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We’re breaking down the basics of how to make homemade milk kefir, a probiotic-rich fermented drink that’s soon to be a staple in your kitchen! This easy fermentation project is incredibly simple and produces perfectly creamy kefir in about 24 hours.
save this recipe!After having delicious success with home brewing kombucha, I got to thinking about what other tasty fermented things we could brew up at home. And over the course of a day I went from not having a clue how kefir worked to biking across town to buy my very first kefir grains from a passionate home brewer.
I spent the next few weeks getting to know my new kefir baby. Our relationship was first one of fear. When I wasn’t scared of killing it, I was scared of drinking it. But after a few weeks, I started to get the hang of what it needed (and it started to turn out some delicious kefir!).
So years later, after fermenting hundreds of batches of kefir at home, I’m excited to share with you the secrets to seriously delicious, creamy, homemade kefir. Click the links below to jump around the post, or scroll on to dive into the world of homemade kefir!
- What is kefir 🥛
- Kefir grains (and where to get them) 🧐
- Best milk for kefir 🐮
- Step-by-step instructions 📝
- Kefir FAQ 👩🏫
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“Thank you for your directions. I am new and hooked on making Kefir, both water and milk. The milk Kefir is so delicious and simple. My grains keep multiplying and can produce a quart in less than 24 hours.” —Barbara
Okay, so What is kefir?
For the unfamiliar, kefir is a thick, fermented milk drink. It tastes a bit like plain Greek yogurt – slightly sour and ultra-creamy. But even more so than most types of yogurt, kefir is jam-packed with all kinds of gut-friendly probiotics!
What are kefir grains?
To start off this kef-venture, you’ll need to get your hands on some kefir grains. Kefir “grains” are the engine of this whole process, containing all the yeasts and bacteria needed to ferment the milk into creamy kefir. (The gluten-free folks don’t need to worry – these aren’t true grains, but rather rubbery, cellular structures).
They’re like what the SCOBY is to kombucha, only instead of looking like alien pancakes they look like cauliflower! But unlike kombucha, you cannot grow your own kefir grains and will need to acquire them somewhere.
Finding The grains
Unless you have a friend who makes kefir, it’s easiest to get your grains online (you can find them on Amazon here or check your local Facebook marketplace). Once you have your kefir grains, you won’t have to buy them again. They will grow and continue to ferment many batches of kefir.
The best milk for making kefir
The only other ingredient besides kefir grains in this recipe is the milk! You’ll want to use pasteurized milk to start, but can switch to raw milk slowly after a few weeks of getting your kefir grains used to their new environment.
In terms of fat level, the grains will be a lot happier in whole milk, though you can slowly transition to a lower-fat option over time.
And finally, though you can use cow’s or goat’s milk, though I’ve only had experience with whole cow’s milk for making kefir.
Be sure to try our other fermentation projects, like kimchi, Greek yogurt, tepache, and kombucha!
How To Make Milk Kefir (Easy Tutorial!)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp kefir grains
- 4 cups whole cow’s milk, 960 mL
Instructions
- Clean: Clean everything well with regular soap (avoid antimicrobial soaps). I’m talking the hands, glass jugs, spoons – everything!
- Assemble: Add 1 Tbsp (ish) of the kefir grains and 4 cups of whole milk to a large glass jug. Cover the jug with either a few layers of paper towels or a few paper coffee filters. Secure with a rubber band to prevent any bugs or dust from getting in.
- Ferment: Set in a warm, dark spot (65 to 85°F / 18 to 29°C) for about 24 hours. You’ll know your kefir is done when it has slightly thickened and smells fermented. If you kefir has separated into yellowish watery-looking whey, that’s fine! It’s just a sign that you can either reduce the length of fermentation next time or use more milk next time.
- Strain: Place a wide non-metal* bowl under a fine-mesh non-metal colander. Pour your finished kefir into the colander, stirring with a plastic or wooden spoon to gently force kefir through. The grains will be left.
- Start new batch: Rinse out the large jar that you fermented the grains in, then add the grains back into it. Add 4 cups of fresh milk to start the process over.
- Store fresh kefir: Transfer the finished kefir that collected in the wide bowl and transfer it to a sealable jar. Store in the fridge for around 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!kefir Commonly Asked Questions
How do I take a break from making kefir? Give your kefir grains fresh milk, cover with paper towels or coffee filters as described, then set in the refrigerator. This dramatically slows down the fermentation process, so you will only have to change out the milk every 1 to 2 weeks (or when you see the milk separating into layers).
Why did my kefir form a yellowish watery layer on the bottom? This is normal! When the milk separates into layers, it’s a sign that the kefir as “eaten” everything it can. You can prevent it by either reducing the time you let it ferment (ex: 18 hours instead of 24), or by giving it more milk. It depends on your grains, house temperature, and milk, so don’t worry if it takes a few batches to understand how your kefir will brew best.
Why do I have to use non-metal everything? Metals can hurt the microbial wonderland that is kefir. Avoid contact of the kefir with metal where possible (and definitely don’t brew the kefir in a metal vessel).
What are the health benefits of kefir? As with other fermentations, kefir is full of probiotics which promote good digestion and a healthy gut. The fermentation also breaks down a lot of the lactose in the milk, meaning kefir may be more easily digested than other dairy products for people with lactose intolerance.
Is milk kefir the same as water kefir? Milk and water kefir are two different types of fermentations, using different ingredients and different kefir grains. You cannot use milk kefir grains to make water kefir.
Can you flavor kefir? Yes! 1 cup of kefir can be flavored by blending in fresh fruit (¼ cup), chocolate (1 Tbsp cocoa powder), vanilla (¼ tsp vanilla extract), or dates (1 pitted date).
Let us know milk is raw milk or pasteurized milk?
Great question! Use pasteurized milk here 😀
Kefir grains seem to grow like crazy, at least mine have. I started out with a tsp about 3 weeks ago and now have about 1 1/2 tlbs. At least for me, i have fermented all at room temp, which greatly increases the speed, such as fermenting 2 cups within 8 hours. I started out with 2%, but then transitioned to skim, which seems to work well. When i have enough, I rinse the Kefir grains with water and store in a glass jar in the fridge and when ready for another batch, pull them out and do it again.
Yea they multiply like crazy! Happy they’re working well for ya! 😀
If it multiples… do you still put the same amount of kefir grains in new batch as you did the with the first?
And what do you do with the extra? How long can it keep safely for?
Yep do the same amount! This means either making a large batch, or giving some away to friends. You could probably store them for 5 to 7 days, but after that they’ll need fresh milk.
Like this. Thanks for sharing. Maybe I’ll give it a try!
Would love to hear how it goes. Happy fermenting! 😀
Thanks!! You did a super Job explaining everything and I wanted to tell you Thank-you!! Because the times I tried fermenting … was very unsuccessful only now to realize it was I just fermented it too long!!! I am READY to try AGAIN thanks to you!
YAY! Let me know if you have any questions along the way!
DO you sell the grains?
I don’t unfortunately. But there are many places online that sell them for pretty affordable prices.
Hi brand new to kefir. making for my dog. My end game is to make goat milk kefir from raw goats milk. my question is should I try to make the starter using goat milk from grocery that had been pasteurized? Do you think it would make any difference if I make the starter with pasteurized whole cow milk then used it in raw goat milk?
Such a tough question, and I haven’t tried this with goat’s milk so it’s hard for me to say. You’ll probably need to get kefir grains (which is usually made for cow’s milk), then slowly transition them to goat’s milk.
I started making my kefir after watching your film about 4 weeks ago, it is marvellous, I love it , I suffer with Diverticular Disease and it has definitely helped. But from one very small amount I have more than enough for me alone, the grains are growing and growing more than I need, what do I do, do I discard half of them, or can I freeze some.. I need some help and advice please.
I had this problem too! Do you have a friend who might like to ferment kefir that you could give them to? Otherwise you could try freezing them, I just haven’t personally tried that!
You can eat the grains….they’re like gummy probiotics.
Yes, definitely give away, eat the “gummies” as mentioned by Enby, or add to a smoothy. I found instructions on dehydrating the grains to preserve, though haven’t tried.
You can blend them in smoothies or salad dressings too. They have probiotic benefits like the kefir itself.
Is Kefir a Ketogenic food?
1 cup of kefir has 15g of carbs, so it is on the border of ketogenic (depending on how many carbs you want to eat per day).
Living in *boondocks* and trying to experiment, MANY TIMES I did buy *LIFEWAY* Kefir, which is available in all WALMART+PUBLIX Stores. I use PLASTIC jar, add 1/4 cup LifeWay Kefir to 3-4 CUPS milk. Waits in kitchen 75F for 2-3 DAYS, and becomes KEFIR. Your comments would be welcome, as an alternate to looking for GRAINS. PS. I do not re-cycle, and use FRESH LifeWay Kefir for EACH Batch. Thanks.
Do I need to boil raw milk before using it for kefir?
Nope! Straight from the carton.
Sarah: You seem to know a lot on food, so I am elaborating my KEFIR argument further: Direct copy from Google: Can You Make Kefir From Prepared Kefir? The answer is yes…and no. If you want to make milk kefir from pre-made kefir, either store-bought or from a friend, then you may have success one, two, three, or even four times. It is also possible that you may not end up with a successful batch of cultured kefir at all.
As I said before, I DO USE *Fresh* LifeWay kefir 1/4 cup for each of my 4-cup batch. So far I have something like Kefir tasting same like original, maybe a touch more liquidy. Comments? One more, when I worked in Kazakhstan, most housewives made it, goat-skins-hanging at door, and any visitor gave it a kick. That means, SHOULD WE SHAKE the JUG once a few hours while it is fermenting for a few days???
I haven’t heard of making kefir without the grains, but I suppose it could work for a batch or two. You shouldn’t need to shake it while it ferments, but it may help move the fermentation along if it’s going slowly!
I made kefir for a number of years using commercial kefir as the starter. I used the same process as I use for yogurt. A finally tried using the kefir grains, and I must say it is very different from what I was making. Before it was yogurt like and very tasty, but almost the same as yogurt, slightly different taste but consistency was exactly as the yogurt.
Oh interesting!! That’s good to know!