade your 12, 24, 48 hour Kefir Milk batches that I talk about earlier are not going to follow the same time line very well. Being the temperature has been a lot warmer lately I have had to adjust the fermentation time. Using my usual amount of Kefir Grains (approx 2 level Tbs Kefir Grains per 1 cup of milk), I am finding that my 24 hour Kefir is ready in 12 – 14 hours. If you are getting too much Kefir Milk then just cut back on the amount you are making and eat the extra Kefir Grains. They grow back fast. Remember Kefir Milk keeps for a very long time in or out of the fridge. So if you have a place to store it then there is no problems. Seal the container if storing in the fridge. If storing in the ambient (warm) temperature then make sure the fermenting gasses can escape.
Currently I am making 1 1/2 cups per day of Kefir Milk and once ready I add it into the jug with the previous made Kefir Milk then place back in the fridge. It is always ready to drink, fizzy and refreshing. After 4 weeks or so I will start to pour the daily Kefir Milk into a new Jar and leave on the counter to Secondary Ferment. Each day I will add to the counter jar and drink from the fridge jug. By the time the fridge jug is empty I will discard or clean out completely then take the counter milk and pour into the new jug and place in the fridge sealed. Now each day after this I will add the newly made Kefir Milk directly into the fridge Kefir Milk. In about a month I will start the procedure over again in order to clean out the fridge jug.
Doing it this way gives you the benefit of secondary fermentation on the counter for 4 or 5 days before putting in the fridge.
For a simple change I thought I would try this;
1.5 cup of Kefir Milk
.75 cup rinsed sliced strawberries (can be frozen)
1/2 banana (eat the other half)
10 ice cubes
Sweetner – I used Splenda
1/4 tsp real vanilla (optional)
Now blend that all together and drink it.
Yum!
I suppose the fist thing you are thinking is that I mean; “Chew your Kefir Grains”? – No I mean; “Chew your Kefir Milk”.
Some people when drinking their Kefir Milk will drink it like a glass of water. Nothing wrong with that, but what you want to do is chew at least part of your Kefir Milk, preferably the first part. This allows your Kefir Milk to mix with the saliva in your mouth allowing your body to absorb the nutrients in your Kefir Drink faster. Also if you keep your Kefir Milk in the fridge it will bring it up to body temperature allowing the same nutrients to be released faster. You do not have to do this with the whole glass because drinking Kefir Milk any way is going to be nutritious for you. But if you chew at least a few mouthfuls before gulping the tasty drink down, then it will add to the overall healing power of the Kefir drink. I suppose this could be considered being a bit picky but it is all about healing and enjoying at the same time.
Cheers!
What do I do with the Kefir Grains? – A 7 day break
Batch 64 and Previous Batches
Well I have started batch 64 and still do not crave sweets like I did. My stomach feels more at rest than it used to feel and is having less problems with indigestion. I am also having to take less laxatives so I think it is time to take a break from drinking Kefir Milk daily. What do I do with my Kefir Grains? I am planning to break for 7 days. I have read that this is good for your body and I have read quite a few opinions on how long one should take a break for. A common break is drink for 20 days and off for 10. From what I know about digestion is that it takes 4 days for things to fully work their way through you. I have decided I will take a 7 day break to let my body adjust to all the new bacteria that has been pouring into it this past 60 days. Seven days also works perfect for the Kefir Grains as they will not have started to go to sleep yet and will not have to bring them out of dormancy. Also 7 days is the maximum I would want my Kefir Grains to go without at least a change of milk. So my next batch will be made the same way but this time I will put the jar in the fridge for 7 days instead of leaving on the counter at room temperature. Once the 7 days are up I will strain out the Kefir Grains and drink the Kefir then go back to my original schedule. It is important to keep the same amount of milk your Kefir Grains are used to feeding on. Even though you have slowed them down for seven days in the fridge, they still have to eat over the same time period. All you are doing is slowing the process down.
What if I need to go longer than 7 days?
I would change the milk and put back in the fridge for another 7 days. If it has to be longer than this then you would be better to dry off your Kefir Grains completely on paper towels then once completely dry, seal them in an air tight bag and put in the freezer. From what I have read they are good for over a year this way although I have not gone this far.
I have been reading up on the effects that Kefir Grains have on swollen inflamed joints and many testimonials. Being I have Anyklosing Spondilitis, I have a vested interest in finding a natural product that will help me fight the progress of this painful disease. AS is from the family of Arthritis, it is inflammation of the joints causing them to fuse indefinitely. There is much conclusion that Yes! Kefir Grains have living ingredients within them, (many good bacteria and yeasts), that will help work against the inflammation. I am looking forward to my future with Kefir Grains and will be able to tell over time if my consumption of 3 cups a day of Kefir Milk plus 1 teaspoon of Live Kefir Grains evry 2 days is helping. I already feel it is. This is day 56 on my Kefir trip. Day 4 of grain consumption.
Research
(The Tibetan Mushroom is deemed to be what Kefir Grains are today by many. I believe so.)
Milk Kefir Grains Rinsed
Well I am at the point where I have enough Milk Kefir Grains that I am ready to eat some in order to gain all their goodness. I am going to take 1 teaspoon every second day to start. It also depends how quick my Milk Kefir Grains reproduce and if anyone is on my waiting list. Overall I do not think there will be much of a problem having the extra grains. They grow very fast when healthy. If I was to compare the Kefir Grain to a plant, I would have to say it is like a weed. It would eat you out of food and home if you let it. Anyhow my first taste out of the strainer was a strange sensation. In my mind I am thinking that here I am now going to eat my little family of microbes. But from what I have read and understand, they do not die when they reach your stomach acids. In fact they live and continue on through your Intestines doing wonderful work for your digestion factory, one end to the other. They are not poison from what I have read on one website, they are good for you. [If this turns out to be my last post then you might question that]. So eating it right out of the strainer they have no actual taste other than the Kefir Milk they just came out. They are a bit rubbery and as said many times, has a texture of a little cauliflower bud. So either have them that way or rinse them in pure water then mix them in a smoothie or put on a salad. I am eating them now because of the additional benefits they will offer my ailing health. Drinking Kefir Milk in itself has its wonders so eating them is not a must for all.
Enjoy!
I have made some Kefir Milk using cow milk and there definitely is quite the difference in taste and texture. The procedure for making Kefir milk with Cow’s milk is the same as for Making Goat Milk Kefir. My research tells me that the nutritional value of using Goat milk or Cow milk is the same. As always, it depends on how long you decide to let the Kefir Grains work in your batch and how long you want to secondary ferment without putting in the fridge. Even though in the fridge your Kefir Milk still ferments, it just happens slower that in a warmer temperature. I like to let my new batch of the day sit out for another 24 hours then put in the fridge sealed.
Cow M
ilk Kefir tastes less sour than Goat Milk Kefir when tasted side by side. To me it tasted closer to yogurt whereas the Goat milk Kefir tasted more to buttermilk. It seemed less sour, tangy, tarty. The texture was not as smooth when Goat milk is used. I noticed it separates different as well. A lot depends on the milk you use. Overall it will be a matter of your own taste when it comes to choosing which milk you want to use, Cow milk or Goat milk. Also Goat milk is more expensive than Cow milk so your budget will play a part as well. Either way though, the benefit is there using either milk.
Myself, well, I prefer Goat Milk Kefir!
Fridge or not to Fridge
So far I have tried some different methods of storing the Kefir Milk and the results I get are quite different. I keep some Kefir Milk in a jug on the counter. Each new daily batch I would pour into the jug on top of the previous few batches. After about 5 days of leaving it to Secondary Ferment, (remember you have to keep the lid loose to let the pressure out while it sits and you must shake it a few times in the day making sure to tighten the lid first before shaking, then release again to let the pressure out). Fermenting this way increases the potency of the Kefir Milk but it also becomes more Tarty. After 5 days I then place the jug into the fridge and tighten the lid. I then leave it for 3 days with the lid tight. I opened it today and much to my surprise I have a effervescent less sour Kefir Milk that tastes just Awesome. So if you can, definitely let your Kefir Milk ferment more for at least a couple of days in the ambient temperature before putting in the fridge. The Kefir Milk in the fridge will last a long time. On the counter it will last a long time as well but will get more and more potent as it continues to ferment quickly. For those that are not home to do the counter thing then take your new batch of Kefir Milk and place it in the fridge with the lid tightened. Make sure to have a glass first of course. Then leave it for at least 3 days in peace and you will have about the same effervescent drink I just got. I find that 24 hour Kefir makes a more effervescent drink.
Next I am going to make some Kefir Milk using Cow’s Milk rather than Goats Milk. Stay tuned for some comparisons on taste and how I find the probiotic value of Cows’ Milk on my digestive system. Is there even a difference?
Milk and Kefir Grains
Is their a difference if I ferment the Kefir Grains in milk for 12 hours or 48 hours?
As I mentioned in earlier posts, your type of Kefir Milk results depend on the ambient temperature and the amount of Kefir Grains you are using to create your Kefir drink. I am basing my observations on making Kefir Milk in an ambient temperature of 22 degrees centigrade using 3 Tbs of Live Kefir Grains in 2.5 cups of Whole Goat Milk. Up until a few days ago I have been making 24 hour Kefir Milk. I drink a cup before breakfast, a cup before lunch and a cup before dinner. Since I started (about 8 weeks ago) I have completely lost my cravings for sweets. I have lost about 4 pounds which I am happy about. Now I am experimenting with the laxative effects of drinking Kefir Milk and have arrived at some interesting results. Currently I take some medications that can cause constipation. This combined with additional problems of flow causes severe discomfort.
Kefir Milk as a Laxative:
What I have found is by leaving my Kefir Grains in milk for 12 hours produces a slightly sweeter Kefir Milk than my 24 hour batches and also works as a light laxative. In contrast, the 48 hour batch is a more sour and maybe thicker in some cases. (Not for the faint of heart). Also the 48 hour Kefir Milk seems to work as an opposite to a laxative. So in my humble opinion I would say that 24 hour Kefir Milk is probably the best for folks that do not have bowel movement problems to start with. If you want to use as a laxative then go with the 12 hour Kefir Milk. I have 3 associates that report back to me with their results as well and we all seems to agree on the laxative qualities depending on how long you leave the Kefir Grains in.
Coconut Milk Kefir
Hello again: I am working on Batch 35 now in 3 cup batches. I am going to use some of my Milk Kefir Grains to change a can of regular organic Coconut Milk into Coconut Milk Kefir. This will be done the exact same way I make my Goat Milk Kefir. The resulting taste is a bit lighter, tangy, tarty, sourish semi-sweet coconut milk compared to what is was before fermentation. I like to use it as an addition to desserts. Pour some over fruit and cake and sprinkle with spice such as Cardamon and or Cinnamon. Yummmm! Using coconut milk is good for people that cannot tolerate dairy at all. I am not sure how long it will last in the fridge once you have strained your Kefir Grains out and put it in a sealed container but I know it is safe up to a week. I have not kept it longer. This is the second time I have made it. This time around my Kefir Grains are more mature and I can certainly tell the difference from the last time I made Coconut Milk Kefir a few weeks ago.
I have created another Step by Step method – Click Here for How to Make Coconut Milk Kefir. Enjoy!
The past few years has found me having to satisfy a growing craving for sweet things. In short order; sugar! I did not notice it at first but over the past year it has gotten to the point where I was waking up in the middle of the night in order to have a piece of chocolate or a spoon of jam, whatever that was available in the fridge. I won’t even go much into my ice cream cravings. It got to the point I thought I had become diabetic. I went to the doctor and was sent for all blood tests but everything came back normal. Well it is far from normal what I am experiencing. I was also putting on weight and someone in my condition weight is the enemy. I remembered a long time ago listening to a good doctor talking about bacteria that lived in ones’ intestines. I started researching and eventually I learned all about the bacteria that lives there, how it keeps surviving and what to do about it. That was the moment it all came to me in a sort of dismal cartoon in my mind. I pictured being inside my intestines and looking down at billions of little microbes listening to them singing in chorus;” Feed us, Feed us – we need SUGAR!”. No wonder I practically sleep walk to the fridge to find something sweet to eat as these are not the friendly microbes in the least. They are IN CONTROL and they are fed by SUGAR and they leave a TOXIC mess behind causing my digestive problems and everything else in that department. So it is time to fight back and introduce good bacteria into the picture by drinking a super pro-biotic compound namely; Kefir! This is war!
So I started drinking 3 cups per day of Kefir Milk.
2 Weeks later:
My first notice of change was quit subtle . I was not feeling so hungry at meals. Every meal I ate I had to have some sort of sweet dessert after eating or I was just not satisfied. I was noticing that this was no longer the case. My next signal was going the whole afternoon one day without having to eat a Caramilk bar. Now that was big news.
4 Weeks later:
It has been 2 weeks since my last Caramilk bar. It has been about a week now that I have been able to go all night without thinking about going to the fridge. My appetite is much more satisfied after eating and I no longer eat any desserts. Not by rule but because I have no cravings for the sugar any more. I have also dropped about 4 pounds which suits me at the moment. I believe I have solved my sugar craving and balanced the order of things in my intestines between the good and the bad bacterias. I will stay steady at 3 cups of Kefir Milk per day.
Now that I feel thing are starting to work good in the digestive areas I shall look at what else I can do to improve my health with my Omega-3 supplements and the discontinuation of eating meat. But before that, I want to bring Water Kefir Grains into my diet soon.
Kefir Grains in Goat Milk
The process of making Kefir Milk with either Cow Milk or Goat Milk will take less than 20 minutes.
I have created a guide with pictures as I make my next batch.
I use Whole Goat Milk.
to Visit my Step by Step Method – Making Kefir Milk
The Kefir Drink
Glass of Goat Milk Kefir
The Kefir Grains I am using and talking about at the moment are Milk Kefir Grains from Russia. There are also Water Kefir Grains. Those can be used in water, coconut water etc. I plan on introducing water Kefir Grains into my diet in addition to the Milk Kefir Grains. I will talk more about that later.
Kefir Milk is a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your “inner ecosystem.” More nutritious and therapeutic than yogurt it supplies complete protein, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins. Traditional Kefir is easily prepared at home just as it has been for many centuries by the ancients of the Caucasus Mountains in Russia. Fresh, non-pasteurized or pasteurized full-cream, low fat or non-fat milk. Kefir may be consumed right away or store in a sealed bottle and refrigerate for a day or two and serve chilled. Another option is to ripen liquid Kefir at room temperature for a day or more. It can then be refrigerated for longer storage or served as you wish. Ripening or secondary fermentation at room temperature improves flavor and increases nutritional value. Vitamins B6, B3 and B9 [folic acid] increases greatly during storage due to bio-synthesis of those vitamins mostly by yeasts of Kefir grain organisms.
How does it Taste?
If you like plain Yogurt or ButterMilk or Sour Cream you will love Kefir. Some of my friends squirm when they have a cup but they get it into them because they know the benefits of the Kefir Milk. At times the drink can be slightly effervescent depending on how you make it. I like it that way as well. You acquire a taste for it over time. For those that cannot deal with the taste or for other reasons do not want to use milk, then Water Kefir Grains will another choice. I will be posting about those shortly.
Just remember, Drinking Kefir Milk made from Live Kefir Grains gives you a super dose of probiotics. Better than any store bought Yogurt or pill.
Bacteria and Yeast in a Kefir Grain
In simplicity – Kefir Grains are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of proteins, lipids, and sugars. This symbiotic matrix forms “grains” that resemble cauliflower. Many different bacteria and yeasts are found in the kefir grains, which are a complex and highly variable community of micro-organisms.
We live in a world dominated by microbes. The Earth’s microorganisms are able to adapt to almost any environment and thrive. Bacteria have been found in the icy regions of Antarctica, near the surface of volcanic vents in the Atlantic, and even in our digestive tracts. Our civilization is but a pale comparison to the invisible world of microbes that surrounds us. It is likely that these microbes will adapt and survive beyond human existence.
Some microbes have colluded with the competition to form symbiotic relationships. For example, the bacterial strains Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacilllus bulgaricus, work together and transform milk into Kefir. The thirty or so strains of bacteria and yeast found in Kefir, (a traditional fermented drink of the Caucasians), band together to form a complex ecology capable of digesting almost any food source and fending off harmful pathogens. The microbes of Kefir even provide themselves with little homes in the form of Kefir grains that are composed of a polysaccharide matrix.
Special Thanks to Dominic N Anfiteatro for the 1500x magnified Kefir grain picture above.
Microbes Fight Off Infections:
Kefir Grains
Kefir Grains group together and look like little cauliflowers about the size of your fingernail. Each tiny grain within the cauliflower shape has a little family of microbes living in the grain (see above picture). Competition between microbes can be fierce. The good bacteria that are normal inhabitants of our intestinal tracts will fight off many foreign intruders. They can be seen as our first line of defense in the war of infection. Scientists have documented many different substances produced by lactobacilli (lactic acid bacteria) that have been found to inhibit harmful microorganisms. For example, lactobacillus acidophilus produces several substances while fermenting milk, including acidolin, acidophillin, lactobacillan, and lactocidin. These substances have been shown to inhibit pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella, while leaving other lactobacilli and human cells unharmed These antibiotic agents are found in fermented milk, but not always in a probiotic pill. A 2000 study led by Dr. Chitra N. Wendakoon of the University of Alberta, Edmonton, found that fermented milk products, like yogurt, can kill Helicobacter pylori (the ulcer causing bacteria) but that the beneficial bacteria alone cannot. This means that probiotics in pill form would have no effect on H. pylori but that homemade yogurt and Kefir would.
Some diseases medical doctors cannot seem to help me with:
The process of Fermentation is only good for you if it occurs outside of your body. What does this mean? It means that if you ingest foods that provide an abundance of sugar and growth media for bacteria, they will ferment those foods inside of you. An overgrowth of fermentative bacteria in your body can cause all kinds of medical problems, including Crohn’s Disease, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Candidiasis , and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This is one of the reason I have started to make and consume my own Kefir drink. The key is to pre-ferment before you drink it or eat it.
There are excellent websites out there that will give you much more detail on What Kefir is and How to Make Kefir. This blog is a journal of my journey into healing using Kefir. I don’t think that Kefir can help much with my Ankylosing Spondylitis, but I believe strongly that consuming these wonderful beautiful little microbes, they will help me with my digestion, simple Crohn’s disease and the worse of them; Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Time will tell and this is where I will tell it.
