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Fermenting water kefir
Water kefir is made with water, sugar and kefir grains. The process needed to make kefir is fermentation. Due to fermentation, kefir is lightly carbonated, acidic and contains a very low alcohol percentage.
Main ingredients for the kefir are kefir grains and water. Similar to milk kefir, the grains are a live culture needed for fermentation. They are translucent and crystal-like in appearance. With every fermentation the grains are growing. Sooner or later you have an abundance of grains that you can share with others.
Kefir contains bacteria strains
Kefir grains and kefir contain combination of bacteria and yeasts. In comparison to milk kefir, kefir with water contains less bacteria strains than milk kefir. Nevertheless, it’s still rich in beneficial bacteria and considered a great probiotic drink.
A list of bacteria found in kefir grains and kefir listed below is informational. Since we do not test every batch of kefir and grains, they can differ in composition. This list is sourced from Sequence-based analysis of the microbial composition of kefir from multiple sources published in FEMS Microbiology Letters.
| Lactic acid bacteria | Acetic acid bacteria | Fungals | Yeasts |
| Species Lactobacillus L. hilgardii L. nagelii L. hordeispecies Leuconostoc |
Species Acetobacter
Sp. Gluconacetobacter. species Bifidobacteriaceae |
phylum Ascomycota
Saccharomycetaceae Saccharomycodaceae species Dekkera |
Species Saccharomyces S. cerevisiaespecies Hanseniaspora H. valbyensis H. vineaespecies Zygosaccharomyces Z. lentusspecies Meyerozyma |
How to make water kefir?
Ingredients:
- 30 g active water kefir grains (many people share them, or you can get dehydrated kefir grains here)
- 0,6 l water (non-chlorinated)
- 40 g quality sugar
- fruit to taste
First of all put kefir grains into the glass jar. Add water and sugar then stir. When ingredients dissolve, you can add fruit to the glass. Leave the lid slightly open to allow airflow. Traditionally, people use figs or lemons to ferment kefir. You can also add other dry or fresh fruits. After 1-2 days when kefir is ready you can squeeze fresh juice into the kefir to add some taste.
Kefir is a refreshing beverage and can be consumed as it is or used as an ingredient in probiotic cocktails. So, experiment with ingredients and tastes!
Source:
https://academic.oup.com/femsle/article-lookup/doi/10.1111/1574-6968.12248
40g of sugar for which quantity of water?
Hi Sylvie!
Thanks for noticing, I have added missing info in the text. It’s for 0,6 l water approximately.
Cheers!
Urška
Do you need to add sugar when coconut water is used?
Hi Selven!
Thanks for posting here.
Yes, you need to add sugar, the same as with water kefir. It’s important for fermentation process.
Best, Urška
Thanks Urska,
Can i add brown sugar instead of white? and get the same benefits?
Hi, yes of course, brown sugar is great.
Regards
My water kefir has been tasting of vinegar for the last couple of batches. Can I do anything to change that or should I start again?
Hi Laust Juul, thanks for posting your experience here. Maybe someone will share how they solved this.
The “vinegar” smell can happen sometimes in the summer, when it’s hotter. It probably has something to do with faster fermentation. Usually the grains get more slimy also. It also depends what you use to make water kefir, which fruit you add. Not washing the jar between batches can be a factor too. You could try the revival (dehydrated water kefir grains) process and see if anything changes.
Hope this helps.
Regards, Urška from Kefirko team
Could i use coconut sugar. I am about to make my first batch of milk kefir, i had no idea i could use water. I realize i need a different grain. My Daughter will not dtink the milk Kefir but perhsps i can get her to drink the water. She is an adult.
Hi Carol, thanks for leaving the comment.
You can prepare water kefir with coconut sugar too, but note, the coconut sugar is very rich in minerals and that can over time harm the grains too.
You can make water kefir with white suggar, maybe a part of it can be brown, unrefined. Note, the sugar is used during the process of fermentation, so its actually for the grains, not for you.
Find more on water kefir here: https://uk.kefirko.com/community/water-kefir/
Regards, Kefirko team
Dear Kefirko Team.
Thank you for this very helpful article. I was wondering regarding the claims that are being made with regards to the benefits of Kefir, do you have any proof of these claims. Secondly, I understand that we do not test every batch, would it then be advisable to state this on a label and rather say … this batch MAY contain the following strands. Would this be safer?
Or shall I rather say, do you perhaps have a reference for me to these claims.
Hi,
What is the best pH and Brix level should be in first fermentation?
Hi Mark. Check out this content for answers about pH: https://uk.kefirko.com/how-to/what-is-recommended-ph-value-in-fermented-beverages/?v=ce774d9cab3a