Kefir Water

This is instruction base on how I make kefir water. You will find that there are as many ways as there are people who brew it. Use metal only if you must and only for short periods of time. One exception listed below.

I do not precisely follow this every time and measure poorly. It is why I don't bake

1. Rehydrate grains in a solution of sugar water
2. With a fine mesh strainer, strain out the grains and set them aside in a bowl or cup that is easy to scoop out of.
3. For the first brew step
1. In a clean 1/2 gallon canning jar,
2. pour in 2/3 cup of sugar. (I use 1/3 c or so of dried organic cane juice and about 1/6 cup if sucanat)
3. fill the jar part full of water
4. I use part pitcher filtered and part spring water
5. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and finish filling the jar to where the water level is halfway up the neck of the jar
6. Add 1/3 or so of a cup of kefir grains
7. Cover this with a cloth. Some use a coffee filter. It just needs to keep out any flies and yet allow the mixture to breathe as it processes the sugar
8. Allow this to sit at room temperature for 24-48 hours (or so).
9. Strain the grains, saving the liquid, and set aside the grains in a bowl.
4. Second brew:
1. Pour the liquid into a container that has a lid that will close tightly to enable a build up of the fizzies. I use another canning jar. Often I use the coated metal flat and band. I have had no issues with this as the liquid doesn't continually touch the lid
2. Add a juice of your choosing to flavor the kefir. I prefer to use 100% juice that doesn't have a lot of added sugars. Some add fruit. There are some good combinations! I use about 1 cup to a half gallon.
5. The grains can be added to a second round of a first fermentation.
6. If there are extra grains, and there will be as they grow and multiply,
1. put them in a jar in the refrigerator in a sugar water solution
2. freeze them
3. dehydrate them