Want to make your own homemade milk kefir from a direct-set powdered kefir starter?
You will see that it is very easy, and in a very short time you will master its preparation.
Making milk kefir from powdered starter only takes 4 easy steps:
- Boil the milk and let it cool.
- Add the kefir starter culture.
- Leave to ferment for 24 hours at room temperature.
- Enjoy!
How to Make Milk Kefir With Powdered Starter
Equipment
- Pan
- Whisk or fork
Ingredients
- 1 packet milk kefir starter culture
- 1 L milk (cow, goat, sheep, etc.)
Steps
- Bring the milk to a boil.
- Let it cool until it reaches room temperature (around 23-25 °C/73-77°F).
- Pour the content of the packet into the milk and mix well using a whisk.
- Pour the inoculated milk into the clean jar.
- Close the lid and let ferment at room temperature until coagulation (about 24 hours).
- Refrigerate for about 8 hours.
- Stir to liquefy and enjoy.
Notes
And there you go! Your kefir is now ready to be enjoyed.
Milk kefir can keep for 1 week in the refrigerator… if you do not drink it all in a few hours!
Drink it plain, or make yourself the creamiest of smoothies!
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Difference Between Powdered Starter and Kefir Grains?
- Can I Make Kefir With Soy Milk?
- Why Boil Milk Before Adding the Starter Culture?
- Can I Use Some Kefir to “Backslop” Fresh Milk?
What is the Difference Between Powdered Starter and Kefir Grains?
Making kefir with direct-set powdered kefir starter is affordable, easy to use, and easy to preserve between recipes. And it’s easier to make than yogurt!
However, it is necessary to use a new starter for almost every recipe.
On the other hand, milk kefir grains make it possible to produce kefir according to the traditional method.
You will have to take care of your grains over the long term. In return, they will produce kefir as long as they are fed. The kefir grains can even multiply.
Read more about the difference between kefir starter vs. kefir grains.
Can I Make Kefir With Soy Milk?
Yes, just add the kefir starter directly to the soy beverage at room temperature, then follow the procedure described above.
Other plant-based drinks don’t work well, but you can experiment and try doubling the dose for better results. The level of protein in the drink has an influence on the chance of success.
Learn what is the best milk for making kefir.
Why Boil Milk Before Adding the Starter Culture?
Boiling kills the microorganisms in the milk. Thus, the added culture will have the best chance to colonize the medium easily.
Can I Use Some Kefir to “Backslop” Fresh Milk?
You can inoculate milk from a previous batch of kefir, however your culture will gradually lose its robustness and therefore its ability to ferment. We do not recommend inoculating with a previous ferment more than twice.
Get the Tools!
We recommend the following products for making milk kefir with powdered starter.
I really appreciate all the info here. Question- I boiled my milk (it was fresh and raw) and it split into milk solids and …milk? I’m pretty new to working with milk so I am not actually 100% on what happened. I used the liquid and added the kefir starter powder, and used the solids elsewhere. It hasn’t been long enough to know what’s happening, but my question is, should I be trying to avoid the split? Do I want all the solids in the milk for kefir?
Hello Stephanie,
If the milk separated into curds and whey when you boiled it, it usually means the milk had already started to acidify slightly. When milk becomes a bit acidic, heating it can cause the proteins to coagulate and split like that.
It’s best to use milk that has not separated, with all its solids. The bacteria ferment the lactose in the milk, and keeping the full structure of the milk (fat and proteins) gives a better texture.
Using only the liquid (whey) may still ferment, but the result will likely be much thinner.
For future batches, try using fresher milk.
Let us know how your batch turns out.
Milk isn’t sold by the liter in the U.S. Would a quart work?
Hello Linda,
Yes, a quart should work just fine. You simply might need to slightly reduce fermentation time.