Make Your Own Water Kefir

Updated Jun 26, 2018, Published Feb 14, 2014

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Sugar Note: The grains will consume most of the sugar as they ferment. The longer they ferment, the more sugar they will consume.

Order water kefir grains from a reputable source, such as Cultures For Health.
Rehydrate the grains and then gather your equipment/ingredients.
Dissolve ½ cup sugar in a small amount of hot water in your jar. Spring water with good mineral content is preferable instead of reverse osmosis or tap water. Then cover the dissolved sugar with enough cool water to almost fill the ½ gallon jar (leaving about 2 inches at the top). Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon.
Add ½ cup of rehydrated kefir grains to the room temperature water in the jar. Cover tightly with a towel and then a rubber band to secure it. Kefir grains can multiply. A good ratio to remember is ½ cup grains to ½ gallon water to ½ cup sugar.
Let kefir culture at room temperature for 24-48 hours. The longer it sits, the less sweet it will become as the grains consume more sugar. Bubbles may appear, though not always, as it cultures. This is normal. If you prefer a sweet flavor, start with a shorter period of time (like 24 hours) the first time, then try letting the grains culture a bit longer for each new batch.
Strain the finished liquid into another container using a plastic strainer once you are done culturing the grains. Cover with an airtight lid. At this point, rinse your grains thoroughly and use them to begin your next batch.
Flavor your prepared water kefir with fresh fruit of choice (or just enjoy as is).