A step-by-step guide for making homemade milk kefir, a delicious, creamy, probiotic-rich fermented drink that’s soon to be a staple in your household! This fermented beverage is incredibly easy to make, and produces a wonderful creamy kefir in about 24 hours.

I’ve been making my own milk kefir for quite some time now.

I started after my sister bought me a Luvele yoghurt maker for Christmas. I’d been reading the GAPS book by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride called Gut and Psychology Syndrome, which shares an in-depth guide on how to help heal and repair the gut by following the GAPS diet protocol.

Some of the foods mentioned in the book were homemade yoghurt and kefir, and I wanted to include more of these foods in my diet as they’re a great source of gut-friendly probiotic bacteria!

Now, a yoghurt maker isn’t necessary to make your own batch of homemade milk kefir, a simple glass jar will do just fine, and I’ll share the process below.

What is Kefir?

Kefir is a cultured, fermented beverage that’s packed with probiotics and beneficial enzymes. It’s created using kefir grains which ferment the milk, turning it into a sort of liquid-yoghurt which you can drink.

Generally, the taste is quite tangy as the fermentation process removes most of the lactose (the natural sugar found in milk). The result is a slightly sour, bubbly fermented drink. Similar to a thin, drinkable yoghurt.

Kefir contains more beneficial probiotic bacteria than most types of yoghurt. Bifidobacterium lactis is just one of the many beneficial bacteria that can be found in milk kefir, and may help to nourish the gut microbiome.

For those who have a mild lactose intolerance, you may be able to tolerate kefir, especially if it is made with raw milk. The fermentation process helps to reduce the amount of lactose present in the milk, and make it more easily digestible for the gut.

To start off making your very own batch of kefir, you can either use some fresh kefir grains, or use a little of a high-quality already-made kefir to begin the batch with. The kefir grains are what turn ordinary milk into a probiotic-rich beverage. They help to ferment the milk by feeding off of the lactose found naturally in the milk, reducing the overall sugar content and giving it a more tangy flavour.

When the milk kefir grains are given fresh milk regularly, they will multiply like no tomorrow! Soon you will have more than you even know what to do with. This is a great opportunity to pass them along to family members or friends who want to start their own batch of kefir.

While the grains will continue to ferment for many batches, they will also degrade with time, changing shape and turning mushy and grainy. Ideally, the grains should be a cauliflower shape with a crispy texture.

Taking a Break from Making Kefir

If you’re halting kefir production in your home (maybe you’ve made too many batches and are now trying to get through them all), you can rest the grains for a period of time in the fridge. Just note that the longer you rest the grains, the longer they will take to revive.

When making kefir, you don’t want to add too many kefir grains to the milk or it will ferment much faster than you want. It’s also helpful to note that when you first start out using kefir grains, the milk kefir may not turn out as well as you’d hoped. This is because the grains are adjusting to the new environment. After a few attempts, they start to make really good batches of kefir.

Before we get started in learning how to make homemade milk kefir, if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!

Homemade Milk Kefir

A super easy method for making milk kefir at home. A delicious creamy yoghurt-like drink, full of gut-friendly probiotic bacteria.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp milk kefir grains or 2 tbsp pre-made kefir
• 4 cups (1 L) organic full cream unhomogenised milk

To Make:

1. Measure two tablespoons of the milk kefir grains into a clean 1 L glass jar.
2. Add the four cups of milk to the jar with the grains, then stir the grains with the milk to gently combine the two ingredients.
3. Cover the jar with a few layers of cheesecloth of a tea towel, securing the cloth in place with a rubber band.
4. Let the milk kefir rest at room temperature to ferment until the kefir has reached your desired thickness and sourness. This may be somewhere between 24 to 36 hours, depending on your preference. The temperature of the kitchen will impact the amount of time needed for fermentation. In the winter, when the temperature is cooler, the kefir may take longer to ferment than during the summer months.
5. If you notice the kefir has separated into a yellowish liquid, that is totally fine. This liquid is called ‘whey’ and is full of beneficial bacteria.
6. Once the fermentation process is finished, you can strain the kefir grains out using a fine mesh strainer with a wide glass bowl placed underneath to catch the liquid. Stir the kefir gently with a plastic or wooden spoon to gently force the kefir through the strainer. The grains will be left once you’ve finished. Store the kefir in a glass jar with an airtight lid on in the fridge for up to two weeks.
7. Please note that brief contact with metal, such as with high-quality food-grade stainless steel, for short-term use including straining or stirring is said to be okay, but avoid letting the kefir touch metal for extended periods of time, as kefir is quite acidic by nature, it can cause heavy metals to leach into it.
8. From here, you can choose to either start another batch of milk kefir with the grains left behind after straining the milk kefir, or you can store the grains between batches in the fridge in a glass jar covered with milk.

This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user’s own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

Have you made kefir before? What was your experience? Share in the comment below.

Lots of love,

Vanessa