Kefir Grains Instructions

Thank you for ordering Raw Kefir grains! Your pint contains 2 Tablespoons of Raw Kefir Grains with Raw Milk. It has been frozen which keeps the Grains “dormant.”

Here’s how to get started!


You will need:

  • 1 pint of Creambrook Farm Kefir Grains (2 TBSP grains in raw milk)

  • Raw milk 

  • 2 glass jars (quart or half gallon size) with rings (regular or wide mouth)

  • Tightly woven towel or paper towels

  • Colander or sieve (plastic or stainless steel)

  • Bowl (plastic or stainless steel for the colander/sieve to fit inside)

  • A warm spot in your kitchen away from sunlight and other ferments (sourdough, sauerkraut, etc)

  • Spoon (plastic, stainless steel, wood)

*Kefir grains can be handled with wood, plastic, or stainless steel, but metal will interact negatively with kefir grains. 

Make sure that your kitchen supplies always cleaned well between kefir batches (but don’t use harsh chemicals, like bleach, because that can harm the kefir grains). Just good soap and hot water. 

To get started:

  1. Place the pint in the fridge to thaw. The grains will need to be “woken up” so here’s what to do. 

  2. Once thawed, pour the entire contents into a mason jar. 

  3. Add two cups of raw milk, cover with a tightly woven cloth (to keep out dust/fruit flies and let oxygen in) or a paper towel and tighten with a jar ring.

  4. Let the jar sit in a warm spot away from sunlight for 24 hours. 

  5. After 24 hours, stir the kefir grains with a spoon. 68 - 72 degrees works well!

     

  6. Place the sieve or colander over the bowl and pour the contents of your jar into the colander. Stir it with a spoon so that the grains stay in the colander and your kefir drains into the bowl. Don’t worry if it looks curd-like or various textures. It’s working!

  7. As your kefir grains wake up over the next few batches, don’t worry if the raw milk kefir in the bowl doesn’t look thick. It can take a few batches for the kefir grains to wake up and get culturing! You can use this kefir in smoothies or baking. 

  8. Place your strained kefir in the fridge to chill. 

To start your next batch:

  1. Place the kefir grains in a new, clean jar, cover with 2 cups of raw milk, and cover with a cloth or paper towel and a jar ring. 

  2. Let the jar sit in a warm spot away from sunlight for 24 hours. 

  3. Repeat the steps above to strain and feed the kefir. A general rule of thumb is a ratio of 1 TBSP of kefir grains to 1 cup of raw milk.

  4. Your kefir grains will continue to multiply and grow so you can make more kefir or give them away to a raw-milk-loving friend! 

How to use:

Raw Kefir is perfect for fruit and protein smoothies! Blend with frozen fruit and maple syrup for a yummy, probiotic drink. You can freeze it into Kefir Pops or use it in baking if you have more Kefir than you can drink. It makes a great substitute for buttermilk in recipes. Enjoy!

To take a break for a week or two:

  1. Place your kefir grains in a mason jar and cover with 2 cups of raw milk (or 1TBPS grains to 1 cup Raw Milk).

  2. Cover with a towel or paper towel and secure with a jar ring. 

  3. Place in the fridge for 1-2 weeks and then start culturing again daily.

     

  4. Keeping Kefir Grains cold puts them in hibernation and makes them ferment slower. Once you are ready to begin culturing again, it can take a few days for the kefir grains to fully wake back up - just keep feeding them fresh raw milk every 24 hours and they will pick up the pace. 

To take a break for longer than 1-2 weeks:

  1. Place them in a plastic container or ziploc bag with raw milk (as above) and freeze. This makes them dormant. 

  2. Thaw and begin culturing as described above. :)