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You are here: Home / Probiotic Drinks / How To Make Probiotic Rich Water Kefir

How To Make Probiotic Rich Water Kefir

October 21, 2014 By Danielle 31 Comments

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Probiotic rich water kefir recipe. Easy step by step instructions including how to make a fizzy kefir soda. Great for digestion and full of minerals.

Hello fellow fermenter friends!  Fall finally showed itself in San Diego over the weekend.  The temperature has cooled off and the marine layer has made the day a little gray, but it’s a welcome change.  Maybe I can finally break out my boots from hibernation?

I’m sitting in my home office and trying to remember how I discovered water kefir.  I think I stumbled upon it when I was researching milk kefir.  Anyway, all that matters is that it’s a probiotic rich soda like beverage that is simple to make and has mucho health benefits.

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What is water kefir?  In the book, “The Art of Fermentation”, by Sandor Katz he describes it as:

a versatile culture that can be used to ferment any carbohydrate-rich liquid. …Used to ferment sugar water with some fruit in it for flavor.

It’s basically a fermented beverage that uses a culture.  The culture is called kefir grains and Sandor describes them as:

The culture – also known as tibicas or tibia, sugary water grains…- is a SCOBY, a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast, which appear as small whitish translucent granules and grow quickly when fed regularly.

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The water kefir grains consume the sugar and turn it into a probiotic, fizzy drink.  Some people call it a Kefir Soda because adding fruit juice for secondary fermentation makes it super carbonated.

According to Julia Mueller who wrote the book, “Delicious Probiotic Drinks”, some of the health benefits of drinking Kefir Water are:

  • Probiotic rich
  • Hydrating and a good sport drink replacement
  • Contains enzymes and minerals
  • Reduces inflammation
  • Eases digestive discomfort
  • Helps relieve skin irritation
  • Liver detox

How awesome are all those health benefits?! Water kefir is a staple in my home.  We always have it readily available in the fridge and another one brewing on the counter.  It is super versatile, because you can make it taste however you want.  You can even make one that tastes like cream soda.  It’s very simple to make and has a very short fermentation period (only 1 -2 days).  You only need to buy the kefir grains once and you can make it for a lifetime.

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When you purchase the kefir grains for the first time there will be instructions on how to rehydrate them and get them going again.  I like this recipe because its easy to flavor.  I purchased live water kefir grains from Amazon and they have been very healthy and have been producing water kefir for over a year now.

How To Make Probiotic Rich Water Kefir
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
Author: Danielle
Serves: 1 quart
Ingredients
  • ¼ Cup Water Kefir Grains
  • ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
  • ½ cap Liquid Minerals (optional)
  • Quart Water
Instructions
  1. Fill the mason jar half way with spring water, add the brown sugar and minerals and stir until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Add the kefir grains and top off with the rest of the water. Screw on lid and sit on counter for 48 hours.
  3. Strain the water kefir with a plastic or wooden strainer (they don't react well to metal) into a pitcher or mason jars and place in the fridge. Repeat this recipe to make another batch.
  4. Drink plain or add your favorite juice.
Notes
After 48 hours you can drink the kefir as is or add your favorite juice. I prefer adding juice or lemon and ginger water.
See my Water Keifr chart at the end of this post for different ratios of sugar, water and kefir grains needed for different size containers.
3.2.2925

Minerals

Water kefir grains require sugar and minerals to survive.  Brown sugar has some minerals from the molasses but I noticed that if I don’t add in extra minerals, over time they start to break down.  I add a capful of Ionic Tonic or a few drops of  Trace minerals to my water kefir to keep it healthy.  If you don’t want to buy minerals you can add a clean egg shell to it.  The egg shell provides adequate minerals for the grains.  Other variations include adding two dried figs and a slice of lemon to the basic recipe too.  I have used this method before and it works well.

If you want a clearer water kefir use organic cane sugar, but be sure to add minerals to the water solution or the grains will become weak.

IMG_3167

Kefir Soda – Secondary Fermentation

To make water kefir into a fizzy soda add 1 cup of 100% fruit juice for every 4 cups of water kefir.  Place in a mason jar, screw on the lid and let sit on the counter for 24-48 hours.

Extra Grains

Over time the water kefir grains will multiply.  You can split them up to make different batches, give them away to friends or put them in smoothies to give it a probiotic boost.  You can also feed them to your dog or put them in your garden.

Water Kefir Chart Makes It Easy

I created a chart of the ratios of grains, sugar and water needed for various size containers.  I keep this on my fridge for quick reference and it helps a ton.  You can download a pdf  of the Water Kefir Chart yourself to print or save later.  Or pin it to a board for later.

Water Kefir Chart Snapshot

Let me know if you have any questions.  Enjoy!

Resources and products I use:

Live Water Kefir Grains

Ionic Tonic

Trace Minerals

The Art of Fermentation, by Sandor Katz

Delicious Probiotic Drinks, by Julia Mueller

Some links on this page are affiliate links and they are all for companies that I support and buy from myself.  If you decide to purchase any of these products through these links, I will earn a small commission and you will have my sincere thanks for supporting Fermented Food Lab.

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Filed Under: Probiotic Drinks, Water Kefir Tagged With: brown sugar, cranberry, ionic tonic, kefir grains, liquid minerals, probiotic, tibicos, water kefir

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When Danielle started making fermented foods several years ago she struggled to find easy instructions. Advice was often conflicting and confusing, so she started Fermented Food Lab to teach her simple and easy methods for making sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, and probiotic drinks. Read More…

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