Naturopathic Control: Water Kefir

Homemade kefir water is a good way of getting probiotics into the digestive tract. Like yogurt, it is a fermented food. However, it surpasses yogurt in that, unlike yogurt whose culture lives in the gut for a limited time (roughly 24 hours because yogurt is food for your gut's bacteria), kefir is a colony that continues to survive in your gut and therefore offers a longer term probiotic solution (than yogurt). It is also difficult to kill. For instance, antibiotics can not kill it completely. Furthermore, kefir offers considerably more protein and beneficial bacteria than yogurt. As you will see below, water kefiir is also a cheaper long term supply of probiotics. Specifically, most people will consider it 'cheap' not only for its initial acquisition but also maintenance and consumption over years.

This post explains how to make your own water kefir. You can either put your kefir grains under only one fermentation stage to produce the probiotics or proceed to a secondary fermentation stage to carbonate and flavor the drink.

You will need

Water kefir grains, apx 0.25 cups (ie roughly 42 g / 1.5 oz) activated grains
Water: room temperature; spring or filtered, roughly 4 cups / 1 liter; free of chlorine, fluoride, distillation, reverse osmosis processing or pH alteration that remove minerals that the grains need.
Food for the kefir. Like any other organism, kefir will be happy for variety. You can therefore switch types and varieties of foods from day to the next.

Sugar: organic white, brown (aka turbinado), unprocessed or cane, roughly 1 tbsp
Optional additives, added either alone or in combination:

half a lemon
2 - 3 oz sliced fresh ginger, boiled in the water and sugar before cooling and adding the seeds
a fig
spoon tip of molasses. Some people express preference for unsulphured low sodium molasses.
A dash of coconut water
pinch of sea salt
Baking soda, a pinch (apx 1/8th tsp). Baking soda provides the grains with an adequate amount of minerals for the grains to grow and remain healthy. The frequency may vary from every other to every 4th brew. Consequently, increase the frequency especially if the grains are not thriving.
A dash of the previous brew to act as a 'starter'

Fermenting Jar, able to provide airflow, roughly 4 cups / 1 liter. You may use coffee filters and rubber bands as a cover.
A container for the one-time fermented kefir

Optional, for secondary fermentation, a glass bottle with a swing top lid. These bottles are perfect for bottling kefir with fruit juice while allowing carbonation to occur.
For storage;

any glass jar
a swing-top bottle that may be left open while the fermented kefir is stored in the refrigerator

Plastic spoon to stir
A paper coffee filter and rubber band. These will cover the fermenting jar while allowing the fermentation gases to escape.
Plastic Strainer. Avoid metal, even stainless steel strainers since some parts, like the edges may have other types of more reactive metals. Kefir should never be handled with reactive metals.
a funnel if you will pour the fermented kefir into a narrow mouthed bottle.
A cloth to cover the fermenting jar to block out the light. Alternatively, you can place the fermenting jar into a dark cupboard.
A refrigerator

To Activate Water Kefir Grains or To Make Water Kefir (using The Primary Fermentation)

Combine water and sugar in the jar
Add the grains
Cover the top of the jar with a coffee filter and rubber band. This allows gases to escape during the fermentation process.
Leave for roughly 1 to 2 days, depending on the warmth of the fermentation environment. The warmer the environment, the earlier the fermentation process ends.
If you are activating dehydrated grains, do the following

Strain off the water (which you may consume or discard)
Repeat the process of introducing water and sugar to the grains and allowing to stand
You may taste the grains to see if the water is becoming an ideal sour taste. Dehydrated grains may take as many as 5 rounds before they work well. The grains will swell to around the size of barley.
The ideal is a liquid that is not sweet but sour and rich with probiotics.

Observe the kefir water for readiness. Fermented kefir has the following characteristics.

cloudy appearance

tart taste

fizzy appearance and sensation when swallowed. Fizziness is increasingly likely with the extent to which the grains have adapted to their environment

Strain off the kefir grains and add them to a new batch of kefir food

You can do one of 2 things with the finished kefir water

Store the kefir water in the refrigerator until consumption. Place it into an uncovered swing-top bottle or regular jar.

Put your finished kefir water through a second fermentation process (to add flavor, some sweetness and or carbonation.) See instructions below.

As an option after the brew, set aside the grains in a bowl of plain water for 20 minutes. This will help to neutralize the pH of the grains and remove any stored sugar and minerals.

As an option, retain some of the fermented kefir water to add to the new batch of kefir food as a 'starter'

To Make Carbonated Kefir (via The Second Fermentation)

Complete the earlier steps for fermenting kefir
Pour the fermented kefir water into a bottle (that has a swing-top lid) up to 80% the capacity of the bottle. You can change the proportion according to taste. NB adding juice is among the easiest ways of flavoring kefir water.
Top up with pure fruit juice that is a little sweet (like Ocean Spray fruit juice) until the ring in the neck of the bottle.
Other ingredients include the following.

a strip of orange rind into the jar (alone or with the sweet fruit juice).
pureed or bits of fresh fruit like mangoes, berries, ginger slices and so on. In fact, kefir is ideal for preserving fresh fruits and vegetables without refrigeration.
dried materials like organic coffee beans, raisins, herbs, orange rinds, dried fruit and so on.
leaves like mint, basil, tea bags and so on

Allow to sit for a period that considers the temperature of the fermenting environment, the type of additive and amount of carbonation you require. Although a general rule of thumb is roughly 18 to 24 hours, the following times are a rough guide.

dry fruits and citrus rinds usually require longer, roughly 1-3 days in a warm tropical environment. Taste the kefir to determine whether you need to extend this time to allow the flavor to become better infused into the kefir.
Juice does not require much sitting time. Some people drink the final product immediately. Others prefer to wait. Do taste tests to decide.
fresh fruit should not be left for more than 18 to 24 hours

Burp the bottle from time to time, ie momentarily open the bottle to release gases. Burping prevents the bottle from exploding.
Chill for another 12 hours in the refrigerator before drinking

To deactivate kefir grains for a short period (of several weeks)

Feed them with water
Leave in the refrigerator for roughly 2 weeks before repeating the process

To deactivate kefir grains for an extended period

Optional. Place in a dehydrator with a low temperature. Some people prefer skipping this step altogether and claim dehydration makes the re-activation process more difficult.
store in a freezer for as long as 6 to 12 months
label and date

Troubleshooting

Separation. This occurs when fermentation extends further than normal. Do not throw away the kefir as it is still good enough to be consumed. However, it will be more sour than usual.
Alcohol. Alcohol is a sign of over fermentation. You can minimize the chance of producing it by reducing the fermentation time and temperature.

CONTENT RELATED TO WATER KEFIR

Full body cleanse: step-by-step instructions for the tropics.
Acidophilus Enema recipe
Some readers may be happy to know that kefir is also non-GMO, gluten-free, soy free and vegan.
Seek professional advice before giving to young children and elderly people.