Water Based Kefir
Water Kefir uses the same basic process as dairy based kefir, but for a substrate it uses either a sugar source diluted in water or a juice as a base. Grains can be collected from cultures of dairy kefir and used for multiple batches. However, the grains used in water kefir will not typically continue to grow and multiply.
Since the grains won’t change in size, it is actually possible to use a sachet of cheesecloth or a “hop bag” (a nylon sinching sack available at most home brew stores) in order to just retrieve the grains without straining the whole batch. For this example, we will use apple juice wort (forgive the brewing terms, you could just say “substrate” instead if you feel all science). For the lid, we’ll just aerate the mixture a bit to begin with and leave it slightly open for gas transfer.
Now, this is just a basic outline for a Water Kefir, but you could potentially use any sort of juice or sugar substrate like honey, cranberry, Aguas Frescas, or agave. The sky is the limit really, especially if you introduce aromatics herbs like mint.
Supplies Needed:
Quart Ball Canning Jar w/ lid
Twine for Sachet
2×2” Piece of Cheesecloth for Sachet (or hop bag)
Kefir Grains
3 Cups Apple Juice
1 Cup Water
2 Tbl Lemon Juice
1 tsp Mint Leaves
Pre-prep:
1. Wash jar and lid in hot water and allow to air dry.
2. Cut cheesecloth to size, place grains inside
3. Use a simple square knot and twine to sinch sachet closed.
Culturing:
1. Pour apple juice, lemon juice, and water into the ball jar.
2. Drop sachet and mint in and close the lid tightly.
3. Shake the mixture vigorously for 1 minute to allow solution to oxygenate.
4. Remove the lid, and screw back on loosely to allow for gas exchange.
5. Place in dark place at room temperature for 2 days.
6. Remove grains and mint, then refrigerate for up to a week.
Note: These same grains can actually be rolled over into your next batch if you have a cycle sort of going. However, it would probably be a good idea to replace them with some newer milk cultured grains every once in a while to ensure potency.
If you’re just interested in Kefir in general, and would like more information and methods, Dom’s Kefir Website is probably the best one that has popped up on the web. Sadly, Dom passed away a few years ago, but his site still exists and is maintained. Also, through the site, there are links to aquiring pure culture keffir grains of various sorts if you are intersted.