I am officially on the Kefir Water bandwagon. It’s not a bad wagon to be on…actually quite beneficial. It took me about a year to jump on. This delay mostly stemmed from a bad experience with sea monkeys as a kid. I was not very good a raising sea monkeys and thought that this may transfer over to the Kefir grains. Plus, I was also worried about the time involved in culturing Kefir.

To date <about 3 months in>, I am happy with the lack of time it takes to make Kefir Water and that I haven’t lost a single Kefir grain yet. Plus, my boys love it and I can personally attest to it helping me post stomach flu.

I used Cultures for Health for most of my information and followed their steps to fermenting the Kefir grains and suggestions for juice additions. Their FAQ on Kefir Water was super helpful for me to determine if this was right for my family and my time. I also used Pinterest to gather recipes and informational sites to research on Kefir Water. Click here for my Kefir-Licious Pinterest Board.

So, here is my list of Do’s, Don’ts, and Why’s of Kefir Water.

DO’s

1. Find a friend, or friend of a friend, to get your Kefir Grains. Much easier. Less costly. And, you may meet a new person.

2. Spend the extra money on good organic juice for the Kefir Water. The grains will appreciate it. Your taste buds will too.

3. Invest in cool bottles. Makes it more fun. They are also pleasing to the eye, since they will be on your counter.

4. Burp your bottles during the second fermentation. Seriously, about three times a day.

5. Get into a routine about when you make your Kefir Water. I spend about 10-15 minutes every other day.

DON’Ts

1. Don’t forget to burp your bottles. They will explode. You will keep finding glass shards months later in the most unusual places. Trust me.

2. Don’t tell your kids too much about the Kefir Water. They will look at you like you have two heads and are seriously crazy. Just make them drink it.

3. Rush it. Fermentation takes time.

WHY’s

1. Probiotics.

“Bacteria

Species Lactobacillus
L. brevis
L. casei
L. hilgardii
L. hordei
L. nagelii

Species Leuconostoc
L. citreum
L. mesenteroides

Species Acetobacter
A. fabarum
A. orientalis

Species Streptococcus
S. lactis

Yeasts

Hanseniaospora valbyensis
Lachancea fermentati
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Zygotorulaspora florentina

(Source: http://biologiageral.com.sapo.pt/Ficheiros/Gulitz.pdf (referenced May 2013))”

2. Healthier gut.

3. Less food allergies.

4. Improved immune system.

5. Gluten Free and Dairy Free.

6. Kefir grains are good for dog and cat digestion, too. My pug gets my extra Kefir grains. His old gut needs the boost and help. Definitely less stinky gas from him and that is a very good thing. The cats could really care less, but sometimes they surprise me by eating them.

Here is my method and favorite juice additions.

1. Heat dechlorinated water to just under boiling. Add 1/2 cup hot water and 1/4 cup raw, organic sugar to a 1 quart Mason jar. Dissolve sugar.

2. Add dechlorinated water to Mason jar. Fill it to just under the threaded top part of the jar.

3. Add 3 tablespoons active, hydrated Kefir grains.

4. Cover with an unbleached paper coffee filter and screw on just the lid portion of the Mason jar.

5. Leave on counter for 24-30 hours for first fermentation.

After first fermentation,

6. Strain Kefir grains from water. Save grains to start next batch of Kefir water.

7. Add 1/2 cup of organic juice to bottle.

8. Pour in strained Kefir water.

9. Close bottle and let mixture ferment for a second time at least 24 hours on the counter top.

After second fermentation,

10. Enjoy your flavored Kefir water.

or, 11. Place in fridge for enjoyment another time.

Favorite Additions:

Pomegranate Juice (This is the clear favorite right now. Very bubbly. Great tart taste.)

Fresh Orange Juice

Lemon Juice

Grape Juice

Tart Cherry Juice

*I found that strong juice flavors work best for my kids and family.