Here we go! My first video where I’m not just a talking head…. how exciting!
In this video, I’m going to show you how to make milk kefir at home. It’s very simple and it can really help with your acne, as it gives your guts a huge hit of probiotics! Check ‘er out!
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM9ubujwsOM
Summary:
- Take kefir grains and put them in a jar.
- Pour approximately one cup of the best quality milk you can get your hands on into the jar.
- Put a paper towel with an elastic band over top.
- Wait 24 hours.
- Strain or sift through to get your kefir grains out.
- Drink the kefir, or mix it in a smoothie!
75 Responses
I just started making kefir last week and I love it! (Well, it didn’t taste that great at first, but it got better). We use raw milk from grass-fed cows! I haven’t seen too much improvement on my skin yet, but hopefully the kefir and sauerkraut I’ve been eating will start helping my digestive system and my skin.
Also, I had the same issue with separating the grains from the clumps of kefir that kinda look like grains, but then I discovered something. If you have a slotted spoon, the clumps of kefir will fall through the slots much faster than the grains will. So I grab a big spoonful of kefir and shake it and the kefir curds themselves will fall apart and slip through like weak jello while the grains (which are more sturdy) will stay on the spoon. This is how I get most of the grains out. I heard its ok to eat the grains if you have extra, so I let some stay in there.
Oh good suggestion!! I’ve been thinking a few times that I am lacking in a slotted spoon, and this is another good reason to get one!
Similar process to making ghee.
Wow…love the HD video!! It’s so much better! I want to go make some kefir now…
is it ok to drink milk kefir if you have amilk intolerance?
yes it should be okay if you are lactose intolerant… the bacteria eats most of the lactose and the bacteria in it helps you to digest it easily!
Oh yeah, forgot to mention also. Quality of the video looks better too (very schmancy and professional) and you look gorgeous as usual.
Thank you! I’m SO excited to be upgraded to HD… I was getting really unenthused about making videos on my webcam!
Hi Tracy,
do you know if there’s any difference between milk and water kefir? Or isn’t one better than the other?
Love your videos!
You know, I’ve never been able to find a straight answer about which one is actually better. All I can think is that raw fermented milk is probably more nutritious than apple juice or whatever is used with water kefir (most suggest coconut milk or water but I find that expensive). I used to make apple juice kefir and I have some more water kefir grains that I may start using and make a video about. …. basically I would say go with water kefir if you are wary at all about milk!
Hi Tracy, I’ve been making milk kefir for a week now and I’ve been using goat’s milk, however since I’m putting it in my smoothies in the morning, I’ve noticed that I got a few bumps on my jawline. Could it be because of the hormones that are still in the fermented goat’s milk?
And is it also possible to make milk kefir with nutmilk or ricemilk? Or wouldn’t you recommend doing that? 🙂
Hi! I think you can make kefir with nut or rice milk…. I haven’t tried it though, maybe I should. If you are at all worried about milk causing you problems, then stay away from it. Especially if it’s not raw milk.
Okay thank you ! 😀
I will see for another week maybe it’s not even from the kefir in my smoothies I’m just going to wait that out, but I’m going to make my own nut milk so I will try to make kefir with it in another jar, maybe it’s worth it 🙂
I cut down on my meat consumption, I was eating ‘paleo’ but with ‘organic’ meats, not ‘grass fed’ meats, I’m replacing it with quinoa, wild fish and organic omega 3 eggs, maybe it was because of the execessive stuff in the meat that was causing me problems ..
In the end, we’ll get there ! 😀
Hi Tracy, so I tried to make milkkefir with almond milk and it was delicioussss ! 😀
The only problem is that the kefir grains don’t multiply if you use this kind of milk so every other day I make it with goat’s milk, but it really was very nice, not as thick as usual milkkefir but verry yummy ! 😀
Oh good, I might try that in case I move and lose my awesome source of raw milk!
how much probiotic content is actually in kefir? because i was thinking about simply discarding the probiotic supplement that I’m taking now (it is like 30 bucks for 60 tablets, expensive!) that has 15 Billion — how much kefir do i need to replace that ..?
I’ve never really been able to find any solid data about exactly how much live probiotic is contained in kefir.. probably because it obviously differs from batch to batch (that also means I can’t answer your question about exactly how much kefir would replace 15 billion…. if it helps, I usually take like one cup of kefir per day. I also take probiotic supplements though). but I think it’s quite a lot of bacteria and if you can’t afford probiotics, I think it would probably do a good job at replacing probiotic supplements if you make it at home yourself. I don’t think the kefir from the store is nearly as powerful.
hmm okay then, i’ll give it a go and see how it goes! supposedly my mom got these grains like from Japan (her friend claimed that when she gave them to us haha). I used to have it before when i still had quite a bit of acne and then i haven’t used it for like 5 months so we’ll see how it goes!
oh one other thing, can you actually DEVELOP allergies to something you weren’t allergic to before? for example, I used to drink milk ALL the time before i had acne. ever since then i haven’t drank any. could I now be allergic to milk, or do you think I was just freaking out when I cut it out and I should be okay?
Yes, you can develop allergies (well… sensitivities) to new things, but it’s most likely to be things that you eat all the time as opposed to things you never eat.
I made some fruit kefir with some fruit and veggie smoothie but I think I left it in for too long and it tasted like wine haha.
haha like you used water kefir grains or something? in a fruit smoothie? Interesting experiment… I have some water kefir grains I have to do something with! Maybe I’ll give it a try..
Hi,
I was struggling to find raw goats milk in the uk but managed to find somewhere that did unpasteurized goats yoghurt but they obviously have to put on it ‘not suitable for human consumption’, so I didn’t end up eating it as I got a bit scared! Really not sure what I think about the whole raw milk thing, if I make kefir does it take out ALL of the other bad stuff? Just need to find a supplier!!
Thanks,
Amy
If it says ‘not suitable for human consumption’, it’s only to get through a loophole… I buy raw milk from a farm here that’s unlabeled and only says ‘milk for pets’ or something… it’s because it’s illegal to sell raw milk here, but it’s okay if it’s for ‘pets’ or ‘beauty’ purposes, just not human consumption, so that’s why they say that. If you seriously have a source of raw goat’s milk, go for it!! It IS fit for human consumption, it’s all just wording to get around ridiculous government loopholes, I promise.
Why not to buy at the local shop?
There’s not as much bacteria in store bought, making your own is way cheaper, you can use better quality milk if you make your own… stuff like that 🙂
Sorry, another question 🙂 How much kefir should I drink per day? Really don’t want to overdo 🙂
Some offtopic: I feel I’ve become a little little little bit disturbed about what I eat 😀 But it’s ok. I have some minor questions all the time in my head 🙂 For example, I made the hodge podge soup, but I bring it to a boil and didin’t turn it down. Is it ok? I’ve read in your book that you cooking on a low heat all the time.
Thank you 🙂
Hi Kest! Thanks for buying the book 🙂
Kefir… I’m not sure really… I take probably a cup per day?? Give or take. I’d probably start with something like that and if you want to go for more, then do more!
As for the little questions….. I know what you mean, but the little questions are the ones that make us insane. There are always more little details we can flog…. if you boiled your soup it’s okay. Lower temperatures are better, so just turn it down next time… but don’t throw your soup out and not eat it! I’d totally still eat it!
Thanks so much for posting this.
I am ordering some kefir grains online right now and can’t wait to start! I am going to be be trying it with some organic coconut milk I have though. I don’t drink milk, but I love my lowfat coconut milk for smoothies…so hopefully it works! *crosses fingers*
I think I shall end up trying all of your recipes in your videos. 😀
Cool! Let me know how it works with the coconut milk, Brielle! 🙂
Hi Tracy, after reading your book I got myself some kefir grains & I must say digestion is great! How often to you have kefir? Everyday or other? I’m deciding wether I have it everyday & if I dont, what do I do with the kefir grains? Do I keep in the fridge & how long can I leave them b4 they go bad?
Thanks Tracy.
Hi Andrea!
I was having kefir every day when I made this video… if you don’t want to make it every day, you just have to make sure that the kefir grains have something to eat… so keep them in the fridge in a bit of milk and they will stay good for a long time. The cold temperature in the fridge will slow fermentation right down.
I can’t remember what happened to mine exactly… I didn’t do this, or just left them too long without milk, and they died I guess :/
Then I moved to Australia and I haven’t had any kefir in a long time, but I can tell my digestion could totally use it!!
Anyway… I’ve also been reading that you actually don’t even neeed the kefir grains…. well, you do, sorta. You need something to start it with, so either the grains, or a starter culture that you can purchase. And then after that, you can just use a couple tablespoons of kefir from the previous batch, add it to your new batch, and it will fermented it! So even if your kefir grains die, if you just always keep a bit of kefir in the fridge, you can still make it. Kefir you make should last in the fridge for quite a while.
Hi
I used to have kefir from Holland about 30 years ago and had it for several years. This kefir was different, it grew into a large lump like colliflower whch just lifted out. The sort I have now comes in grains and takes more time as they have to be strained. Has anyone got this sort of heard about.
Hi Trude,
Hmm I don’t know anything about this lumpy cauliflower kefir – never heard of it. I imagine it was just different strains of bacteria that preferred to grow in a lump. But I don’t know where you’d get that! It sounds way more convenient!!
Hi Tracy!
I read somewhere that kefir can give you major die-off symptoms (in a non-acne type website) which made me think it might result in a breakout. Is that true? So, I’m kinda afraid to make the kefir now even though I really want to.
yes it can, it is very powerful – but the best thing to do instead of avoid it is start off with a tablespoon per day, and slowly work your way up to a cup per day in order to avoid any bad reactions
Wow. I did not heed this advice, and I think I’m paying the price. I had made kefir before, and I didn’t remember going slow or having issues, so I just jumped right in a few days ago. After drinking a kefir smoothie last night, I started feeling really nauseous. Fast forward a couple hours, and I was violently vomiting. I could tell I had a fever because I kept going back and forth between burning up and freezing. I thew up again a couple hours later. Today I have a fever of 100.4 and feel hung over. Do you think this is die-off? Do you have any advice on what I should do now? Thanks for any help you can offer. Ugh…
Hi Claire,
Tracy is without internet access this week, so she asked me to reply to the comments on her blog. It could well be some kind of die-off effect. Maybe it was just too much of the good thing for your organism to deal with, but there is always the possibility that there is something else going on. Make sure to drink lots of water or herbal teas and to rest as much as you can. Fresh ginger can help with nausea and is great for your liver. Cold packings might be helpful too. However, please seek medical advice immediately, if the fever hasn’t come down yet.
Thanks, Svea! My fever came down and is back to normal today. I’m still not 100% but feel MUCH better. I have a whole new respect for the power of probiotics and won’t be taking them so lightly in the future.
Hi Tracy!!! Thank you for all you good advice! you really helped me a lot with my acne problem and health in general!!
I have a question about the kefirlady, cause I want to order some milk kefir grain and I just sent her an e-mail a couple days ago… Did you receive a confirmation e-mail or something from her after ordering?? Cause I’m not sure if she’s still selling some grains… Hope you will help me, I really want to start making it myself!!
Thank’s
Hi Noemie!
I can’t remember if she sent a confirmation email…. I think she did? I heard that she was backordered right now, or something….. there’s another website that I’ve discovered since making this video called Cultures for Health http://www.culturesforhealth.com …. you can get kefir grains from them and anything else you ever wanted for fermenting anything. They also have fantastic how-to videos for it…. probably better than mine! ha
I just visit the web site, and even if there a lot of products there wich are available to canadian customers, I can’t order kefir 🙁 I’m from Québec (that’s why there’s probably tones of mistakes in my comments), and I start to beleive I’ll never find some!
Oh, I didn’t realize you were Canadian! Okay, well…. you can try emailing the people on this list and see if you have any luck (and if you do, maybe tell me who you got them from so I can recommend to other Canadians?):
http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/kefir/kefirlistCanada.php
That’s the thing about kefir – its like a real…. ‘share with your neighbour’ kind of a thing, and most kefir grains are obtained through friends or people who want to give them away because they grow too fast etc… so there’s a lot of these kefir sharing networks
Thank you again to take the time to answer!!! I truly appreciate it 🙂
I finally found some 🙂 I e-mailed a couple of contacts on your list, but then I just checked on ebay ( I had already checked there, but I didn’t finnd any milk kefir grains..) and I found someone who was able to shipped them to me from england for something like 5 box! Her ID is xxxxcactusxxxx and she have some really positive feedbacks on there grains. And to top it off, she’s really quick for shipping. I placed my order this morning and it’s already shipped. I’ll give you some feedback about the quality of the grains when i’ll have received them!
Oh cool! I’ll check her out! I’m really glad you found some.
Hi Tracy, I’ve made some almond milk, but not sure if you should discard the almonds that float to the top when soaking?? I thought I read it somewhere in your ebooks but couldn’t find. Thanks Andrea.
Hi Tracy 🙂
I just got my first batch of a grains from a girl in my city , im so excited. Soo I got organic, whole non homoganized cows milk to make my first batch but i was just wondering can i swtich up the milk whenever I want? if i can get my hands on organic goats milk is it okay to keep feeding the grains different milk? i think so, just thought id double check….
thanks!!
Hi Dee!
It’s fine as in that it won’t hurt the grains or anything like that, but I have heard that the kefir doesn’t taste very good (or as good) while it gets used to a new type of milk, so switching it up all the time can make it taste weird more often than not. So I guess try to stick with one just for the taste, but it doesn’t matter if you do switch.
Hey Tracy,
I got my Kefir Grains a few weeks ago and just started using them this week. I’ve made a few batches of Kefir using Organic Whole Goats Milk (Non-Homoginized). But they smell and taste a lot different from the kefir I’ve purchased from the Health food store before trying to make Kefir on my own. I was buying Cow’s milk Kefir so maybe thats the difference? I’m not sure. Just to make sure I’m doing it right though, I leave the kefir on the counter for 24 hours? Then swish it around, consume and then re-use the grains for another batch? I just feel so weird leaving milk out on the counter for hours then drinking it! lol
Thanks
Hi Sarah,
Yeah homemade kefir will definitely smell different than store bought (from what I hear, I’ve actually never bought or smelled store stuff)… also I find it smells and tastes more weird in the beginning as the grains get used to the milk and get in their little routine. Don’t switch the type of milk, because apparently it goes through this weird period every time you switch the type of milk on it… anyway… keep going with it, it’s weird at first but you get used to it! And you learn that it won’t kill you hahaha
Also, yes… you’re doing it right. You just put the grains in the milk, leave it there, and strain the kefir, and put more milk in it in 24 hours (I usually wash the container, but don’t rinse the grains off). It might take a little while for it to start fermenting properly, especially if you are reviving dried grains,.. keep with it
Thanks so much Tracy! I don’t know what I would do without you!!!
I left a similar comment/question on the fermented saurkraut video if it’s ok to ferment on a patio or garage. I live in Florida so it is always warm, but cold in the house because of the a/c.
hey tracy, sooo i got some kefir grains from the health food store. they are dehydrated apparently and you have to rehydrate them before you can use them to actually produce kefir. are your grains the same way?
Hi Trish, yes, often they do come dehydrated. They’re much easier to handle that way if you’re selling them/sending them somewhere etc. Sometimes you can get people to send you live grains though if they’re in the same country as you and can express post them.
Anyway…. dried grains are a bit more annoying because they won’t make good kefir as you revive them and it takes them a little while (maybe a week or so?) to get back into a groove and start making you thick, tasty kefir. So if you think they aren’t working or that the kefir tastes/smells a bit weird at first, don’t worry – it keeps getting better.
wellll, as my grains were trying to get a jump start doing there thing someone at my house dumped the grains and milk down the drain…greattt. i told them they dumped a lot of money down the drain and theyre going to have to get me more graains!!! lol fun times
Roommates. *eye roll* … sorry to hear that!
Hi, Tracy. I’m a huge fan of your blog. Your posts have helped me a lot in my journey to clear skin.
I’ve recently started drinking kefir and i believe it’s breaking me out. At first i thought it was because i was making milk kefir, and i really can’t tolerate dairy. However, i switched to water kefir and i’m still breaking out. I haven’t changed my diet or any topicals, so it’s got to be the kefir.
Would you have any clue about why this hapened? Cause i’ve never heard of anyone that had the same reaction to kefir as me.
Thanks
Hi Ana!
Because you’re breaking out from both of them it kind of sounds like it’s probably a healing crisis (or herxheimer reaction). I can’t say for sure though – people do react oddly to different things
Hi Tracy!
I was so glad to discover your blog. You’ve helped me a lot since you also reach out into the emotional issues of acne. Even though my acne isn’t bad anymore, I still have a lot of fear in me because of how it once made me feel.
Anyway, that was all a side jump since this is my first comment and I wanted to let you know that what you do is great.
I’m guessing that it is okay to make the milk kefir, take out the grains after 24 hours and then store the just-made kefir in the fridge?
Hi Nenne!
I’m so happy to hear that my blog has helped you 🙂 makes it all worthwhile.
Yes you can definitely store your finished kefir in the fridge
Hello!
Thanks for the video! The only Keifer I’ve seen in Nevada has sugar as the second ingredient which my skin hates!
two questions:
My house gets VERY warm in the Summer( the 90’s) is this still safe?
I’m a little scared, is it possible to do something wrong here and make yourself sick or is this a risk free recipe?
Unfortunately raw milk is also illegal here but if I hop the border to California it is legal 🙂
Hi Summer,
As far as I know, there’s no reason to be concerned if it’s really warm, except that the warmer it is, the faster it will ferment, and you might have over-fermented kefir more often than you can eat it!
Hi Tracy,
I was wondering what your opinion is of drinking milk kefir if you think you have SIBO and/or leaky gut. When I first tried it, I had terrible bloating from it, but was eventually able to slowly work my way up to drinking a fair amount without a reaction. Lately though, possibly because my grains have multiplied, I am getting that terrible bloating. Do you think I should drop it completely or just work my way back up?
Hi Andrea,
I would say if you feel that you’re benefiting from it in other ways, then you should drop down and try to work your way back up!
Thanks!
Hey Tracy!
I was just wondering if it would be okay to use expired raw milk to make my milk kefir?…. I’ve read that if the milk being used is raw, it is still okay to use after its expiry date/when it starts souring unlike milk that has gone through the pasteurization process, etc. Do you know anything about this?
Thank you so much!
Lots of love, <3
Hi Simran, yes if raw milk starts to sour, it’s like it’s continuing it’s fermentation process and is fine (well, for a quite a while anyway). it’s not like pasteurized milk which is actually rotting when it goes off
hi is it ok to drink kefir milk ( cow milk) i m starting to remove all dairy from my diet but kefir milk cow is the most easy to find on the market..
thank you !!!!!!!!!!!
After watching your video I am interested in putting cod liver oil in my kefir. Do you put in the cod liver oil before the kefir sits and ferments or after? Thanks!
Hi tracy?there is no availabilty of raw cow or goat milk where i stay
….soi have to make do with normal cows milk(which i beleive, contains harmful harmones)should i use it to make milk kefir,or should i go for water kefir??plz plz do suggest?
Hi Tania, probably just go for water kefir!
Hi, Tracy! I Read your blog for help probably 15 years ago. I wanted to go back to some of your videos, especially the cooking ones. The ones I am finding as I browse through your posts have now been set to private. Is this a mistake or can blog readers no longer access them? Also, is there a way to search the blog or browse videos only? Thanks!