One of the things we all love about Steemit is the conversations we have with others that add value to our posts and increase our knowledge capital. It's the aim of natural medicine to engage with others who have experience in making, using and researching natural medicines and to promote and share them on the blockchain.

Last week's conversation with @crescendoofpeace was about her post on water kefir. We thought we'd share what we learnt by replicating this conversation as an interview, and we'd love to hear more about your experiences with kefir grains too, so we can add value to this post. In fact, we'll re-edit this post with your information as an addendum, and store it in our Discord channel 'food as medicine', so we can easily find this advice later! We hope you enjoy finding a little more about kefir, and be encouraged to give it a go yourself. We certainly will!

@crescendoofpeace originally wrote that:

"Water kefir is made in [similiar way to kombucha], though the culture, rather than forming a rubbery-looking mass at the top, consists of small grains that look a bit like translucent cooked tapioca. If fermenting in jars, as is typically done, water kefir is fermented in 48 hours, versus roughly a week for kombucha. Additionally, water kefir grains grow quite rapidly, in warm conditions sometimes doubling their bulk in a single batch, leading to lots of extra grains over time. These can be split between several jars, given to friends, or sprinkled over salads, as they have a light, mildly sweet taste, and are almost pure probiotics."

Of course, we had lots of questions! Here's what we found out.

Natural Medicine: Do we have to use the continuous ferment method, or will a big jar do?

CrescendoofPeace: I highly recommend first using the jar method, especially as they ferment so quickly, and build up your stores of grains before you go for the continuous ferment method. I'm basically lazy, so tried it just to see if it could be done, but although the grains will continue fermenting using that method for a year or more, they will never again grow as quickly as will fresh grains using the jar method. And, since you will ultimately want to refresh your grains in the continuous ferment system, it is best to keep a separate strain going, so you won't be forced to beg, borrow or steal more when that time comes. ;-)

The jar method is basically done in a quart-sized jar, preferably (but not necessarily) wide mouth.

Natural Medicine: How much liquid and sugar would we use with the grains?

CrescendoofPeace: To each quart of room temperature water, add 1/3 cup of raw organic cane sugar, or you can use evaporated cane juice, which the grains really love. You can also use a combo of the two. Mix really well, until sugar is completely dissolved, before pouring into the jar and adding the grains. You will likely have a small amount left over, which can be refrigerated until your next use. Cover the jar with a lid, or a permeable cover. Good options include a coffee filter held in place with the outside screw part of a two-piece canning lid, a wash cloth or kitchen towel held in place with a rubber band, or one of the plastic mason jar tops. I've used all three at various times with excellent results. Leave on the counter to ferment.

Natural Medicine: How long does it take then? I know kombucha takes around 7 to 10 days. Is it the same?

CrescendoofPeace: I know that it ferments much faster in warmer temperatures. I prefer mine sweet-tart, rather than really sweet, so I typically allow it to ferment for 48 hours, though it can go longer without becoming acidic. Water kefir takes MUCH longer to get acidic than does kombucha.
Natural Medicine: Do I re-use the grains, just like with a kombucha scoby?

CrescendoofPeace: When you drink or decant, it is best to pour through a plastic strainer, and to rinse the grains briefly with fresh sweetened water (preferably room temperature) before placing back in the jar again, but it is not strictly necessary to do so every time. I'll often just pour off a portion to drink, leaving some of the water kefir in the jar, and simply top it off; though once a week or so, I do pour it all out through a plastic strainer, and rinse the grains properly.

Natural Medicine: Is it possible to second ferment, like we do with kombucha to get that fizz?

CrescendoofPeace: Any extra water kefir you can store in a screw-top, corked or swing top bottle, allowing a second ferment, with or without additional flavorings, and make your own healthy "sodas," some of which develop the complexity and mouthfeel of a nice wine, without the alcohol content. Serious deliciousness ahead!

Serious deliciousness indeed - don't these look gorgeous?

Natural Medicine: Yes, I’ve heard that you can add some dried fruit like cranberries to the 2F. And I’ve also heard about brewing it with coconut water, which has a good sugar content to feed it. But what happens if I forget about it and leave it too long? Can I leave the kefir in the fridge without feeding it with sugar?

CrescendoofPeace: In my house, I average three completed ferments of jarred water kefir per week, given my preference for a 48-hour ferment, and the reality that I'll probably forget about it at least once, if not more. A high percentage of the resulting ferments I pour directly into the continuous ferment system, simply because I prefer its bolder and more complex brew . . . like a light lager versus a more robust IPA.

Water kefir grains are very forgiving, so, if for example you are going to be out of town for a week or two, you can just set the jar in the fridge, and it will slow the fermentation down to a crawl.
Conversely, the warmer the temperatures, the faster the ferment.

When you get home, just set it back out on the counter, though you may want to test to see if it fermented to your taste in your absence, and strain, rinse, and replenish the sweetened water if it has. Any extra grains can also be stored in the fridge until needed, and the only thing you need to do is to make certain that they are completely covered with sweetened water, and not allowed to dry out.

Natural Medicine: I’ve seen dried water kefir grains for sale online. Are they are viable option? Could I dry mine and use it later?

CrescendoofPeace: Yes, if they dry out they can be reconstituted, and some people do sell the grains dried, but in my experience it kills the complexity, as not all of the bacteria and yeast survive the drying process. If you keep the grains stored for over a month, I would strain them, then rinse and replenish with freshly sweetened water, to keep them fed and active.

If they become too acidic, or they aren't rinsed often enough, it can deactivate their growth, though they can still ferment successfully. This is what happens to my grains that are in the continuous ferment system: they still ferment just fine, but their growth virtually stops after a time.

Increased complexity and flavor are why I have come to prefer continuous fermenting, for water kefir as well as kombucha, as the longer you ferment in one container, the more complex the ferment becomes, as native bacteria and yeasts in the air combine with those in the culture itself. The same thing happens with sourdough cultures over time.

Natural Medicine: I know I’ve ruined my kombucha if there is slimy mould on top. Is it the same thing with kefir grains?

CrescendoofPeace: The volume of beneficial bacteria in the culture, along with the acidity of the resulting ferment, usually prevents any anaerobic or toxic bacteria from gaining a foothold. Once more; long stringy brown stuff, or a clearish rubbery growth on the top or upper sides . . . perfectly normal, and you can just scrape or lift it off and toss it all in your compost pile, which will help to accelerate bacterial activity. If any of your grains get blackish, though, toss them and start over with some of the extra grains from the fridge. I typically don't compost those.

Natural Medicine: It’s great you can add it to the compost. Anything to accelerate compost is fabulous in my book. What else can you do with those grains?

CrescendoofPeace: If you have a septic tank, adding kombucha and/or water kefir on a regular basis helps to keep the bacterial level high, and prevents clogs and other issues. I add it to all toilets and sinks, at various intervals, and we've never had septic tank issues since we have lived here, or at our previous home either, for that matter. I was already making water kefir and kombucha there, just not in a continuous ferment system.

Since the commercial septic tank activators contain "Effective Microorganisms," which are rampant in kombucha and water kefir, you're getting a lot more bang for the buck with freshly made ferments. That's where most of our overripened kombucha goes. Overripened kombucha also makes FABULOUS vinegar, which you can use similarly to apple cider vinegar in cooking and cleaning, and makes a great counter cleaner, as it deters ants and toxic bacteria.

You can also add herbs and make some really unique and delicious herbal vinegars, which make lovely Christmas gifts, and cost literally pennies to make, with very little effort.

Kombucha and water kefir also make great plant foods for acid-loving plants such as roses, and help to deter pests, black spot and powdery mildew when used as a foliar spray. I would dilute it with water, no more than half strength - I usually use quarter strength, but I'm spraying a large number of trees and bushes.

And finally, if you spray it periodically on your planting beds, especially prior to a good soaking rain, it can greatly enhance bacterial levels in your soil, which in turn greatly enhances fertility and nutrient availability for your plants.

Woo hoo! Can you tell I love the stuff?

Natural Medicine: Indeed! I hope that our readers are encouraged to try water kefir. I’ve just added some to a litre of coconut water, so I’ll let you know how that goes!

Thanks to @crescendoofpeace for her knowledge and enthusiasm. You can find her original post here. She is also donating the proceeds of this post to Natural Medicine - thankyou! That will be powered up and used to upvote the great posts under the #naturalmedicine tag.

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