Meme, until OP pops around, in microbiotics class long ago, we performed tests based on pH of the solution to figure out what the organism was. Meaning each organism has an ideal pH in which it will grow, and out of that zone it will not. Solution can be acid or basic to have this effect. Did this help? Or just muddy the waters?? lol

PS. I use the liquid as it is likely to have good stuff. Im not one to waste anything here, so others may do differently. For example I stir the liquid back into the yogurt.

^ pay no attention to my post - asked and answered on page 3!

https://forum.lowcarber.org/showpos...51&postcount=82

:)

:wave:

:p

This looks interesting. Letting the kefir take the sugar from fruit during fermentation:

Kefir and fruit second ferment... Continuous Brew.

Link leads back to this thread...

I have one small issue in this area of fermentation versus carb count, in that it's hard to quantify just how many carbs are left post fermentation, what we should count lactic acid as in the context of a low carb diet (on a standard diet, lactic acid produced during exercise will primarily go on to be used for energy by brain, heart etc., during starvation, most lactic acid will be processed back into glucose by the liver, I'm not sure about a ketogenic diet, but since scarcity of glucose is likely to be a big factor, I'd suspect it to be similar if not identical). For a very strict ketogenic diet--high fat ratio versus seizures, etc.--I'd just use the original pre-fermentation carb value, sad as that might make me (I'm towards that end of the diet spectrum).

Fixed!

Thanks teaser.

A few things come to mind - she keeps her refrigerated kefir with lids screwed on. Granted, I make single servings - re: pour into (coffee) cups and eat when I eat. She's making kefir fruit flavored drinks though - going to have to experiment to see.

She says with the pineapple one..., it was going on for months now. So the fruit flavoring is the ticket, and not eating the fruit all the time - going to have to try that too.

My kefir is sitting on a seedling mat so it keeps it in the low 70s temp.

For fermenting kefir (or starting tomorrow veggies) I use these nifty little silicone inserts I put in the top of the mason jars. 10 bucks for half a dozen. These have a tiny (invisible) slit in the top (that you make sure to crack open by pushing up from underneath on the middle before using). When the CO2 gathers it escapes by pushing up until the tiny crack opens. So no opening/tightning jars.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072N42T61/



For strainer I got this nylon mesh set. $10 for four sizes
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RGWGEVO/
(I needed a strainer anyway)

And 90# cheesecloth is recommended if you're doing a big long strain to make cheese https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072V18F5L

(No, I don't work for amazon haha, but it took me awhile to find this stuff so I thought refs might be helpful even just to see examples)

I have mason jars in every size that are a wide-mouth lid, so everything I get is to fit wide mouth mason jars. Most grocery stores actually sell these although if you live in an area with thrift stores they also often have some, you can just get new lids.

I tossed my first three batches as 'recovery' mode.

My first 'real' batch ('adaptive' phase I call this, for a dozen or so more cycles) finished cycle 1 (I call it the 'hot' cycle, active culturing with the grains) on counter on mat in half gallon jar with 6 cups [org grassfed non-homog pasteurized whole milk in that case]) yesterday and is currently in cycle 2 (which I call the 'warm cycle' because now it is without grains, but still on the counter). I have cinnamon in one, cocoa in one, and a little swerve sweetener in all three, as an experiment. I shook them this morning as the CO2 had displaced the additions to the top. I will put them in the fridge shortly for cycle 3 (the cold cycle) and I will taste it again, add whatever might be needed still, and hope to leave them about 3 days in the fridge and then drink.

I'm interested in the chia pudding idea. I don't know how many carbs are in chia. But coffee and cocoa and sweetener added to dairy sounds simply fabulous to me!

PJ

I get raw organic chia seeds here (nuts.com). 1 (one) net carb! Of course, I don't even put close to an ounce! Two teaspoons initially, and sometimes I add a third. Haven't weighed what that is lol.

Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 11g 42%
Sugars 0g

Thanks!

I forgot to add above the link to where I bought the live, incredibly healthy kefir 'grains' to begin:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007GGRJTG/

They include a link to a video, pdf, and so on with tons of info and there are over 2000 5-star reviews there, many raving about the customer service.

PJ

I got mine from Fusion Teas directly. Didn't know Amazon had them then.

just ordered some of those lids.

:)

With the warmer weather, of course fermentation has speeded up. A couple of batches were not as thick as usual, which makes sense - faster ferment, I could tell right away by seeing the clear whey on the bottom. This last batch had a LARGE bottom section of whey and I groaned when I saw it. Mixed it up, added my chia & instant coffe & cocoa powder, poured into individual coffee cups, refrigerated.

Actually tastes just fine. Thickness is not there, but no big deal. Then I found the below linked article on whey.

I did scoop out the curds. Does anyone include the curds?

Whey – The Liquid Gold in Kefir

Good article. When that happens I just eat the curd with a spoon like Farmers Cheese :yum:

You may be able to thicken the whey again by adding potato starch?

Higher temp favors bacteria (acid), cooler favors the yeasts I remember reading somewhere.

FYI: I just cured a very sick orphan calf of scours by bottle feeding him kefir milk with a little lite salt and potato starch or fruit pectin added. Saw that tip on a homesteading site and it made sense. Did not use any antibiotics, just electrolyte mix and kefir. Completely cured in 5 days and running around now!

That's great that you cured that calf!

I'm going to eat the curd next time too.

Thank Mike!

:)

My first real transition coming out of winter into spring, and the warmer temperatures have messed with my fermentation times lol. Last few batches have been too long - going from 24 hours, to 18, to 15, this morning I cut it off at 9 hours (clear areas at the bottom of the jar)! Looks like a good batch too.

:)

House got a lot cooler over the last few days - so the batch before this one never fermented (enough). Ended up throwing it out (after saving some chia and coffee and cocoa powder crust skimmed off the top). I didn't wait long enough and jumped the gun. I should have left it longer until I saw the clear whey forming on the bottom.

But the last batch - which I left out around 48 hours, came out great! The one prior to this, my fermentation time was down to 9-10.5 hours - and those times were over / re: too long as the whey was too much and the kefir turned out watery.

^ This 48 hour batch didn't show the clear whey on the bottom, but there were small bubbles - so I took a chance, ran it through the strainer and immediately knew that I struck gold! No curds, nice - thick kefir that is firm and tasty ( tried my first cup this morning after a fast ). Best batch I've made to date.

:)