How to Make Homemade Soda Pop with Kefir Grains
Summer’s almost here. This is the time of year when a cold refreshing soda pop really hits the spot. Unfortunately, soda pop is really, really bad for you. First of all, you’re drinking a ton of sugar which sets you up for obesity and diabetes. But it’s not just sugar you have to worry about anymore. These days, soda pop is made with high fructose corn syrup or, just as bad, aspartame. These are not things you want to be putting in your body.
High fructose corn syrup is made by soaking corn in battery acid. Aspartame is an excitotoxin. Multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s anyone? Oh, and check out these horrifying photos of rats with giant tumors: My Aspartame Experiment.
It’s also important to note that both HFCS and aspartame are genetically modified. Read the health risks of GMOs.
For these reasons, you couldn’t pay me to drink a Coke these days.
Enter homemade soda pop — made with water kefir grains. Not only is this homemade soda pop delicious and refreshing, it’s so easy to make. Oh, and did I mention that it’s healthy? Healthy soda pop? Could there be such a thing? Yes! This is a probiotic drink. The kefir bacteria eat the sugar, which makes the soda pop less sweet and it is filled with good bacteria (like the kind you get from yogurt or other probiotic foods). Kefir soda pop is a great option for kids instead of giving them juice. My two-year-old loves it.
Homemade soda pop made with kefir grains is also super cheap to make. It’s just made from water and a little sugar, plus some fruit flavoring. You’ll save a ton not buying sodas or juice. Not only that, but as you use your kefir grains over time, they will grow and multiply. When you have more grains, you can make larger batches at a time. This recipe will get you started with your first batch.
You can also convert milk kefir grains for this recipe. Just don’t use all your kefir grains — set aside 1-2 tablespoons just for this purpose. Also, be aware that the first few ferments will take longer with dairy kefir grains (4-5 days instead of 1-3). After that, they should perform like water kefir grains. (While I have not tried it, I have read that converted dairy kefir grains will poop out over time so I prefer to stick with water kefir grains for making soda pop.)
Don’t wait until it gets hot and you’re tempted to pop open a bottle of HFCS-sweetened root beer. Start making your soda pop now so you’ll have lots on hand for those summer barbecues.
To buy water kefir grains, please visit my Resources Page.
Homemade Soda Pop with Kefir Grains
Equipment:
Mesh strainer
Quart mason jar
Glass bottles (you can get these at a homebrew store, or reuse old wine or beer bottles, or you can simply store your soda pop in a mason jar in the fridge)
Funnel
Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons water kefir grains (For sources, visit my Resources Page)
Filtered water (NOT tap water — you’ll kill your kefir grains)
1/4 cup sugar (I use plain white organic sugar but you can use other forms of sugar such as Rapadura or palm sugar)
1 teaspoon molasses (if you are using refined sugar; you can omit this if you are using Rapadura or palm sugar)
Piece of an egg shell, rinsed (half of the egg shell will do)
1. Fill the mason jar 3/4 of the way full with filtered water.
2. Add the sugar, optional molasses, and egg shell and stir or put a lid on and shake until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Add the kefir grains.
4. Leave on the counter or in a cupboard at room temperature for 1-3 days (depends on the temperature in your home — the warmer it is, the faster the soda will ferment).
5. You’ll know when it’s ready when it’s nice and bubbly and the taste is only mildly sweet — not like sugar.
6. Strain the grains using the strainer, pouring the liquid into another quart mason jar (or, if you only have one, pour into a bowl and then pour it back into the mason jar).
7. Set the grains aside (or start a new batch of soda in a mason jar — following the instructions above). Discard the egg shell.
8. Add to your soda batch whatever fruit flavorings you like. Use about 1/4 a cup frozen or fresh fruit. I have tried lemon, blueberry, raspberry, pineapple, figs, and raisins. You could also use grapes, cherries, watermelon, ginger, mint, lime, grapefruit — or combinations of any of the above. If you are using lemon, you might also want to add another tablespoon or two of sugar. This is not an exact science — be creative and see what appeals to you.
9. Let ferment a few more days on the counter until it tastes just right and is nice and fizzy.
10. Transfer to bottles using the funnel. Store in the fridge. If you want extra-fizzy pop, cap the bottles and leave them at room temperature for another day, then transfer to fridge.
Note: If using bottles like the kind shown above in the picture, be careful when opening. It can be explosive!
Postscript: This recipe calls for two ferments, one with sugar and the grains and one with the strained fermented water and fruit. To save time, you can do just one ferment — adding the fruit and the sugar on the first go-round. You can also just ferment your kefir grains in fruit juice with a little added sugar. Coconut water is especially wonderful and refreshing. Unless I am using coconut water, which seems to have no ill effects, I prefer to do two ferments because I like to keep my kefir grains pure. (I used pineapple juice once and ended up with these funny little pulpy things in my kefir grains that are still there. I have also heard of people using fruit juices and ending up with purple water kefir grains.)
This post is part of Fight Back Fridays on Food Renegade. Check out Fight Back Fridays for more recipes and stories about sustainable, healthy food.
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05/06/2009 at 6:33 am Permalink
this sounds so yummy. i love milk keffir and im sure this is perfect for summer. one question- at my local food co-op they sell powdered keffir starter, i dont think it’s “grains” per se. would these work?
emily’s last blog post..Mother’s Day Brunch
05/06/2009 at 7:20 am Permalink
Emily they will work (I think) but they will not last. You have to buy that powdered starter over and over. Much more economical to buy some real kefir grains — they last forever (unless you kill them, of course — it’s a good idea to give some away or freeze or dry them — that way you have back-up).
05/06/2009 at 7:45 am Permalink
Awesome post! I’ve always wanted to try this, now I have a good excuse.
Thanks for submitting this to Fight Back Fridays today!
Cheers,
KristenM
(AKA FoodRenegade)
FoodRenegade’s last blog post..Fight Back Fridays June 5th
05/06/2009 at 8:09 am Permalink
Hi AM,
Thanks so much for posting! I’ve always been curious how to make. Do you find that they taste really sweet?
Genevieve
05/06/2009 at 8:19 am Permalink
No they don’t taste really sweet. I don’t like super sweet things anymore. You can modulate the sweetness to your liking by adding more or less sugar and by fiddling with the ferment time. The longer you ferment, the warmer the room temperature, the less sweet it will be. The shorter you ferment and the colder the room temp, the sweeter it will be. Just keep tasting as you go along.
05/06/2009 at 11:16 am Permalink
I really want to make kefir soda with water grains. One time, I tried using milk grains with coconut water, and it turned out with little white specks on the top (mold?), and was really gross.
After the first ingredient, you said (available at ) but didn’t say where…
05/06/2009 at 11:35 am Permalink
I got my water kefir grains in the mail about a week ago and so far, I don’t really like the flavor. It’s not bad but it’s not great either. I only fermented for 24 hrs but it tasted really strong. I also didn’t do the second fermentation, I just added the lemon juice after the first fermentation with the grains then drank away. Maybe the rapadura I used completely overwhelmed the small amount of lemon juice. I’m going to keep trying until I find something I like – did you notice and adjustment period or did you like it right away? Also, you said 1-2 Tablespoons of grains. Once I rehydrated my grains, I already had 3-4 Tablespoons but I used it all for my 1 quart jar and it is hot here in Texas so perhaps it was just more powerful than I thought it would be at 24hrs. Should I try using only part of my grains for a milder soda? Any suggestions?
MacKenzie’s last blog post..Foreign Affairs Friday: Not Dead Yet
05/06/2009 at 11:48 am Permalink
Anyone have a link to a place to get good kefir grains? This will be a first for me!
05/06/2009 at 11:49 am Permalink
Doh — nevermind! I see it up in the original post. Thank you!
05/06/2009 at 12:02 pm Permalink
I use dried cherries in mine and it’s really quite nice. It’s fantastic to be able to offer a nice alternative to soda. Plus it’s not particularly sweet.
Jenny @ Nourished Kitchen’s last blog post..Announcing: Clean Your Plate Recipe Challenge!
05/06/2009 at 12:51 pm Permalink
MacKenzie,
Don’t worry about reducing the number of grains, it doesn’t significantly effect the fermentation. Do try white sugar though instead of rapadura. I don’t know of too many people who find the rapadura and lemon juice combination to be too pleasing–it’s just really strong. Whether you officially do a second fermentation is up to you (I rarely have the patience myself!) but either way, white sugar and lemon juice tastes great.
Julie @ Cultures for Health’s last blog post..Working with Different Types of Starter Cultures
05/06/2009 at 1:02 pm Permalink
MacKenzie, it sounds like you’re not making it sweet enough. Adding straight lemon juice would be too tart. And I think you need more than just lemon juice — some other kind of fruit or flavoring. Maybe mint. And def. more sugar.
Also, while you can use rapadura, I have better luck using white sugar and a little molasses.
And, yes I think you are also using too many grains. You only need a TBS or two for a quart jar.
05/06/2009 at 1:48 pm Permalink
Very cool,
Just wondered how much alcohol is in the final product before I give it to my kids?
Thanks
05/06/2009 at 4:59 pm Permalink
Paul,
From the information available, it appears that kefir (water or dairy) has about .5% alcohol content in the standard fermentation period (for water kefir this is 48 hours). So the amount is very small and typical of any fermented food or beverage. I allow my toddler to drink as much water kefir as he wants.
There area a couple of things that can effect the levels though. First is the amount of fermentation that occurs and that is dependent on time and temperature in the house. On very warm days, the kefir will ferment more quickly. The other thing to keep in mind is that if you choose to ferment the grains directly in straight fruit juice, alcohol content is generally higher so I would suggest limiting the fermentation period to 24 hours if you are making it for your children. If you are hoping for a more “adult” drink–2-4 days will get you to that goal.
Julie @ Cultures for Health’s last blog post..Working with Different Types of Starter Cultures
06/06/2009 at 7:15 am Permalink
You rock! I can’t wait to try this for my husband! Way to put in the effort and try this out for all of us.
06/06/2009 at 10:30 am Permalink
Ooooh, I’m jealous!!!!! I need water kefir grains! It’s the picture that’s hard to resist!
07/06/2009 at 1:46 am Permalink
Hi –I love making water kefir, I will have to get more grains and get started for this summer. I have never heard about using an eggshell, that is really interesting. Wonder if that puts a lot of minerals in the water, I hear the grains thrive with lots of minerals.
MacKenzie–I use one whole lemon, the lemon peel and mint stalks in my first and only ferment. I painstakingly scrape all the white pith off the peel of a whole lemon (otherwise the bitter pith infuses into the kefir, BLAAHH!). and throw the pieces of lemon into the sugar water, kefir grains, with the peel and one tall stalk of mint. It makes an awesome flavor of Lemon-Mint Kefir Soda. Try that.
Kimberly Hartke’s last blog post..Bratwurst at the Beach
07/06/2009 at 11:05 am Permalink
What a great idea to do the first fermentation with just sugar to keep the grains “pure”. I haven’t made kefir sodas in a while, but I used to just use my extra ones for the things that were hard to strain out, such as blackberries. Then I could feel better about composting the extra grains after they had all those seeds and purple color mixed in. I really had a ton of kefir grains back then. They love to multiply!
Stephanie Rivers’s last blog post..How to Make the Most of Your CSA Share
07/06/2009 at 11:14 am Permalink
Where did you get the pretty bottles in the picture?
Herbwifemama’s last blog post..My New Years Resolution
07/06/2009 at 1:21 pm Permalink
Herbwifemama,
Those are actually wine bottles. I found them at Whole Foods and snapped them up because I knew they’d make great bottles for lacto-fermented beverages.
07/06/2009 at 1:25 pm Permalink
By the way, I just made a quart of lemon-mint soda pop. I used a batch I had already fermented, strained out the kefir grains, then added the juice from 1/2 of a lemon and a handful of mint. I let that sit out for another 4-6 hours.
It tastes great!
That’s going to be a regular flavor for us. Hubs likes it (said it tasted a little like a mojito). I know Kate will, too. And I have a lemon tree and mint growing in my backyard.
09/06/2009 at 9:54 am Permalink
Why do you use half an egg shell? Is this to impart some calcium into the drink?
10/06/2009 at 3:45 am Permalink
OK, I was waiting for someone else to ask, but since they didnt, I will.
)
What is the egg shell for?
And is the egg shell supposed to be covered in bubble after a couple days?
Thanks for the recipe!
Four Mile Farm’s last blog post..Solve the Mystery!
10/06/2009 at 11:48 am Permalink
Hi,
I am curious and would love to try this. We are on well water, so our tap water isn’t like city tap water. Would you still suggest I use filtered water?
Thanks,
CatCreek
10/06/2009 at 8:49 pm Permalink
OK, I’m really inspired to try this after reading your post! Do you think it would work well with jamaica flowers, and what do you recommend as the best compromise on the sugar situation?
Thanks!
Ren’s last blog post..Smoked Knuckle Bean Soup
11/06/2009 at 1:36 am Permalink
The eggshell helps the water kefir grains thrive.
Ren – I have never heard of jamaica flowers. What do you mean when you say compromise on sugars?
11/06/2009 at 4:30 am Permalink
CatCreek – I don’t know anything about well water. Have you had it tested? Do you filter it at all? The main reason you want to use filtered water is due to chlorine (it kills the good bacteria), but you also don’t want to be drinking other contaminants like perchlorate or fluoride.
11/06/2009 at 9:43 am Permalink
I tried again with a bit more (white) sugar and some strawberries in addition to the lemon juice. It was delicious! Now I just need to try that mint version that was mentioned. Thanks for your advice.
Oh, and CatCreek – We drink brita filtered water but I have heard not to use that for kefir as it removes too many of the minerals they need to really thrive (maybe that is that not a problem if you use the eggshell?) so instead I boil my tap water to get rid of the Chlorine. It might be an option for you.
And about the sugars, I try to avoid white sugar for things we eat but most of the sugar in this is consumed by the kefir itself and isn’t in the final product so I don’t mind. Plus, as I said above, I didn’t like the taste with Rapadura.
MacKenzie’s last blog post..Linkage
13/06/2009 at 12:55 am Permalink
Just be careful when you bottle the stuff. Ours exploded! Luckily me and the kids weren’t home but I came home to a kitchen strewn with broken glass. I couldn’t work out what had happened at first. I don’t know but maybe we fermented it too long because it was also quite alcoholic. I felt light headed after one drink!! (mind you, I am a mum to two toddlers and haven’t drunken alcohol much in a while so it doesn’t take much).
15/06/2009 at 7:09 am Permalink
Has anyone figured out how to keep it from over fermenting once it’s bottled? I ferment my water kefir grains for 36-48 hours, and then bottle it in flip down bottles like pictured. The first time I opened one, I showered my ceiling (freshly painted.. grrr), ceiling fan and light fixture (not easy to clean!), and myself and my son with ginger ale! I’ve had success chilling well before opening, but I was wondering if there is another way, we don’t have a lot of room in the fridge.
Sarah’s last blog post..Food thoughts
15/06/2009 at 7:58 am Permalink
Sarah – Are you storing it in the fridge? You can try not fermenting quite as long. I typically ferment only for 24-36 hours, not 48. If your kitchen is warm, you can ferment for less time. Also, maybe you shouldn’t use these kinds of bottles. They are more dangerous and do tend to explode. You can store it in mason jars instead and it won’t get as fizzy.
15/06/2009 at 7:59 am Permalink
Another idea – you can also buy reusable glass bottles with caps and a capping tool at homebrew stores.
17/06/2009 at 4:24 am Permalink
Hi
I was wondering how I can convert dairy kefir grains to use for ths recipe. Can I just rinse them off with purified water?
Thanks
20/06/2009 at 9:18 am Permalink
Can I use store bought kefir for this recipe? I don’t have kefir grains yet. Thanks in advance!
07/07/2009 at 6:07 pm Permalink
Can you support any evidence at all that HFCS is made by soaking corn in battery acid? I’ll wager you can’t because it is an idiotic claim made by those who like to scaremonger and excite the public. I’ve spent the better part of my life as a chemist specializing in food additives and I can tell you unequivocally without doubt that battery acid is nowhere in the process of creating HFCS.
HFCS is made in a three step process. First corn starch is treated with alpha-amylase(a natural product made by the bacillus bacteria) to create polysaccharide chains. This is then mixed with another natural enzyme known as glucoamylase(created naturally by the aspergillus fungus) to create base glucose chains. Finally the glucose is poured over columns of glucose-isomerase(yet another natural enzyme) to create the finished syrup that contains around 40% fructose.
HFCS is made with entirely natural ingredients and is 100% safe for consumption. The only problem with HFCS lies in overuse of it, which can lead to diabetes, obesity, etc…exactly the same problems if you overuse cane sugar or any other natural sweetener.
Game, set, and match. Stop making up bullshit and/or parroting the bullshit others have told you without researching it first. All you’ve done is make yourself look like uninformed and uneducated.
07/07/2009 at 7:19 pm Permalink
Retoru -
Thanks for your comment. I love it when someone challenges my logic.
Your claim that I am making myself look “uninformed and uneducated” is a logical fallacy (ad hominem) and thus irrelevant to your argument — which only weakens your position. At least, this is true for someone who understands logic. So we can toss that bit aside.
I’ll move on to the substance of your argument…
I’ll concede that perhaps I should not have used the term “battery acid”. However, your claim that HFCS is manufacturing with “entirely natural ingredients” is misleading.
According to the Washington Post, the president of the Corn Refiners Association (makers of high fructose corn syrup) admits that they use hydrochloric acid and caustic soda to make HFCS:
…Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, in a statement… “Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html
Caustic soda is, according to Dow Chemical, the largest producer of caustic soda, “highly corrosive and reactive. Caustic soda can be irritating to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract.” Dow goes on to explain in their product safety sheet that caustic soda is used in many industrial products including bleach, petroleum and aluminum.
http://www.dow.com/productsafety/finder/caustic.htm
Hydrochloric acid is another chemical used in industrial applications. According to Wikipedia:
“One of the most important applications of hydrochloric acid is in the pickling of steel, to remove rust or iron oxide scale from iron or steel before subsequent processing, such as extrusion, rolling, galvanizing, and other techniques.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrochloric_acid
It is also: “Commonly used to bleach concrete. Found in high concentrations in silverware cleaning solutions.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_chemicals
Now, I’m not sure what your definition of “natural” is. When I think of “natural” food, I don’t tend to think of the type of food that is processed with chemicals strong enough to pickle steel, bleach concrete or clean silverware.
If you’d like to explore some legal precendents and definitions of the term “natural” in regard to food, we could start here:
“In May 2006, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) threatened to file a lawsuit against Cadbury Schweppes for labeling 7 Up as “All Natural” or “100% Natural”, despite the presence of high-fructose corn syrup. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no general definition of “natural”, CSPI claims that HFCS is not a “natural” ingredient due to the high level of processing and the use of at least one genetically modified (GMO) enzyme required to produce it. On January 12, 2007, Cadbury Schweppes agreed to stop calling 7 Up “All Natural”. They now label it “100% Natural Flavors”.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-fructose_corn_syrup
This case casts doubt upon your above (unsubstantiated) claim that “HFCS is made with entirely natural ingredients”. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find sources legitimizing GMOs as “natural”. (Actually, I’d love to see you try. That would be amusing.) Genetically modified organisms are, arguably, the antithesis of “natural”, in that they are made by scientists in laboratories.
Let’s consider your argument that “The only problem with HFCS lies in overuse of it, which can lead to diabetes, obesity, etc…exactly the same problems if you overuse cane sugar or any other natural sweetener.”
The “only problem”? Can you back that up? Can you prove that there are no other problems with HFCS? Are you sure that this is the “only problem”? If so, based on what? This is an industrial food additive that is very new to our food supply. How can you be so sure that there are no problems with it? What testing has been done? What evidence do you have to support that statement?
Lastly, you have stated above that the overuse of HFCS leads to diabetes and heart disease (again, you have posted no supporting evidence). If that is true, if it is, as you claim, “overuse” of HFCS that leads to disease, how can one eat HFCS in moderation when it is in practically every processed food available?
I suppose we could eat processed foods in moderation, but how do we go about limiting our intake of HFCS when we are not even sure how much of it is in all the foods we are eating on a daily basis? It’s not like when you eat an apple and you know you ate one apple. You can weigh the apple. You know exactly how much of it you are eating.
How much HFCS am I eating when I eat a meal consisting of a sandwich that has HFCS in the bread and in the ketchup and the mayonnaise and in the pickles, and a soft drink that contains HFCS and a bag of chips that contain HFCS and a cookie that contains HFCS? How exactly do I go about eating HFCS in moderation? If you have suggestions, I’d love to hear them.
Thanks again for your comment. If you comment again, please be courteous and do not call me names or use profanity. This is a family blog.
07/07/2009 at 7:30 pm Permalink
Mariah – Yes, you can convert dairy grains.
Gina – No, you can’t use storebought kefir. You need kefir grains — either water grains or converted dairy grains.
07/07/2009 at 7:42 pm Permalink
Ann Marie,
“Game, set, and match.” Woohooooooo, you tell him girly! Don’t mess with us when we’re talking about REAL FOOD to NOURISH OUR FAMILIES with!!
Kel
Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s last blog post..Real Food For Kids: School Lunch Letter Sent to Superintendent
08/07/2009 at 3:53 am Permalink
No tiebreaker needed here. Service ace, Cheeseslave.
I’ve been making homemade kefir soda in consecutive batches since this post came out and am having a few problems. Mine isn’t clear and lovely colored, it’s muddy, vinegar-tasting and brown, no matter what I use for flavoring. I was able to figure out that to some degree that’s overfermentation—I guess my 80 degree house ferments kefir in about 24 hours!
But how do you get yours so lovely clear and gem-colored?
By the way, our favorite flavor right now is lemon mint, made with lemon juice and mint leaves in the second ferment. Oh, so refreshing!
Local Nourishment’s last blog post..Please pass the butter
08/07/2009 at 10:25 am Permalink
I just wanted to say, that I found some really great bottles at IKEA that look like old timey soda bottles, they are in the storage section and they are glass. I thought about using them for making the soda kefir.
08/07/2009 at 1:28 pm Permalink
I like my kefir grains pink, they are easier to find to reuse. Lemon is my favorite, I add a splash of grape juice to make fizzy pink lemonade. We put it in empty water bottles for easy transport. This is a great drink for thirsty athletes. My son’s favorite is apple made with dried apple rings.
08/07/2009 at 10:23 pm Permalink
Hi,
Enjoyed reading everyones thoughts and recipes on fruit kefirs. I have started making it and my favorite is ginger with a few raisins. I really love it and can drink the entire half gallon in one day. I think I will like the lemon one and plan to try it. One problem I’ve been having is my kefir grains have been decreasing from 4 Tbl down to 2 Tbl, and that is with a half gallon canning jar. I am worried that they will totally disappear. I do use a filtered water I get from the store, and I’m wondering if it is too filtered and doesn’t have the minerals that I read it needs. Would an eggshell work? My well water has lots of iron in it, so is that bad on kefir grains? I really don’t want to stop drinking it, so I hope I can find a way to keep them around. Thanks, Maggie
09/07/2009 at 6:12 am Permalink
Yes, use an egg shell. It’s listed in my recipe above. Your grains should be growing, not shrinking. Also, are you using enough sugar? You might want to do 2 ferments — do the first with the grains, sugar, water and egg shell only. Then do the second ferment with the fruit without the grains.
09/07/2009 at 7:28 pm Permalink
Thanks so much for the feedback. I will give the egg shell, extra sugar, and second fermentation a try.
Gratefully, Maggie
22/07/2009 at 11:00 am Permalink
I have a question…can you do the 2nd ferment in the final bottle, instead of a mason jar and then transfering it to the final bottle? Or is there too much carbonation? I got bottles similar to the ones you have pictured, and I was wondering if it is possible to cut out that step? (I’m just really impatient to try my soda!)
Thanks~Andrea
24/07/2009 at 8:52 am Permalink
If you want to cut out a step, you can do a single ferment with the fruit and the grains. I don’t like to do that because (1) I don’t want to jeopardize the health of my grains (2) I like to keep my grains pure — if you ferment with the grains and the fruit, they can turn your grains colors or they can get pieces of fruit junk mixed in. That happened when I did a single ferment w/ my kefir grains and pineapple juice. They got these weird little pieces of pineapple mixed in — I’ve been trying to strain them out for months but they’re still there.
I would not try to do a second ferment in the bottle you are using at the end. I mean, you could but yes, it might explode on you, especially with the stopper closed, and the other thing is you will have to strain the fruit out anyway so you might as well use a mason jar.
30/07/2009 at 9:30 am Permalink
Anne Marie, I’ve been making water kefir for a bit now…I started just before this post came out. It’s a wonderful addition to our nutritional repertoire! I discovered that my grains were diminishing also. After doing some “grain building” per Dom’s site, they are thriving and going strong (users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html#alternativekefir). I also found this quote on Cultures for LIfe: “Do not add citrus fruit while the kefir grains are present.” So many recipes tell you to put some kind of citrus in during the first fermentation. When I stopped doing this, my grains started doing much better. If I want a citrus flavor, I add a small piece or quirt of juice during the second ferment. Just my $.02!
The only question I have is that after the second fermentation when I have added in some organic fruit or juice there is a scum on the bottom of the bottle. My thinking is that this is “mother” so to speak, like the floating mother in kombucha and apple cider vinegar (which I suspend and use). I have been pouring the kefir out and leaving it in the bottom, but if it is good for the gut, I want to (carefully) suspend it before opening the bottle. I am reusing GT Dave’s kombucha bottles and they are resealing nicely. My defir is delicious, with no off taste or odor, so I know it’s not anything bad. I just want to understand the stuff in the bottom. Any thoughts?
30/07/2009 at 10:03 am Permalink
Hi, Nancy,
Thanks for the advice — that’s good information.
I have no idea about that “scum”. I have seen it, too — I wouldn’t really call it scum… but I can’t think of a better word for it. It almost looks like a powder. I think you’re right that it probably is either a part of the bacteria (like the mother) or it could also be a byproduct of the bacterial action.
Just my guesses — I have no clue, really.
30/07/2009 at 12:56 pm Permalink
Thanks…not that the “scum” is keeping us from drinking it…I can’t make it as fast as they can drink it! Most of ours gets flavored with organic fruit juice, but we also like it with fresh fruit. Last week I added about a tablespoon of vanilla syrup (sweetened with cane sugar, no HFCS) to a couple of bottles during the second fermentation and it was really delicious! It had the nicest cream soda flavor, but not too sweet. It has moved quickly to the top of the list for weekend treats.
02/08/2009 at 7:32 pm Permalink
I got some grains a while back here Ann Marie, and they have not grown or anything since I got them so I’m very thankful I dug this up here haha! I just started a new batch with your advice. I’m hopeful that my grains will start growing, I’ve had them for almost 3 weeks now! I was doing the one and only ferment thing, water, grains, sugar, and raisins because that is what I had read. So wish me luck that I see some better results with your method
10/08/2009 at 6:11 am Permalink
How exciting. I just acquired my first batch of milk kefir grains to culture my raw milk. I can’t wait to try it with my elderberry syrup. I’ll have to convert some to make this.
This gives me an incentive to keep picking & preserving those wild blackberries and elderberries.
17/08/2009 at 2:41 pm Permalink
I just started trying to make this and I have a couple of questions. I am using the milk kefir grains, because my health food store does not sell the water kefir grains.
What does it mean when your egg shell floats? It sank at first, but after a couple of days it started floating. Should i be worried, or should I add another egg shell?
When I tried to strain my soda the only thing that I was able to strain out was the egg shell. I have my soda on the second fermintation with half of a peach in it and there is still stuff on the bottom of the jar. Is that stuff the kefir grains I was suppose to strain off?
Also on the top of the jar is some stuff that kind of reminds me of the stuff you skim off the top of chicken broth. Do I drink that or skim it off?
Thanks for this recipe. I am hoping to kick my soda habit with it.
03/09/2009 at 7:27 am Permalink
I’m assuming the egg shell can be raw; not boiled.
04/09/2009 at 5:00 am Permalink
I am having the same experience as Emily. Right now, I have some lemon juice in my jars during the 2nd fermentation, and I notice some sediment on the bottom of the jar along with foam on the top of the liquid. Do you skim off the foam? Thanks for your help.
15/09/2009 at 4:43 am Permalink
The eggshell is for CALCIUM for the grains, & for best effects, can be air-dried & crushed finely in a (clean) coffee grinder. Store this in a glass jar. Put a teaspoonful of this into a small piece of cloth, & wrap it up with a rubber band, & drop this into the fermenting jar. The water kefir grains LOVE calcium! They go crazy over it!
11/10/2009 at 9:33 pm Permalink
This might be just really wishful thinking, but is there any way to make a “green apple” flavored water kefir? Or is green apple just a fake flavor?
13/10/2009 at 5:08 am Permalink
Hi HoopQueen,
Yes, you can definitely make a Green Apple water kefir!
Just peel & slice a green apple into thin slices, & put them into the second fermenting bottle. Leave for a few days, testing till it tastes right for you.
Any fruit that goes a bit “mushy” will work best, as the flavours infuse through the drink, & mellow into a great fruity drink.
Anita.
14/10/2009 at 10:18 am Permalink
Thanks, Anita! Way, way cool! I MUST try this.
02/11/2009 at 6:29 am Permalink
Hello, i make a little video to see how to make the kefir.
I’am French, and i work to the french TV.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xal6rz_kefir-user-guide-how-to-make-the-fr_lifestyle
goodbye.
Nicolas.
06/11/2009 at 5:27 am Permalink
Ok, I hope I’m not doing this wrong. Should I put a lid on the mixture or just a cloth with a rubber band? Let me know for the first stage and second. Thank you and love your blog!
09/11/2009 at 8:49 pm Permalink
Hi-
I just found out about your blog and I’m like a kid in a candy store… I’m reading the GAPS book and this whole idea of eating whole foods with lost of butter is so new to me but I am so excited!!!!
Is this kefir soda pop anything like the Kambucha drink? I feel like its the same idea but it may be not!
Thanks
BB
12/11/2009 at 6:24 am Permalink
i love soda pop and i will definitely try that with kefir! that looks like something i’d really enjoy in the summer and more importantly my kids!
for all you kefir and probiotic lovers out there i found this awesome post about Misunderstanding Probiotics. You might want to give it a read.
14/11/2009 at 5:20 pm Permalink
I’m curious what you’re using to filter your water? We filter ours in a Brita, but our directions that came with the grains say not to use Brita water. I have been boiling water to get the chlorine out (for rehydrating and then making my first batch), but was hoping
for something easier.
Thanks
21/11/2009 at 12:16 pm Permalink
I found this site while looking for recipes for kefir soda and enjoyed reading all of the different ideas. I make my kefir soda a little differently and I thought I’d share my method in case anyone else wants to try it too. I don’t have water kefir grains, only milk kefir grains. A while ago I tried to convert my milk kefir grains to water kefir grains and they worked for a little while but then started falling apart. After that, I decided to try something different to create fruit kefirs. I now strain some of my milk kefir after it has fermented. I use a stainless steel coffee filter over a container, but you can also do it with cheesecloth. After it’s strained for about twelve hours (I leave it straining in the fridge), you have a nice creamy kefir cheese that you can eat plain or make dip with and you have kefir whey. I actually used to throw away the whey before because my original goal was just the kefir cheese, but after a while I wondered whether it might be useful for something. It is! I now make kefir soda by placing about two cups of kefir whey together with two cups of fruit juice (or water/sugar mixture) in one of the sealed top bottles. I leave it fermenting out anywhere from 24-48 hours and then place it in the fridge to chill. This method also creates a nice soda and is a great way of using up leftover kefir whey. The time will vary according to the temperature of course and you may want to add more sugar since the whey adds more liquid to the mix.
07/01/2010 at 4:06 pm Permalink
I know this has been up for ages, but I’ve only recently attempted brewing. I’ve got the same problems as Local Nourishment, without the heat.
How long can this be stored once it is brewed? Within a day or two of brewing, the taste was good but I had little carbonation. With ks fermented, second fermented w/ fruit, strained and bottled, stored for a month in the fridge, I tons tons of bubbles, but the flavor was not pleasant and the texture seemed a little slimy. Help!
Laurie N´s last blog ..Breakfast Cookies AKA Soaked Granola Bars
07/01/2010 at 11:20 pm Permalink
BB,
Kefir and kombucha are both cultured probiotic drinks, but they require different techniques. Kombucha is started with sweetened tea and a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, which looks like a rubbery pancake). Kombucha can also be flavored but is more acidic than kefir.
I’ve tried out a bunch of kombucha flavors (our favorite is 1/4 cup pomegranate juice and about the same amount of raspberries added to the bottle before filling with kombucha) and most have worked well, but have been less successful with my kefir.
Has anyone tried raspberry lemonade kefir?
Laurie N´s last blog ..Breakfast Cookies AKA Soaked Granola Bars
17/01/2010 at 2:32 am Permalink
Hi! I’ve never made kefir before and your post is very helpful –thanks. My first question is does kefir, either dairy- or water-based, take the place of eating yogurt or taking probiotic capsules? My second questions are related to how long you can store the water-based kefir once it’s made into ’soda.’ You made it sound like you can make as much as you want and then keep in on hand for summer or whenever; is that right? How long will it keep? Do you need to store it in the refrigerator? Does it have an expiration period? Will it run the risk of exploding if you keep it too long, or does it stop fermenting (and thus causing pressure?) once you refrigerate it? Sorry for all the newbie questions, and I thank you in advance for your reply.
stampmonkey´s last blog ..{help} for Haiti
17/01/2010 at 12:10 pm Permalink
Stampmonkey -
Kefir and kefir soda is probiotic. “Take the place of” — I don’t know. I think we need to consume as many fermented foods and beverages as possible, especially with all the chlorinated water and antibiotics we are exposed to.
As far as how long kefir soda pop will keep, it’s important to remember that because it is fermented, it’s a living food. Not like Diet Coke which is all chemicals and is not alive. So no it will not keep indefinitely. I’d drink it within a month or two I guess. And yes you must store in the fridge or a cold cellar. If you keep it too long (esp. if you use the stopper tops) it does explode. That’s happened to me more than once — I still have some kefir soda on my kitchen ceiling.
I think it’s better to make it regularly. Some people keep it going every day in a quart jar or a few quart jars. Then your grains will multiply faster too.
30/01/2010 at 5:59 pm Permalink
Okay, I have a question. I have been making kefir for a little while and was reading about turning milk kefir grains into water kefir grains. I tried to do that, but what comes out is a syrupy kind of water kefir with slimy grains. Is this because I used milk grains, and is there anything I can do to make it look more like water, because it doesn’t taste good when it’s thick. (it does have plenty of fizz though!) I have my grains soaking in spring water right now, not sure if I should try to make another batch or throw the grains away.
Thanks for your help, I really enjoy your real food site!
31/01/2010 at 12:39 am Permalink
Helene,
I can’t really answer your question because I have never tried converting dairy grains to water kefir. If it were me, I’d order the water kefir grains. I have been using water kefir grains for years now and they are very hardy.
You can find water kefir grains at Cultures For Health. See my resources page:
http://www.cheeseslave.com/resources/#starters
07/02/2010 at 6:38 am Permalink
I must say I never thought I’d see a reference to the ad hominem fallacy on a food blog! That was one of my favorite fallacies when I was doing an Argumentation Theory paper at University. A favorite because it’s something people do all the time. Great counter-argument and I was impressed with how fast you replied to him!
Aside from that… I love the color of your kefir soda! I have some grains I dehydrated just before I stopped making it, and I’m about to try it again. I had the same problem as MacKenzie, I didn’t like the taste. It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t love it either. So now I see it may be due to the rapadura. I’ll try it with the organic, free-trade sugar I use in my kombucha and see how that tastes.
I can’t wait to try this recipe (I’ve not done a 2nd ferment with it yet), and the variations that are suggested in the comments. I love the idea of the apple flavor using dried apple rings. It would be a great option for winter when we don’t have much fruit in season.
By the way, I have some grains in the fridge, been there for months. I have neglected them, not refreshed the sugar water, and really done nothing with them. Do you know how long they last? Think I can revive them? It’s okay if I can’t, I’ll feed them to my duck – I had a 2 litre batch that I’d neglected and when I finally got around to disposing of it I brought it up to the chicken coop. The chickens didn’t get a look in, the duck guzzled it like I’ve never seen her guzzle before. Wow. She loved it!
Thanks for sharing this recipe, and thanks to everyone commenting for sharing your recipe variations!
Donna´s last blog ..Walking Gratitude Meditation
07/02/2010 at 1:47 pm Permalink
Dear Donna,
LOL at the idea of a duck drinking kefir soda pop!
My water kefir grains are super hardy. They have lasted in my fridge, without refreshing the water, for weeks and months on end. Yes, I am a bad kefir mama.
Most likely yours are still fine, too. Sorry, Duck!
And re: the logical fallacy… this is actually one of the main reasons I am considering homeschooling my dear daughter. She’s only 2 now, but I think I”ll start for kindergarten. I didn’t get to take a logic class until I was in college — at age 21. Why on earth shouldn’t children learn logic in elementary school? To me, it is absolutely elementary. I also think it is important for children to learn Latin. Once you learn Latin, you can slice through any romance language with ease. I am looking into doing “classical homeschooling” with my daughter, which incorporates both Latin and logic starting in elementary school.
http://www.welltrainedmind.com/
And yes, the ad hominem attack is the one I see the most frequently. “What does Suzanne Somers know about cancer?” (or “What does Jenny McCarthy know about autism?”) “She’s an actress! And she’s blonde!” LOL!
The second most common logical fallacy I see online is the Slippery Slope.
Check out this wonderful site:
http://www.fallacyfiles.org/
I especially love their chart:
http://www.fallacyfiles.org/taxonomy.html
PS: I could not get your website to come up
07/02/2010 at 2:18 pm Permalink
I’ve finally had some success with my kefir soda. Raspberry lemonade is the boys’ favorite. I add the zest and juice from one organic lemon, along with about 1/2 cup raspberries, to the second ferment. I’m still trying to get a balance between taste and fizz. Longer ferments give more fizz, but the produce tastes more alcoholic, which none of us care for.
Oh, I don’t recommend tart cherries and vanilla. I thought it might be nice, but at produced a very strange flavor profile.
Since you mentioned logic and Latin in your responses, would you care to recommend resources for either? I haven’t had formal training in either, but would like my boys to learn both as well.
Laurie N´s last blog ..Coconut Oil for Canker Sores?
07/02/2010 at 7:48 pm Permalink
Hi Ann Marie
I wish I’d known about that fallacy taxonomy when I was doing my logic papers in University! How handy. They’ve put a lot of work into it.
Yes, Slippery Slope is a popular one too. Also Denying the Antecedent (modus tollens), and Affirming the Consequent (modus ponens). I couldn’t remember the names, I used the chart to find them (ha)!
I don’t have kids, but if I did I’d certainly do everything I could to homeschool them. I definitely think it’s the way to go. One of my cousins was awful at spelling in high school – like incredibly bad. It was adversely affecting his grades (of course this was way before personal computers and spell check programs). A counselor advised him to take Latin, and he did, and the result was nothing short of amazing. He ended up becoming a high school teacher himself, and this was a kid who didn’t like school because he was getting the message he wasn’t good at it. It wasn’t true, he was smart, they just didn’t give him the tools he needed to excel in that environment. But also it helps with vocabulary since so many of our words are based on Latin. I’m sure you know all this anyway. I was so ready to sign up, seeing the benefit he got from it. I was only a year behind my cousin in school, and the school in their wisdom decided to drop Latin from their curriculum. The year he took it was the last year it was offered, I missed out.
I think that common sense is one of the most important skills we can learn. I think logic is an essential part of common sense. I too had to wait until University to learn logic, although my father was very logical by nature and taught me a lot just through daily life.
After I’d taken my Logic and Argumentation Theory classes at Uni, I served as a juror on a murder trial. It was really interesting and eye opening to experience what went on in the jurors room. I think amazingly we had some strong (leader) personalities that were quite logical, could get over the emotional response they were having and work with the facts.
I had actually seen this ‘duty’ as a chore, until I realized that it would be an excellent opportunity to use what I had learned. I assumed that many of my fellow jurors would be buying into fallacies, including ad hominem, and making decisions based on emotions and how they felt about the witnesses rather than examining the facts and using logic to guide them. I was not disappointed! It was eye-opening in that many of the people who were deciding this man’s fate in a quite significant way, didn’t have the skills to do so fairly. They couldn’t look at the facts logically. They were making decisions based on their own emotions, who they liked better, etc. The key witness for the prosecution was a one-eyed, glue-sniffing prostitute who had lied in her initial statement to the police, as well as some subsequent statements. I kid you not! I did feel like I was in a movie, or maybe an episode of “Smile, You’re on Candid Camera” the whole time. But that made it even more interesting to be sure. So you can imagine the defense attorneys with this witness… I got to use the phrase ‘ad hominem’ a lot during that week! The verdict: guilty of manslaughter.
The one thing about this case I don’t know, never will and would absolutely love to know: what were the attorneys thinking going into this case? Both sides. I was quite amazed, I think it was an exceptionally logical jury all up. Those who were logical were articulate and good at explaining to the emotional thinkers. But the jury you get for any trial is like a toss of the dice. That’s the scary thing. So anyway, this is my very long-winded way of saying I completely agree with you, Logic should be taught in schools, just incorporated in everything, from the very beginning. But that might mean the end of advertising as we know it (hallelujah!) and Jenny McCarthy would be out of a job
p.s. thanks for letting me know about my site! I just checked it before I started writing this, using the link in my previous comment (in case I made a typo) and it was working. So must have been a moment of downtime there.
Donna´s last blog ..Walking Gratitude Meditation