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Milk Kefir FAQ
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Q.
can you give me an idea of what's involved in making milk Kefir.
A. After purchase you will receive a pack containing instructions and
your Kefir Grain this will be in some Kefir (The cultured milk your
grain came in)
1.place contents of sealed pack into a container that can hold
over 500ml.
2 Then pour 300ml/ 1/2 pint of milk in to the container. leave for 24
hours then taste. If you like the way it
tastes use the same amount of milk to restart next batch.
if it is still week and milky try a warmer place or a bit less milk.
If it is too sour/Thick just remove the grain and stir in 50ml
milk and taste repent this till it reaches you desired taste and
thickness.
3
now ad this extra 50ml ect of milk to a new 300ml/1/2 pint and pop in
your grain and start again.
Ideally
You will want culture the amount of milk that suits the grain and you
it is much easier after a few days as you become confident. The Grain
you received will make between 300 and 500 ml depending on heat and if
the mixture is stirred gently a few times over the first few days.
Transferring some of the cultured milk from the last batch greatly
speeds up the process 1 table spoon will increase the completion of
the next batch by 500%.Don't
worry if it seems it is not working at first it might be slow due to
being in different milk and travelling for a few days.
Rule of thumb if it is not thickening/slow use
less milk! if it is to Thick/fast/sour use more milk. When you find
you are Making to much kefir you can take a piece of your grain
to maintain a balance
Q. I have recently purchased milk grains to make
coconut water kefir but with my first 2 attempts the liquid is not
going fizzy as I understand it should do. The taste is slightly sour
though and I wondered what I could be doing wrong? I used a glass jar
with screw top.
A.
We only recommend using dairy
milk with milk kefir grains!.
We have customers as who use nut and rice milk with milk kefir and
even water kefir grains but i advise if experimenting with other milk
rice nut or even other animal milk only use spare / backup grains.
FYI Please ensure the coconut water/milk does not have any stabilizers
or preservatives in it as this will destroy the culture. When adding a
culture to a medium e.g Milk try and get the medium up to room
temperature as the cold will stunt /slow or damage the culture. Try
using less medium at least till your culture has grown and is
thriving.
Q. I知 very sensitive to dairy but I知 really
interested in making Kefir. Can Kefir be made with coconut, Soya, nut
types of milk?
A. We only recommend using dairy animal milk! our cultures will
work in non dairy for a while but start to
loose there ability to do so If experimenting use spare grains and keep your
main kefir culture healthy as it needs
dairy milk to survive. A used method is to try 3or4 days in non dairy then 3or4 days in
dairy if you wanted a daily supply right away just buy 2 lots of
grains you will be sorted...(-: i will not guarantee results
i don't replace grains killed in this manner ..sorry
Q. I知 lactose intolerant and have problems digesting
Kefir?
A. People who are lactose intolerant drink Kefir. This
is because the probiotics in Kefir predigest the lactose and the
nutrients for you allowing your body to digest it easily i would
suggest you start with small amount to ensure it is the lactose you
have a problem with.
PLEASE ASK YOU GP BEFORE MAKING ANY MEDICAL DECISIONS
Q. Do i get instructions with my purchase.
A.
Along with your
Culture You will receive full instruction .
Q. I have put the grains and the milk in 200 ml of
fresh organic full fat pasteurized (but not homogenised) cow's milk
from a very local farm. I left it until the next morning, when I
strained them and placed them in another jar of fresh milk. The
strained Kefir was weird. It was a watery liquid with bits of
grainy sandy curds, smelling weird.
I read that Kefir grains go funny sometimes during delivery and need
time to readjust but I am loosing my patience now. At the moment they
are in the fridge (since last night) and nothing seems to happen to
that milk.
So what do you think I should do next? I thought about putting them in
shop bought bio live yogurt or cultured butter milk. What do you
recommend? I really want to get them going
A. I am sorry to here you are having problems
with your milk grain I Can tell you that the Kefir I sent you is from
a long established healthy culture.
Please Follow and read the instructions Usually milk Kefir adjust to new milk in few days and I
find most issues after this are with the person making the Kefir or
the milk they are using. you have already mentioned 3 things you have done wrong
biggest problem is no patience 99% of the time
The milk you say you are using is as close to perfect
as you could get if it is what it say's on the label. Milk that has
been homogenized has a tendency to separate in to little bits of curds
and water as you described you can just whisk it in to a uniform
drink. But if your milk is not homogenized this cant be the problem.
There is a way to test /repair milk that has been homogenised
this try adding between 5 to 10% single cream. As the cream
contains non homogenized milk fat the Kefir made with the addition of
cream is a lot thicker and tastier.
There is the possibility you where expecting it to be taste look or
smell different to what it does some people just don't find it nice.
It could also be it is over ripe and separating as it always does try
adding a bit of milk and whisking with a fork to blend it all back
together. Then see how it is.
Q. How fast should milk grains grow?
A.
I is different for every one due to different types of medium and
ambient temperature i find usually every 2 weeks with daily milk
changes. They
are guaranteed to be healthy and to grow.
Q. Why do you charge for your Kefir grains? I thought Kefir grains
were supposed to be Shared freely?
A.
In the beginning i freely shared my excess grains for as little as the
postage cost but this became quite counter productive as demand
grew for grains got quite large i had to start using lots more methods
i uses gallons of organic milk a week, The cost of postage, and specialist
packing, standard overheads, papal take 5% of what you pay ,goggle take 20% for advertising,
Then transport to suppliers and post office i could go on
.....)-:
Q. I have this really puffy Kefir grain, could I divide
it to give to other people?
A.
Yes !
Q. Why do you advise against using metal utensils?
A.
It is more a preference there have been study's showing some metals
reacting with with some organic acids and this could be detrimental to
your culture so i advise against it.
Q. do you sell dormant grains or live grains?
A.
I sell both due to some customers preferring to get a grain that they
wake up and grow like a seed kids love this dry method it is also
ideal for overseas shipping. i supply all my cultures in a dry format
once they are restarted the usually are in full swing within a week
growing rapidly. I always send live wet grains unless requested please
ask for dry grains before purchase.
Q. I received the grains and the are doing just great
but what do I do with the grains when on holiday or just taking a
break from Kefir How do I store them?
A. if it it for a week or 2 you can put them in milk in the refrigerator
or you can freeze them the will store for months but cold storage is
not ideal long term you can rinse and air dry your grain all are
going to upset the micro flora of the culture so be prepared it will
take a few days to get it back to full steam when you
decide to reuse it.
Q. Is the Kefir drink suitable for diabetic?
A. The Milk Kefir drink does not contain any additional sugar apart
from the Lactose naturally found in the milk, which is why it is
indeed suitable for diabetics.
Q. How long will the Kefir Grain last?
A. The Kefir Grain is immortal (if
treated properly).
Q. Do i have to use raw milk.
A. Hi we NEVER use raw milk! We use organic cows milk
to rear our milk based cultures any dairy milk will give the same
probiotic benefits and using store bought organic milk ensures a
certain standard. Raw milk can contain a lot of unscreened agents and
strong natural bacterial cultures That may be harmful to your culture.
Q. Can The Kefir grain die?
A. Yes especially with so many antibacterial cleaning
agents around. be aware of pesticides antifungal agents but on the
whole they are quite resilient.
Q. If i use ordinary
pasteurized milk
from my local store can the Kefir produce the same Probiotics
benefits
A. Yes it can the micro flora in the Kefir feed on the basic elements
in milk these basic elements e.g lactose are found in all dairy
milk. pasteurised, skimmed, full fat, half fat, Organic and raw.
just check if they are non organic that they contain no antibiotic
agents or preservatives these tend to be found more in the flavoured
kids carton type. there my be a slight difference in the final
thickness and taste due to the type used and fat content.
Q. I have had my Kefir for
a month now and i have noticed the Kefir is very slimy slurpy it
separates in to cream on top and water at the bottom the grain
is no longer like a little white brain it has got flat flaps is
this ok?
A. it sounds like your grain is under stress it need to be smaller or
more frequent milk changes this will also happen if it is to warm
constantly e.g In warm weather, you can also culture Kefir in
the refrigerator this is the nicest tasting Kefir smother taste but
takes a longer do milk changes every 3 days approx. this is not
optimal for producing Kefir but will resolve the immediate problem.
Q. Although you suggest using a
500 ml jar during fermentation, is it ok to use a larger (e.g. 1
litre) container (& correspondingly larger volume of milk) instead?
Would this involve a longer fermentation time?
A. Not necessary it depends on the amount of Kefir grains or crystals
you use as your starter. if you start with 1 table spoon of grains and
also add a table spoon or 2 of Kefir milk culture from your last batch
this will dramatically increase the amount of milk you can culture in
the same time this will also speed up the process depending on the
amount of milk and the ambient temperature .
Q. I am currently fermenting some milk Kefir in the fridge (this
has been going for 2 days and thus far there seems little change) - is
it possible for the milk to go bad before fermentation is complete?
A. Fermenting Kefir in the fridge is not advisable until you have a
large amount it will take at least 4 days to culture 500ml with a
starter amount. I would advise making your Kefir at room temp work on
getting you ratios right e.g milk to grains then move on the fridge
fermentation. Although fridge Kefir is better tasting by far this is
usually better achieved by transferring your grains to new milk mid
fermentation! then moving the half fermented milk to the fridge. You
can also take say 250ml of fully fermented Kefir and adding 250ml of
milk give it a good stir then pop in the fridge for a day or to this
is the best method. I would say that any milk in or out of fridge
going off before fully fermented means you are using to much milk to
starter or it is to cold try adjusting these if the milk is not
fermenting .
Q. how long can i keep backup
grains in milk in the fridge before the milk needs changed?
A.If You keep your backup
grains in the fridge it is advisable to give it fresh milk every 7
days,
Q. can Kefir be used to make
cheese i remember somewhere reading this but i don't know where?
A. I can confirm Kefir can be
used to produce several types of cheese . I have tried a few different
recipes with mixed results.
Here is a link to the best site for all Kefir related recipes
including a few cheese ones.
http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefir_cheese.html
Q. I have been cultivating the
Kefir i got for 3 days now and I have some questions. I have
Kefir grains and use them daily back at home in Hawaii. I'm noticing
that these grains are working a bit differently than what I am used
to. I put the grains in milk and it changes very quickly but it is
very watery and never seems to thicken. It seems like within 12 hours
or so it has separated into a lot of watery whey and a watery
granulated milky substance. I thought perhaps I hadn't put in enough
milk so I strained them out and added a bit more milk. The same thing
happened. I thought that somehow it was heating too quickly so I put
it in the fridge and the same thing happened. I also tried straining
it out after only 4 or 5 hours and letting the strained kefir milk sit
out thinking this would be a slower process that might thicken. But it
just turned to the whey and watery granular milky stuff as well.This
is very different from my experiences with the kefir grains I use at
home. What I am used to is putting the grains in milk and letting them
sit out 24-48 hours in the warm Hawaii temperatures. Usually the milk
thickens a bit and by 48 hours begins to seperate into whey and a
thickened kefired milk sort of the consistency of a creamy yogurt. If
I let it sitt longer it will get thicker and thicker. I've never seen
it separate so fast or for the milky part to be so thin and granular.
A. I can say that your method in Hawaii is sound and the same here the
consistency you describe is the norm for our grains here as well. We
do notice a huge difference in the growth rate and fermentation times
in the few warmer months of the summer as our grains spend more time
in our many many colder months, but 24 hours at room temp 21 deg is
usually enough for them to complete there fermentation. The problem u
describe is usually the result of an imbalance in the micro flora on
the grain this could be due to Travel shock or changes in the milk
being used. As a old hand at fermenting Kefir you will know not to use
milk containing preservatives and antibacterial agents.
Also avoid rinsing the grain as the tap water in some areas of the UK
is heavily chlorinated this will harm the Kefir grain and cause an
imbalance .There could be any number of unseen problems e.g.. Use of
fly spray in home ,antibacterial agents in or on containers or
utensils, I would say the grains are very resilient try room temp or
as close to 21 deg c smaller amounts of milk and leave for 24 hours!
before change without any rinsing for a few days. try store bought
organic milk Keep you Kefir out of direct sunlight . This should get
the grain back on track time usually fixes these types of problems.
Water Kefir FAQ
Q. This is not a
question i have received i will give you a basic on making water Kefir
there are FAQ Below this post
Kefir
grains require high-mineral water to sustain them, so if you do not
have well water, spring water, or mineral water available, you can try
boiling tap water to remove the chlorine. Allow it to cool to room
temperature before adding the grains. Or you can leave the water out
overnight in a bowl uncovered, for the chlorine to evaporate. It it
best not to use filtered or distilled water as they do not have the
minerals that Water Kefir needs.
Your first brew will take longer, as the dry grains we send need 24
Hrs to rehydrate.
BASIC RECIPE
Place your water grains in around 500 ml or larger jar we
recommend plastic for safety.
Add about 400ml of water, leaving at least 6 cm of space at the top.
Please do not fill any jar more than 3/4 full. This is very important
because the CO2 gas naturally produced during fermentation will
produce high pressure, use plastic or loose tops where necessary.
high pressure, which has the potential to cause an explosion,
especially in warmer weather.
Add 2-4 tablespoons of sugar and mix to dissolve. It is good to have
some brown sugar or molasses as part of this sugar mixture. The grains
thrive in the minerals from these sweeteners.
Add a handful of one of the following: raisins, figs, plums, prunes,
sliced ginger, apricots or bananas. Slice the larger fruits.
Add a slice or half of lemon.
Screw the lid on. A tight fitting cap to increase
carbonation/ fizzy. Loose fitting for safety and less fizz.
You can brew on the counter out of direct light, for safety, no
tight fitting top on glass Jars .For your first batch in order to hydrate the
grains, you will want to ferment 2-4 days, so be patient. For
successive brews, after this initial batch, brew 24-48 hours at room
temperature. Use your taste to judge a satisfactory ferment. With high
temperatures flavours will be harsher with more fizz and more alcohol. After 1 day you may taste it. If it is too sweet, you may
ferment longer. Spoon out the fruit and squeeze the lemon into the
water kefir. Strain out the kefir grains using a fine mesh non-metal
strainer.
Q. I have just received my
WATER KEFIR CRYSTALS. This is all very new to me so I would appreciate
if you could help.I will follow the instructions you sent me to the
letter. I just need to know how much you should drink per day. Also
once the water kerif is ready to drink should it be stored in the
refrigerator.
A. there are no guidelines to the amount of water kefir
you can drink I personally drink 1 liter a day 500ml morning and 500ml
with evening meal . With regards to storage if you wish to bottle your
kefir please use plastic bottles only. Best results are got by pouring
you just ready kefir in to a plastic bottle leave somewhere warmish
for a day to get it really fizzy you can experiment with time it is
not an exact science if using a plastic bottle it will get hard when
ready for fridge , then into the fridge to store for up to a week.Hope
this helps
Q. Is
water Kefir as good for you as milk Kefir does it have all the
probiotic goodness.
A. No Milk Kefir is in a league of its own
it is a whole food but it does have merits that the milk Kefir does
not. 1. no fat content 2. no dairy products are required to
sustain it 3. it is a refreshing drink milk Kefir is a like a
small meal nutritionally in comparison but probiotic is nothing to do
with sustenance it is to more to do with how you body breaks down and
absorbs sustenance (food) and the benefits there of and when it
comes to that here is a list of the friendly bacteria you will
find on the average water grain
Typically Water Kefir grains have a
mixture of healthy (friendly) strains such as : Lactobacillus brevis,
Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus , Lactobacillus alactosus, Lactobacillus
casei casei, Lactobacillus pseudoplantarum, Lactobacillus plantarum,
Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcus cremeris, Leuconostoc mesenteroide,
Saccharomyces florentinus, Saccharomyces pretoriensis, Kloeckera
apiculata, Candida lambica, Candida valida and possibly others.
Lactobacillus brevis has been identified as the species responsible
for the production of the polysaccharide matrix that forms the grains
and this is even tasty to kids .
Q. I need to know what
fruits you use to grow the water Kefir. My child has life-threatening
food allergies to even trace amounts of a wide number of fruits and
vegetables.
Do you use solely sugar and water, or do you also use other
ingredients?
I知 gearing up to buy some water kefir grains from your store. Before
I place my order, would you mind if I asked a few quick questions.
A. water Kefir
can be cultured using just sugar and water using different sugars
white golden or brown even molasses can give different tastes adding
fruit is just to add a bit of flavour most dried fruits can be used ,
the fruit commonly used are dried ready to eat prunes, raisins,
apricots, figs, apple , sliced lemon is great for lemonade, even
banana, you can flavour with cinnamon of ginger , even herbs e.g mint.
U can use any thing you want. If you want to make the drinks very
fizzy they must be brewed under pressure plastic pop bottles are
excellent or plastic screw top jars we advise against glass. Great
results have been had by buying superstore pure pressed grape juice
white or red mixing with 50% water adding the grains. When
experimenting we advise you use extra grains as they should double in
size / amount every week. So if you use something that harms the
crystals you will still have a viable culture. Due to the nature of
you child's allergies I do not recommend any of the above if you wish
to try these it is at your own discretion
Q.Hi Lisa Can I grow the the
Water Kefir crystals with Raw Organic Honey instead of organic sugar ?
I understand some people use Maple syrup.
A. Hi i don't recommend straying from our trusted and tried recipes
as I cannot be assured of the outcome due to far to many unseen
circumstances. But I have a lot of customers who use honey, molasses ,
syrup as a sweeter/sugar substitute. When deviating from the original
recipes they tend to use spare grains in case of any issues even
organic honey has slight antibiotic property's that may over time
damage a culture.
It is a fact that 99% of all sugars have the exact same properties and
will work the same.
Q. Do you send your water kefir
grains wet? Is it OK for me to drink the first batch of water kefir,
or do I need to wait a few batches to let the grains find their
balance? In your FAQs, you say that grains can be stored in the fridge
in their usual growing medium. I知 just wondering if the grains be
stored for a month in this way without being adversely affected?
A. yes as a standard our grains are sent wet unless requested dry they
are not in water but strained for posting. You can drink the first
batch but the reason we say to give them a few days is due to them
readjusting to different water or sugar and travelling. Our grains are
very active so you will have no problems.
They can be left in the fridge for a week or so. But for best results
just leave them on a paper plate somewhere warm to dry out, when you
come back they will be like little hard pieces of plastic they
can be left dry for a very long time. Just pop them back in to water
sugar they will spring back in to full swing in 24 hours.
Q.
Hi i bought some water Kefir grains from another internet seller over
sea's have been following the instructions i received and tried a few
recipes from the internet. they have stopped growing and lie dormant
on the bottom of the jar there is a skin covering the water Kefir it
is like a clear jelly is this a bad sign. Regards Toni
A. Hi
Toni i have had feedback of this type in the past once or twice and
had grains returned for verification .when you got your grains they
where most likely floating around in the jar making a fizzy sparkling
brew but as time has went on i guarantee you the activity in the jar
slowed down and the grains tend to sit on the bottom the brew will
stay sweet or start to dry and smell like vinegar and if
left for a few days it will start to skin over the grains and the
surface of the sugar water. At this point these are non viable grains
the culture has died. Even if the water Kefir is still bubbling this
will be down to a resilient yeast flora. This has happened because.
you lost interest! or where to busy and left them a few extra days
maybe? but onwards. You have left the water Kefir to long to warm and
it has pickled its self to death usually visual by white covering on
the grains and yeast sediment on the bottom of the jar. Remember as
the culture grows it will need changed more and you can be caught out
even in a day or two.
The water Kefir has a
varied diet it needs a combination or sugar, water, minerals,
and i find certain nutrients gained from the addition of fruit. your
culture has died or become weak due to ill health and the growth on
top is just another one other the micro organisms taking over the
water Kefirs dominance. if the grains are still viable try more
regular sugar water changes and rinse the grains under tepid tap water
every change in the hope this will blitz other organisms not living on
the grain. The ones that shelter on the grain will have a better
chance of out surviving there competitors. Some find the
addition of bicarbonate of soda an aid also fine ground eggshell these
do help to maintain a healthy culture But 98% of customers have no
problems at all .
Q. what do I do with the grains when on
holiday.
A. As with all bacterial and yeast based cultures they almost go
dormant in the cold "hence food staying fresh in the fridge" you can
put them in the refrigerator in there preferred
growth medium or you can freeze them the will store for months but
freezing is not a ideal long term solution you can rinse and air dry
your grain this is suited well to water grains as they will last for
years in this state. good news is they explode in to life within hours
of being put in sugary water and the go crazy as the poor wee
things must be hungry some say this upset the micro flora of the
culture so be prepared it will take a few days Mine just love a dry
spell they are bubbling away after 12 hours you can tell they
are my personal favourites even if they are fussy.
Q. Can my culture become dangerous of contaminated.
A. Be aware if any live culture ever goes bad or contaminated you
will know it is like a human auto response to spoiled or soiled food
you will be repelled and even repulsed by even the slightest smell
never mind a taste healthy food cultures don't always taste nice like
the shop bought stuff with the E numbers and the massive
sweeteners but they should never repulse you. You will know if it ever
happens even slightly you will notice it started to taste differently,
if in dought chuck it out and use a dryed back up .i have never came
accross a dangerous culture. in fact true story read this
Q.
I remember something similar to these from when i was a child is water
Kefir the proper name?
A. Water Kefir grains are sometimes called tibicos, tibi, or
Japanese water crystals, California honey bees, Ginger beer plant,
Sugary water Grains, and many more
Q. Why does my Water Kefir Crystals grows very slowly!
A. Water Kefir grains are very very temperamental. some folks
complain they grow way to quick and others Just wont. the grains you
are sent are good constant growing grains or we would have non to sell
we can guarantee they will make your water Kefir but we cannot
guarantee the will grow although we never get any complaints. I do not
know the reason for these variations i do know mine grow much faster
in the winter yet i employ expensive measures to recreate the
cold it makes no difference. I thought to much uv light so moved
to the dark no change i use only volvic bottled mineral water due to
the high mineral content and unrefined sugar organic sugar this
maintains growth trough the summer but it is nothing compared to
the winter. My Water Kefir doubles every 3 weeks. always avoid
chlorinated tap water
Kombucha FAQ
Q. I recently bought 2 kombucha cultures one for me and a
friend. I followed the start up instructions carefully, and my
culture after 5 days had developed a thin clear/ translucent
film that bubbled in places. I hope it was the right thing to do
but I lifted it off carefully, like a skin on the top of tea or
custard, it came off. Is this still ok for my kombucha? Or do I
have another fungi growing in with it and I need to start again?
Is this a natural part of the process?
A. The Skin on the surface is perfectly ok it might look
different to to the one you received with your purchase but this
is down to how long it has been allowed to mature undisturbed.
this would be clear for a week or so then turn white and get
thicker over time i have had these 6 cm thick and 3kg in weight
this is the new starter scoby.
Q. After
two weeks it was "brewing" for over three weeks. On opening the
box I found that a thick pancake had formed around the original
piece of Kombucha but it had a different appearance to the
original. Whereas the original was a lump of semi transparent
jelly like appearance, the new growth was in the form of a thick
flat white opaque crust covering the whole surface of the jar
surrounding the original piece but not attached to it
A. The new opaque piece on the surface is perfectly ok it
is not a fungus it looks different due to how long it has been
allowed to mature undisturbed. if it was forced in to the tea or
removed the tea would grow another on top this would be
clear for a week or so then turn white thick slab over time
this is the new starter scoby.
Q. Can i remove the pancake on top of the tea or is it
necessary
A. It is not necessary for the
Kombucha culture but helps keep
the co2 gas in making the Kombucha sparkling and protects the
Kombucha tea from contaminants .
Q. can the Kombucha be kept by freezing it or drying it in the
same way as the kefir grains and how long can it be kept in the
fridge?
A. Kombucha can be stored for very long periods of time bottled
once sour I have had customers who after a year have simply added
some old Kombucha tea to fresh tea to restart there culture .
Q. It would also be interesting to know if it is advisable to
eat the Kombucha growth when you have more than you can use to
produce the tea.
A. With regards to eating the scoby I cannot advise as I don't
know anyone who does this I have herd of it being given to dogs
and used for plant fertilizer even used as a water PH stabilizer
in Hydroponics growing systems.
Ginger Beer Plant/Culture FAQ
Q.Could
you tell me what is the difference between the ginger beer plant and
the crystals please? Thank you.
A.We sell two different ginger beer cultures these
do exactly the same with regards making ginger beer our ginger beer
culture is a yeast based culture it is made up of sediment yeast cells
and ginger powder when used correctly it is fed every day for a week
on sugar and ginger powder at the end of the week you have twice as
much as you started with and a starter for making ginger beer and
ginger bread ect easy to use and this Ginger beer plant culture is
easy to use and is usually found in classrooms ..
The second one we sell is water crystals that have been reared in a
brew containing ginger root and powder this is now called a real
ginger beer plant, it is a combination of yeast and pro biotic
bacteria / micro flora that live on a polysaccharide matrix ( the
crystals ). This will do the same as above but it has many more
medicinal property's similar to actimel type drinks. These can be used
to culture fruit juice and sugar water recipes making a huge array of
health drinks not just ginger beer. The ginger beer plant crystal type
will double every week or to depending on the conditions both will
last a lifetime if reared correctly
Yogurt
FAQ
Please Be Advised That
although our yogurt cultures are pure and isolated from other
cultures buy near laboratory sterility ! these measures are rarely
achievable in the home environment. if you have other cultures E.G
kefir or other yogurts these can cross contaminate especially
over time sometimes say making some taste better most do not.
This can Take months to happen depending on the initial
contamination amount. The stronger cultures will over run the weaker
and you original culture will be lost.
We always recommend
keeping the yogurt in sealed containers when not refrigerated.
Used separate utensils
to work with yogurts and Kefir.
If using different
yogurts it is sometimes easier to use them on individual days.
Q. what do I do with the Yogurt culture when on
holiday.
A. As with all bacterial and yeast based cultures they almost go
dormant in the cold "hence food staying fresh in the fridge" you can
put them in the refrigerator in there preferred
growth medium and the will be fine for 2 or 3 weeks if you want to
store them longer we dip cotton balls in to the yogurt and leave them
to air dry somewhere warm in this dry state they can be stored for
months.
Q. I wondered if we could put the culture in a warm airing cupboard
to help the culture to set. I ask because the cupboard does not have
any light and wondered if this would affect the process
A. The Heat in the airing cupboard will improve the colonisation time.
the culture is not affected by lighting conditions.
Q.
I have made my first batch in a 330m ml plastic container and am now
going to make a larger quantity. Can you please give me a suggested
quantity from the first batch to hold back as my main culture ie. 10%
or maybe 50%
A. Hi i recommend 20% as per the printed instructions you will have
received with your order you can ad more starter to speed the process
up adding 40 % starter to your next batch will double the growth rate.
Other FAQ
Q. How long after payment do you post?
A. I ship every Monday to Thursdays as i don't like
having the cultures in some sorting office all weekend. All orders Are
sent Asap Most suppliers only send once a week as they have to wait
till supply builds back up. If
you don't receive your order within 48hours contact me right away!
Q. Do i get instructions with my purchase.
A. Along with your
Culture You will receive full instruction.
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