Q. How Long Does It Take To Make Water Kefir?

A. Water kefir generally takes 24-48 hours to culture. The exact time will vary depending on environmental factors and health of your grains, the most important of which is temperature. Allowing the water kefir grains to culture for longer than 48 hours puts you at risk of starving the grains and potentially damaging them.

Q. What Type Of Sugar Should I Use To Make Water Kefir?

A. We have made it simple to start your first brew by offering our Signature Sugar Blend, Signature Tea Blend available online here. When deciding on what water to use the main consideration is hygiene. We advise using Reverse Osmosis or filtered water for your fermentation. If you have a reputable source of spring water, that can work well too. Sugars will come down to experimentation and what you want to train your culture to digest, as a rule of thumb simple sugars such as cane or white sugar are going to give consistent and speedy ferments. Avoid heavy and complex sugars such as honey or molasses, as they will be difficult for the culture to ferment.

Q. What Amount Of Water Kefir Grains Do I Need To Make Water Kefir?

A. To culture 1-2 litres of water kefir, use 3-4 tablespoons of hydrated water kefir grains.

Q. What Type Of Water Should I Use To Make Water Kefir?

A. When deciding on what water to use the main consideration is hygiene. We advise using Reverse Osmosis or filtered water for your fermentation. If you have a reputable source of spring water, that can work well too.

Q. Do I Need To Rinse The Water Kefir Grains Off Between Batches?

A. No. There is no need to rinse the water kefir grains between batches, and regular rinsing may be detrimental to the health of the water kefir grains.

Q. If I’m Making Other Cultured Foods (Yogurt, Sourdough, Kombucha, Etc.), How Far Apart Do I Need To Keep The Cultures?

A. We suggest keeping a distance of at least 1 metre between items. When your cultured items are being stored in the refrigerator with tight-fitting lids, there is no need to keep distance between them.

Q. I Forgot About My Water Kefir On The Counter And It's Been Culturing For More Than 72 Hours. What Should I Do?

A. The water kefir grains are likely very hungry after more than 48 hours without fresh food. Change the sugar water out every 24 hours for the next few cycles until the water kefir grains start behaving normally again. If it has been longer than 6 days, the odds of saving the water kefir grains are significantly reduced.

Q. How Will I Know If I've Successfully Made Water Kefir? How Do I Know If I Shouldn’t Drink It?

A. If your grains are working, the liquid may lighten in colour and turn cloudy. The flavour may become less sweet and it may have a slightly tangy or sour aroma and flavour. If your water kefir ever looks, smells, or tastes unpleasant, we always recommend that you refrain from consuming it.

Q. How Long Can I Store The Water Kefir In The Refrigerator??

A. Finished water kefir can be stored refrigerated and ready to drink for 2-3 weeks.

Q. Do I Need To Wash The Jar/Container Between Batches Of Kefir?

A. We recommend using a clean container for each batch of water kefir.  

Q. Can I Use A Plastic Container To Brew Water Kefir And Plastic Bottles To Store It?

A. Theoretically food-grade plastic shouldn't cause any damage to the culture but we always recommend glass when working with starter cultures, due to the potential of plastic to leach undesirable chemicals.

Q. Can I Use Juice To Make Water Kefir? Do I Need To Add Sugar If I'm Using Juice To Make Water Kefir?

A. Yes, some fruit juices can be used to make water kefir. However, using water kefir grains in juice and then moving them to sugar water may result in unpleasant-tasting water kefir.

We recommend maintaining two sets of water kefir grains instead, one for juices and one for sugar water. Alternately, add juice as flavouring after the grains have been removed. While your grains can be used over and over, it is not advisable to use your only set of grains in juice or coconut water, as this can be very hard on them - they are living remember and need the right nutrition to ferment. It is best to separate your grains into different sets for different environments.

If you are using juice, there should be enough sugar in the juice to feed the water kefir grains.

Q. Can I Use Honey To Make Water Kefir?

A. We do not recommend using honey to make water kefir. As honey has its own bacterial properties, unless you have a sophisticated home brew set up, with sophisticated testing equipment, fermenting with honey is not recommended.