Item number: 3830063020403 View all from Kefirko > View more: DIY Food & Drink > Water kefir is a fermented drink, full of probiotics and other healthy ingredients. Kefir is made by fermenting special reusable live cultures, called kefir grains, in water and a sugar solution for about 48 hours. Kefir helps boost your immune system, improves your digestion, helps regulate your cholesterol, and has numerous other beneficial effects. How to make water kefir? STEP 1 Put the water kefir grains in the jar and fill it with fresh, non-chlorinated, and unfiltered water. Add sugar and dried fruit (optional). STEP 2 Slightly open the top lid of the jar to allow the airflow needed for fermentation. Let it sit at room temperature for about 1-2 days. STEP 3 When the primary fermentation process is complete (after about 1-2 days). Remove the top lid and strain the kefir into a glass jar/bottle. The grains remain in the Kefirko jar. STEP 4 After the kefir has been strained, you can add some fruit juice or squeeze fresh citrus juice into the water kefir. You can seal the bottles and leave them in the refrigerator for another day for the second fermentation. How to activate water kefir grains Dissolve 30 g of sugar in 300 ml of water and add kefir grains + a pinch of baking soda. Let ferment for 2 days. Strain and discard the water. Repeat steps 1-3 a few times until you notice activity. Strain and use the grains for water kefir. When trying to activate your kefir grains, it's important to stimulate their growth. Therefore, add some unrefined brown sugar during these initial steps. You can use 25g white and 5g brown sugar during activation. It is important to use at least some mineral-rich sugar during the grain activation process. Later, you may need to reduce the amount of minerals by using white sugar, especially if your grains become mushy. That indicates overmineralization. When and how should I add more minerals to my water kefir? Kefir grains need minerals to thrive. Sometimes there are enough minerals in the water you use, other times it is necessary to add them. When to add minerals: during the activation of the kefir grains, when the grains are not growing, if the kefir does not ferment within 48 hours. What minerals can I add? Baking soda - less than a teaspoon. Molasses - less than a teaspoon. Unrefined sugar - to replace part of the white sugar. Mineral drops - a few drops per liter. Make water kefir with organic water kefir grains: No bubbles, what should I do? First, you need to find out why kefir has no bubbles, then you can see if you can do something to increase the amount of bubbles in your drink. Why are there no bubbles in my kefir? Perhaps your grains are not yet active. Sometimes, especially when we have just started preparing kefir, the grains need some time to become fully active. This happens by regularly feeding the grains with the correct sugar:water ratio. Too much water for the amount of water kefir grains. It is best to use about 30g of kefir grains for 300ml of water and sugar solution. Low ambient temperature, too short fermentation time. These are both reasons why your kefir does not produce enough bubbles. In winter, it can take up to 4 days to ferment water kefir. How can I increase bubble formation in my water kefir? If you have considered all the reasons why your kefir isn't fizzy, there are some other things you can do: Feed your grains regularly. A good routine makes grains more active. This also means they produce more bubbles. Close the lid. This prevents airflow, which prevents gas from escaping during fermentation. Beware of bottle explosions if fermenting for longer than 48 hours. Longer fermentation. If you like a more acidic, less sweet taste of kefir, you can let it ferment longer. This will also promote bubble formation. Second fermentation. This is the part of the process where you can still increase bubble formation. Usually by adding fresh juices and/or fruit to the strained kefir. Keep the lid closed during the second fermentation. Product specifications Starter Water Kefir grains - 5gr. - Starter Water Kefir Grains Item description Starter Water Kefir grains - 5gr. Item number 3830063020403 Version Starter Water Kefir Grains Product type Fermentation starters Country of origin Bulgaria GERMAN-KEFIR-MAKER-USER-MANUAL.pdf Fermentation is a process that occurs when you leave kefir grains in water or milk. Fermentation is a metabolic process where live cultures consume sugar and produce organic acids, gases, and alcohol. Traditionally, we use fermentation to produce wine and beer, to preserve food (pickled vegetables, kimchi) and for lacto-fermentation (kefir, yogurt). Live cultures are essential We need live cultures for fermentation - kefir grains are a combination of yeasts and bacteria. Lactobacilli, for example, are the bacteria that convert lactose in milk (milk sugars) into lactic acid in yogurt and kefir, giving it its sour taste. How do I know if they are still good = BLOG Kefirko (in English)