Have you just bought some dehydrated milk kefir grains? Here’s how to rehydrate milk kefir grains so they’re ready to make homemade milk kefir.
How to Activate Dehydrated Milk Kefir Grains
Do you have dried milk kefir grains and want to make your own homemade milk kefir? The first step is simple: you have to activate your milk kefir grains. After a few easy steps and a couple of days of patience, you'll be ready to start producing your first milk kefir.
Equipment
- 500 ml glass jar
- Fine mesh cloth with rubber bands or lid
Ingredients
- Milk kefir grains (in their original sachet)
- Pasteurised milk (whole, light, 0% …)
Steps
Rehydrating and activating milk kefir grains (7 to 14 days).
- Pour the entire contents of the sachet of milk kefir grains into the jar.
- Add ½ cup of milk (120 ml).
- Mix well (with a spoon or by shaking the jar with a lid).
- Cover with a cloth or lid and leave at room temperature.
- After 24 hours, strain through a sieve and discard the milk.
- Repeat these steps every day.
- You can start drinking the milk kefir as soon as its aroma, taste, and texture are satisfactory. Reactivation generally takes between 7 and 14 days.
Notes
Most sieves work just fine, whether they're stainless steel or plastic. The same goes for spoons: wooden, stainless steel, or plastic, it makes no difference. If you don't like the flavour of the kefir, the milk should be discarded, as it will not have fermented and may have been contaminated. If it smells good, however, you could use it in recipes that require cooking or boiling. Milk can be cold (out of the fridge) or at room temperature. It is important to use pasteurized milk when activating milk kefir grains. The microorganisms in raw milk could upset the ecosystem of your grains.
Have you tried it?Share and tag @revolutionfermentation!
After Reactivation
Follow these instructions to increase the quantity and quality of the kefir produced.
- If everything looks good after 24 hours of fermentation (smell, taste, texture), increase the quantity of milk used to 1 cup (250 ml).
- Then, increase the quantity of milk gradually, waiting a few days between each adjustment. Do not double the quantity in one go.
- If the kefir becomes very acidic or coagulates rapidly in less than 24 hours, this is a sign that you need to increase the quantity of milk.
- To make it easier to filter and recover all the small grains, stir your kefir well before filtering.
- As the kefir thickens, you may need a larger mesh sieve.
- The grains should start to multiply after about 4 weeks of regular recipes.
- The higher the fat content of the milk you choose, the smoother and thicker the finished kefir will be.
👉 To learn everything you need to know about making homemade milk kefir and how to store your grains, read our complete guide on How to Make Homemade Milk Kefir.
