How to Make Water Kefir

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Water kefir is the newest addition to my ferment collection and I’m so excited to share how to take care of water kefir grains with you all. I’ve been interested in trying water kefir for quite some time and I finally went for it! Lately I seem to have a hard time handling dairy in my diet so this is a great way to get some probiotics without the dairy.

If you don’t know what water kefir is it is a healthy way to have a bubbly, lightly sweet beverage. 🙂 Okay so there is more to it than that… In short it is a fermented and carbonated beverage made from water kefir grains. Here is a very helpful and informative article on water kefir. Such a great alternative to soda and bonus it’s packed with probiotics which makes for a very happy gut!

To start off, you will need water kefir grains. You can order them online or if you happen to know someone that makes water kefir you can get some of their extras. As you use your water kefir grains they multiply so you’ll have extra grains to share with friends and family. This is the brand I ordered from Amazon.

Here are my kefir grains after I’ve strained off a batch of water kefir. I’m going to be making a ginger ale water kefir with this batch. Stay tuned for the recipe!

In a clean quart sized mason jar, add in brown sugar and water. You can also use white sugar for this. I use our tap water which is just well water. So far unfiltered water is working out just fine. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Add in water kefir grains to your sugar water and stir gently.

Cover your jar with a thin towel and secure with a rubber band or canning ring. Let the water kefir ferment for 2-4 days. The warmer your house is the quicker it will ferment. In the summer our house averaged 72 degrees and I liked to let it go 3 days. You’ll just have to get a feel for it in your own house. If you taste it and it’s still pretty sweet without any tang then let it go another day. You are looking for tangy and lightly sweet. After it’s done fermenting you can drink it like it is or you can do a second ferment and make all sorts of different bubbly flavored drinks. I’ll be sharing more recipes soon!