Milk kefir formula
Let’s look at some factors that have an impact on fermentation time:
- Room Temperature: The temperature in your fermentation room will have the single biggest impact on the time it takes for the bacteria to digest the lactose in milk. Generally, the warmer it is the faster this process goes. Ideally, you’ll want to keep room temperature somewhere around 24°C
- Milk Temperature: Another factor that can affect fermentation time is the temperature of the milk when you add it to the kefir grains. Milk that is too cold or straight out of the fridge can cool down the grains significantly and cause them to ‘hibernate’ for a short while extending the fermentation time. To avoid this take the amount of milk you are planning on using out of the fridge one to two hours before.
- Kefir Grains to Milk Ratio: The third most impactful factor on the time it takes until kefir is done is the ratio of kefir grains to milk. When there are a lot of lactic acid-producing bacteria present in the vessel it will take much shorter for the lactose to be turned into lactic acid. We give you two calculators to see how many grains of how much milk you need to produce the ideal Kefir.
- Time: Ideally kefir should be done in 24 hours and if you found the perfect milk/grains ratio for your room temperature it should have a mild smell, taste, and creamy texture. If you prefer more potent kefir with more probiotics and less lactose leave it to ferment for up to 36 hours. It will have a sour taste, you will see whey on bottom of your jar and curds floating.
If you have a specific amount of GRAINS and wonder how much milk you need to make kefir here we have calculator for you > > > > > > >
If you have a specific amount of MILK and wonder how much grains you need to use here is another calculator > > > > > > > > >
Not satisfied with the final product?
You followed all instructions from above and used a calculator but still, your kefir is too thin/mild or too thick/sour. If you just purchased your grains give them a week to adjust to a new environment and recover from stressful traveling. The calculator is supposed to give you approximate values but everyone’s grains and environment are a bit different so to get the ideal product these amounts need to be tuned by your preference.
For more details check our FAQ section.
