Troubleshooting - Milk Kefir

Grains may become stressed from overcrowding, lack of nutrients or contamination. Under any of these conditions you may experience the following;

• Grains become very slimy (a mild sliminess is normal as the pro-biotic content is in the sliminess).
• Kefir smells unpleasant.
• White film forms on top of finished kefir.
• Grains diminish in volume.

In any of the above situations occur, the grains may benefit from a rinse, rest, and recovery period. Rinse the grains in filtered water; rest the grains in pasteurized, fresh, full cream milk in the refrigerator for a week or two; then get them back to work. It may be necessary to repeat the procedure a few times to completely recover the grains.

Each batch of kefir is unique and may not proceed exactly as the previous batch. Some common variations include but is not limited to;