How to Guide - Water Kefir
How to make Water Kefir at home
First Fermentation Instructions
1. Wash and rinse your culturing jar (included in your ) and ensure any soap residues are thoroughly removed.2. Sterilise your culturing jar by pouring hot boiling water over the whole jar and leaving it for 3 minutes then throw the water out.
3. Make a sugar water solution;
Sugar-water solution instructions:
- Heat 4 cups (1 litre) of water.
- Dissolve ¼ cup sugar per litre of water.
- Cool to 20°C – 25°C (room temperature).
TIP: Depending on the type of sugar and added mineral content you use, the colour of your sugar water solution will differ in colour. It can range from dark brown to pure white and all shadings in between.
4. Add the sugar-water solution into the culturing jar and then transfer the activated water kefir grains into the culturing jar as well.
5. Cover the top of the glass jar with your muslin cloth and secure with the rubber band.
6. Place in a warm spot, 20°C – 25°C (room temperature), out of direct sunlight to culture, for 24 to 48 hours.
7. After culturing is complete, strain the water kefir grains from the finished water kefir ensuring the kefir grains stays behind in the plastic strainer.
I know you probably want to rinse them right now but DON’T! Kefir does not want to be handled excessively and does not require rinsing between batches.
8. Place the water kefir grains in a new batch of sugar-water solution and repeat steps 4 to 7 for making recurring batches of delicious water kefir first fermentations.
The finished water kefir is now ready to do the following with;
Add flavourings, refrigerate then consume when cold.
Add flavouring elements, put it in an enclosed, airtight bottle, and leave it outside for another day or two (this is called secondary fermentation) to carbonate. This is putting the wonderful "fizz" into your water kefir drink. Refrigerate and consume your deliciously fizzy drink when cold.
Place the water kefir grains in a new batch of sugar-water solution and repeat steps 4 to 7 for making recurring batches of delicious water kefir first fermentations.
We recommend going for the Second Fermentation as this yields great fizzy drinks!
Water temperature should never be more than room temperature at ± 25°C but it can be colder than room temperature. You can also culture less sugar water at a time just remember the ratio: ¼ cup of sugar to 1 litre of water.
PREVENTING FERMENTING EXPLOSIONS!
Before bottling water kefir, carefully inspect the bottles for cracks, as cracks weaken the integrity of the bottle.
We also recommend “burping” the containers daily during and after second fermentation to release excess pressure.
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