Did Your Milk Kefir Work? Test It with a pH Meter

👉 A common question when you first start culturing kefir is: “Has my milk kefir fermented successfully?”

✅ Our kefir grains come with pH test strips, but some people find the colors difficult to judge. Alongside checking the kefir’s appearance and smell, a digital pH meter can help you measure the fermentation more precisely.

How to test

1. Pour a small amount of finished milk kefir into a clean cup.
2. Remove the meter’s cap, then press and hold ON/OFF to turn it on.
3. Immerse the glass electrode at the tip in the kefir, keeping the liquid below the immersion line.
4. Stir gently, remove the meter and wait 30 seconds to confirm the reading.
5. Discard the kefir in the test cup.
6. Gently rinse the glass electrode with cooled boiled water, then gently shake off the water.
7. Press and hold ON/OFF to turn the meter off, then replace the cap.

Reading the result: successfully fermented milk kefir should have a pH of 3.0–5.0

• If the reading is above 5.0, do not drink it. Replace the lid and allow fermentation to continue until the reading falls below 5.0.
• A reading below 3.0 indicates too many grains or an overly long fermentation. Use fewer grains next time. Over-fermented milk kefir can still be drunk; it simply tastes more sour.
• Do not let the total fermentation time exceed 36 hours. If the reading is still above 5.0 after 36 hours, the fermentation has not succeeded. Possible causes include an unsuitable grain-to-milk ratio or grains that are still recovering after refrigerated dormancy. Discard that batch of milk kefir and start again.