Do you make water kefir, James? If so, how is yours working?
-------------------- Persistence, persistence, persistence!!! "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence... Persistence and determination are omnipotent." attributed to Calvin Coolidge Posts: 599 | From USA | Registered: Jun 2011
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James1979
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I'm so happy that you are happy!
Yes, I make water kefir, too. I drink about 2 cups per day, in multiple doses. It's going pretty well, I think. It's very easy to make, and so far I haven't run into any problems.
At the beginning I had trouble knowing when it's done, and I think I drank the kefir when it was too sweet (which wouldn't be good for candida).
One thing to remember is that, after sitting in the mail, your grains might need a longer time to become active again. For this reason, your first batch might take longer than normal to brew. Just remember that it really shouldn't taste too sweet - and that if it tastes sweet, let it ferment a while longer.
I think fermented foods are EXTREMELY important for Lyme patients! I wish people would take them more seriously.
Here's what I take daily: water kefir, milk kefir, raw sauerkraut, and now kombucha. Actually, today might be the first day my kombucha is ready! I'm so excited.
It's wonderful to think that we're constantly bombarding our GI tracts with so many beneficial organisms. Not only that - but the lactid acid and other fermentation products are also highly beneficial. They promote the growth of the good probiotics, while simultaneously discouraging the harmful organisms.
Right now I feel better than I've ever felt in my life, even though I'm still taking high-dose abx. Sometimes I wonder if I feel so good from all of the fermented foods I eat.
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Can i make water kefir with this "yogourmet" kefir mix i bought at the health store? Or do you need the kefir grains? thanks
Posts: 113 | From south dakota | Registered: May 2011
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sounds to me like you bought some yogurt type product with dairy in it and the water kefir does not have the dairy in it, just the bacteria working on sugar and fruits
you could ask Zoe, who is selling the kefir granules, if you could use your yogourmet - maybe she would let you know, she seems very nice; her e-mail is on her web page
James, thanks for the tip on making the first batch and the sweetness.
I just tried milk kefir and one bottle was nice and thick and sour and the other one like milk - hm. Probably not done enough... But I don't generally do well with milk anyway.
Can you get all the same bacteria from water kefir??? What's the big benefit from milk anyway?
Also, how do you make the Kombucha? Sorry if you told me already - too much going on, I forgot.
Is the Kombucha different from the kefir (different bacteria?)?
When you said you take probiotics for your mouth and you use pills and open them, couldn't you chew the kefir granules? That would be free, if you have grown extra ones, right? Or is that not the right bacteria?
Very curious about everything. Please let me know.
Still working on gettig a hen house before the spring, too, he he. But life is a bit stressful right now: earthquake, hurricane, major issues at work (my boss basically said, oh, you're sick, how sad and then proceeded against me to get me fired - I worked for the guy for 8 years!) Still, I will recover and the Guineas are on the horizon!
-------------------- Persistence, persistence, persistence!!! "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence... Persistence and determination are omnipotent." attributed to Calvin Coolidge Posts: 599 | From USA | Registered: Jun 2011
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James1979
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Dang, you guys ask a lot of questions! Harmony, I said this before, but you remind me of myself.
1) tickbiter - I'm not sure if the yogourmet kefir mix will work with water kefir. I would imagine that it would mention something about it on the instructions on the packet.
In general, though, I think it's healthy (and cheaper) to just get some grains and make your own kefirs (milk and/or water) using the traditional method. It's really very easy, and you'll be a pro at it after the first try. I think the "real" kefir grains will have many more probiotic cultures, too.
2) Harmony - yes, if the milk kefir is too thin, then probably it wasn't fermented enough. It could've been that the temperature was too low.
It might be interesting to see if you are still sensitive to the dairy kefir when the dairy kefir is fermented for a long time - like for 2 days. The milk eventually gets modified so much by the organisms that it doesn't even resemble milk anymore (to our digestive systems).
3) There are different organisms between the milk and the water kefirs. I looked up a list of the organisms a while ago, and it was very interesting, but unfortunately I can't find that list anymore.
An interesting thing was that water kefir contained S. Boulardi, while milk kefir did not. But each one contains their own special mixture of bugs, and each one is beneficial in different ways.
Another difference is the nutritional content. I like milk kefir because of it's higher fat and protein content. It's good for someone like me who's trying to put on the pounds. I would consider a couple of cups of milk kefir to be a good meal substitute, but I would never consider such a thing for water kefir.
4) "How do you make the Kombucha"? I wish I knew! I think I'm messing up on my first try here, so I'm probably not the person to be asked. I have some questions myself about the kombucha, so maybe we'll start a new thread... or maybe I'll find and bump up an old one.
BASICALLY with the kombucha you make a gallon of tea with sugar in it, and then you add the "mother", which is analogous to the "grains" of kefir (but the "mother" is flat like a plate). Then you cover the container and let it sit for 7-14 days. The mother inoculates the tea, and then you have a beneficial probiotic drink.
I think the kombucha had other beneficial properties, like cleansing the liver and boosting the immune system.
5) In general, kombucha, yogurt, milk kefir, water kefir, sauerkraut, etc, all have different strains and different balances of beneficial organisms. The list of organisms in each one is huge. Most probiotic supplements don't contain all of the different organisms that would be found in a kefir drink.
6) Yes, you could chew the kefir granules. Actually it's very healthy to eat the grains.
But for your mouth, even just the kefir drink itself is very beneficial. In other words, Dr. B recommends that after we clean our mouths/tongues, we should drink some kefir afterwards to re-populate our mouths with the beneficial organisms. The kefir drink itself has all of the organisms in it, so there's no reason to chew on the grains.
7) Dang, I wrote you a novel again!
That's too bad that you're having so many problems in your life. It sucks when people (like your boss) are being mean and inconsiderate.
I'm glad you have an optimistic viewpoint! One day you'll be much better, and life will be easier for you. It's a big gift to be alive!!
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But life is a bit stressful right now: earthquake, hurricane, major issues at work (my boss basically said, oh, you're sick, how sad and then proceeded against me to get me fired - I worked for the guy for 8 years!)![[lol]](graemlins/lol.gif)
I think I'm messing up on my first try here, so I'm probably not the person to be asked. I have some questions myself about the kombucha, so maybe we'll start a new thread... or maybe I'll find and bump up an old one.
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