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Rehydrating Water Kefir Grains: A ‘How To’ Guide for Australian Fermenters
Apr
Water kefir, a delightfully fizzy and probiotic-rich beverage has captured the attention of health-conscious individuals across the globe. In Australia, with our warm climate and emphasis on natural living, water kefir has become an increasingly popular choice for those seeking a refreshing and gut-friendly alternative to sugary drinks. Embarking on your water kefir journey often begins with sourcing the crucial ingredient: water kefir grains. While live, active grains are often considered the gold standard, sometimes rehydrating water kefir grains are an appropriate option demending on your individual circumstances.
This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to successfully rehydrate water kefir grains, ensuring you get the best possible start in creating your own batch of delicious and beneficial water kefir.
Live Cultures vs. Dehydrated Cultures: Understanding the Difference
Before delving into the rehydration process, it’s important to understand the advantages of using live, active water kefir grains versus dehydrated ones. Here at KefirCulture, we recommend purchasing live cultures whenever possible, and here’s why:
Why Consider Fresh Water Kefir Grains?
- Immediate Activity: Live, fully activated water kefir grains are ready to ferment as soon as they arrive. This means you can start making water kefir almost immediately, enjoying the fruits (and fizz!) of your labour without delay.
- Growth and Multiplication: Because live grains are already in an active state, they typically begin to grow and multiply with each fermentation cycle. This allows you to progressively increase the volume of water kefir you can produce per batch, making them a more sustainable and cost-effective option in the long run.
- Established Probiotic Diversity: A well-maintained, live water kefir culture should boast a diverse range of beneficial bacteria and yeast strains. This diversity contributes to the probiotic benefits of the water kefir, supporting gut health and overall well-being. Furthermore, live grains, when properly cared for, produce additional nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and beneficial lactic acids.
- Optimal Fermentation: Live cultures are already accustomed to the fermentation process. They readily convert sugars into beneficial acids and carbon dioxide, resulting in a consistent and flavourful water kefir.
Why Consider Dehydrated Grains?
Despite the advantages of live cultures, there are valid reasons to opt for dehydrated water kefir grains:
- Availability: In some rural areas, especially remote areas of Australia, obtaining live grains that arrive in a timely manner can be difficult and would require express delivery which adds and additional expensive. Dehydrated grains offer a more accessible alternative if you are living very remote and delivery is likely to take more the 7 days. Dehydrated water kefir grains are also recommended if you are planning to go overseas for an extended period and are planning to make water kefir at your destination. Dried cultures are generally permitted to be brought into most countries. If you are not sure, we recommended you contact quarantine of that country to ensure you are abiding by their regulations. And they are ideal if you are already fermenting a live water kefir culture and want to refresh it will some new grains.
- Storage: Dehydrated grains have a shelf life of around 6-12 months from when they were dehydrated making them a convenient option for those who don’t plan to start making water kefir immediately but what to have the culture at hand.
Regardless of your reason for choosing dehydrated grains, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and steps needed to successfully rehydrate them. A good supplier should always provide a ‘best before’ date on their packaging and grains should be stored in a sealed, airtight pouch to keep grains as fresh as possible.
Preparation for Rehydrating Water Kefir Grains: Gathering Your Supplies
Before you begin, gather the following supplies:
Dehydrated Water Kefir Grains: Purchase from a reputable supplier who guarantee their product. Our grains are dehydrated freshly, as close as possible to the sales date. At KefirCulture we only produce small batches to ensure that what you receive from us is as fresh and viable as possible. We recommend rehydrating our grains within 6 months of purchase to ensure you get the best possible result. You will also find that our grains when dehydrated look different to most other suppliers stock. That’s because we ensure our grains are fed various sugars so when they are dehydrated they already have a store of nutrients available at rehydration. This supports the bacteria and yeasts that lay dormant and are ready to be brought back to life.
Water: Avoid using tap water directly, as the chlorine and other chemicals can harm the grains. Use room temperature tap water only after it has been boiled for at least 10-15 minutes. However, if you have filtered water available, we recommend you that to make you water kefir. Australia offers a wide range of filtration options to suit almost any budget making filtered water a very affordable healthy option for most households.
Sugars: Organic raw sugar and unprocessed sugars such as cane sugar, muscovado and coconut sugar are good choices when used in the correct proportions. We all know the saying – “Your are what you eat.”, well this also holds true for these little probiotic creators. When they are living their best lives being fed a nutritionally balanced diet of sugars, minerals in quality water, they will deliver the highest probiotic diversity and maximum bio-available nutrients to the consumer. So, what you feed your grains matters.
KefirCulture’s Sugars+ Formula: Providing grains with the best possible nutrients whilst taking the measuring of ingredients as simple as possible lead us to develop our unique concentrated KefirCulture Fermentation Starter/Booster Sugars+ Formula includes a highly diverse selection of sugars and 72+ trace minerals providing key nutrients to give grains the best possible start at the reactivation process and ongoing fermentations. Our Sugars+ Formula is a concentrate. You only need a small amount to provide grains will a complete feed to perform their fermentation optimally.
Clean Glass Jar: Choose a clean glass jar that is 1.5 – 2 times larger than the volume of water it requires. (eg. If you are making 1 litre of kefir water the jar sound be 1.5 to 2 litres in size. A wide-mouth jar is ideal for easy access and good airflow.
Breathable Cover: Use a clean, lint-free cloth that has a tight weave. This will allow air to circulate while preventing fruit flies and other contaminants from entering.
Rubber Band or Jar Ring: To secure the cover to the jar.
Plastic Strainer: A plastic strainer is gentler on the grains however stainless steel will also be fine. Avoid any other metal strainers made from aluminium, copper etc as these can react with the grains and have adverse affects on their health and ability to ferment long term.
The Rehydration Process: A Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these steps carefully to rehydrate your water kefir grains successfully:
Step 1. Rehydration (PHASE 1)
Initial Rinse: Gently rinse the dehydrated water kefir grains with cool filtered water. This removes any dust, debris, or residual packaging material. Use a fine strainer so you don’t loose any grains in this process.
First soak: If you purchased KefirCulture grains, they come with a built in store of sugars and nutrients which are found in the grain structure. The moisture from this initial soak will reconstitute and rehydrate the grains to become plump. So, immediately after rinsing your dehydrated grains, place them in a clean glass jar that is filled with either filtered or pre-boiled cooled water. (1 tablespoon dehydrated grains requires approximately 220-250ml of water).
Watch them grow: They will visibly grow (increase in volume) in a short time. You can literally watch them as they expand. The reason that we do not use sugar water immediately is because of the nutrient store already available to them. Adding sugar is not beneficial at this stage. It would hinder water absorption and potentially over-feed then. We all know that when someone has fasted for an extended period are then reintroduced to foods very slowly so as to not overload the digestive system. A similar rule applies here. Too much of a good thing can have a negative impact.
Soaking Time: We recommend you allow grains 6-8 hours to fully rehydrate. Mark the side of your glass jar at the hight they have reached after 6 hours. Check it again after 8 hours and if the grains have not increased they should be fully rehydrated. If it has continued to expand mark the jar again at the new level and check it again in another 2 hours. Once the grains have fully expanded they are ready to be strained through a fine strainer and then weighed (if you have kitchen scales available). Alternatively, you can use measuring cups to give you a good idea of the quantity of grains you have to calculate the amount of sugars and water you will need for your first fermentation.
Eg. 1 tablespoon of rehydrated grains weighs around 15g; 1/4 cup of grains will be around 4 tablespoons (60g.)
Step 2. Reactivation (PHASE 2)
Prepare the Sugar Water: In the clean glass jar, combine filtered water and your sugars. (If you purchase your grains us, we include a complimentary pack of ‘ready to use’ premixed KefirCulture Fermentation Starter/Booster Sugars+ Formula and raw sugar for your first fermentation.)
We also provide you with full downloadable PDF instructions on our website and an Ingredients‘ Metrics Chart’ of the types of sugars and proportions of ingredients required for your ongoing fermentations as your grains grow, if you are not using our Booster Sugars+ Formula.
Your ingredient ratios: Please note: Download or view our ‘Ingredient Metrics Chart’ (link is provided with your order). The Metrics Chart makes this calculation easy for you, especially as the grains grow, all the ingredients will need to be adjusted proportionately.
- If you are using our KefirCulture Fermentation Starter/Booster Sugars+ Formula, we include a mix ratio chart with each pack to make this super easy. All you need to do is make a premix that consists of our booster sugars with the addition of raw sugar to make the final fermentation sugar mix. (So, no need to measure 4 ingredients for each fermentation.)
Fermentation ratios: 30g of rehydrated grains per 500ml of water requires a maximum of 15g of sugar mix.
Standard recipe: (As per our Ingredient Metrics Chart) – The sugar mix consists of raw sugar, molasses and bicarbonate soda.
If available, we also recommend a slice of organic lemon. (If you can’t get organic lemons, make sure that you clean the skin of the lemon with bicarbonate soda to remove any pesticides or chemicals before adding it to the brew).
Stir the sugar mix into the water until the sugar is completely dissolved. This ensures the grains have access to the necessary food source immediately.
If you have purchased your grains from us, your starter sugars ’Sample Pack’ will be enclosed to use for this first fermentation.
Step 3. Introduce the Grains
Carefully place the rinsed, rehydrated water kefir grains into the sugar water. Ensure the grains are fully submerged.
Step 4. Cover and Wait
Cover the jar with a breathable cloth, coffee filter, or paper towel, securing it with a rubber band or jar ring. This allows air to circulate while keeping out unwanted pests and contaminants
Our order include a cloth and reusable fastener for your convenience.
Place the jar in a room-temperature location (not your fridge), away from direct sunlight. Avoid placing it near sources of heat, such as ovens or radiators. The ideal temperature range is between 20-25°C (68-77°F). Considering Australia’s diverse climate, you may need to adjust the location based on the season.
Allow the grains to ferment in the sugar water for 24-48 hours. Give the jar a tap and see if you can see any small bubbles rise from the grains. (If you see bubbles, it’s a sign that grains are starting to reactivate, but it may take a few rounds of first fermentations for the grains to wake up fully.)
Step 5. Strain and Rinse Again
Repeat the first fermentation process until the grains have fully reactivated.
Step 6. Repeat the Process
Repeat Steps 2-5 for several days (typically 3-10 days) or until the grains begin to show signs of activity.
These signs include:
- Slightly Cloudy Water: The sugar water may become slightly cloudy after 24-48 hours, indicating fermentation is taking place.
- Tiny Bubbles: You may notice small bubbles forming at the bottom of the jar or on the surface of the grains.
- Slightly Tart Smell: The sugar water may develop a slightly tart or fermented smell.
How to Know When Your Grains are Fully Activated?
- Taste the brew when you add the grains to the sugar water for the next 24-48 hour fermentation. It should taste slightly sweet.
- After 24 hours move the jar. You should observe bubbles rising from the grains. The water may be less translucent and some grains may be floating to the top of the brew.
- Taste the water after 24 hours. It should be less sugary and take on a slight fruity flavour.
- If you feel the flavour is pleasant and you are happy with the taste, you need to decanter the brew by passing it through a sieve.
- You can either bottle it to allow for additional carbonation thereby creating a fizzy drink. Alternatively, you can consume it at this point and store any unconsumed kefir water in a glass jar in the fridge or at room temperature.
- Make sure it is covered with a loosely with a lid – IT WILL CONTINUE TO FERMENT and further consume any sugars that remain in the brew. The water kefir will continue to get more tart, also increasing the probiotic and beneficial yeast content.
- If it is still too sweet and does not have a fruity smell, ferment it for an additional 24 hours.
- Again, check for bubbles. More bubbles means the grains are still consuming the remaining sugars. If there are less bubbles than the previous 24 hours, it means that the grains have consumed most, if not all, the sugars – it should taste more tart.
Step 7. Making Water Kefir (after full reactivation)
At this point it’s time to start a new fermentation and refeed the grains.
I also recommend you weigh the strained grains once you think they are fully reactivated. This is recommended to ensure your ‘grains to sugars to water’ ratio is still correct. (Check our Ingredient Metrics Chart, and make the required adjustments, if any.)
When the grains are fully active they will start to grow in volume. How much they grow depends on the time of year, the temperature how often and well they are fed, and how often the brew is refreshed.
If your brew seems to take less time for each first fermentation, it may mean that the grains are growing and consuming the sugars in less time because there is too little food for the number of grains.
You should recheck your ‘grain to sugar to water’ ratio and adjust the brew to meet their feeding requirements. This will ensure they are not staving, otherwise they could potentially over-ferment the brew. (Grains get stressed if the brew becomes too acidic i.e over-fermented).
As grains grow over time, you may end up with too many grains. You can start another batch, or consume them by adding them to a smoothie, feeding them to your pets (dog, cat, chicken etc) or composting them.
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Please Note: For additional hints on how to store grains if you are away for an extended period of time and other troubleshooting hints, please download out PDF instructions. (You will receive a download link with your order.)
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Troubleshooting Common Issues
No Activity After Several Days: If you see no signs of activity after several days, don’t despair. Continue the rehydration process for a few more days, ensuring the grains are kept at the correct temperature. Sometimes, it takes time for the grains to fully revive. You can also try adding a pinch of unrefined sea salt to the sugar water, as this can help stimulate activity.
Slimy Grains: If the grains become slimy, it may indicate that they are not being properly fed (overfed) or that the environment is too warm. Try reducing the amount of sugars used and ensuring the jar is kept in a cooler location.
Mold Growth: Water and milk kefir cultures are some of the safest cultures as they have anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties and are known to kill pathogens. If you did however experience any kind of mold appearing, it is unlikely that it is due to the culture itself and most likely due to contaminated equipment and general hygiene. We recommend that you use a new jar (preferably one that has been newly purchased). If you are repurposing a jar, ensure that it has been sterilised by boiling it for 15-20 minutes and then allow it to air dry before use. It is also best practice to allocate new utensils and cleaning equipment to a specific culture to prevent any cross contamination between cultures, which can effect fermentation and results.
Accessories and Equipment
Tips for Success in the Australian Climate
Australia’s diverse climate presents unique challenges for water kefir fermentation. Here are some tips for success:
Adjust Fermentation Time Based on Temperature: During the warmer months, fermentation will happen much faster. Check the water kefir more frequently and reduce the fermentation time accordingly.
Maintain a Consistent Temperature: Avoid placing the grains in direct sunlight (the ultraviolet light it will potentially kill them) or near sources of heat. During colder months, you could use a heat mat (but it is not really necessary). Lower temperatures simply mean that fermentation times will be extended and it may take an extra 24-48 beyond the normal time.
Use High-Quality Sugar: You have the option to purchase our KefirCulture Fermentation Starter/Booster Sugars+ Formula which provides your grains with a diverse, nutrient dense, mineral rich sugar concentrate to allow your grains to perform at their optimum and provide you with the most diverse and nutrient-dense kefir water to enhance your microbiome and gut flora.
- Alternatively, we recommend you follow our ingredient metrics chart to ingredients and ratios to provide the nutrients to keep grains healthy.
Be Patient: Rehydrating dehydrated water kefir grains takes time and patience. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Keep following the steps and the grains will eventually revive. If you get stuck and are not sure what to do or encountered a challenge and need some advice, we are here to help. You can contact us via our contacts page on the website and if you provide a phone number and a best time to get in touch, we are happy to give you a call, as it is often more productive and easier to troubleshoot a problem directly.
Conclusion
Rehydrating water kefir grains can be a rewarding experience, especially for those in Australia seeking a readily available and storable option. While live cultures offer immediate benefits, successfully reviving dehydrated grains allows you to embark on your water kefir journey with a resilient and eventually thriving culture. By carefully following these steps, providing the grains with the right environment and nutrients, and adapting to the Australian climate, you can unlock the potential of these tiny powerhouses and enjoy the many benefits of homemade water kefir. Embrace the process, experiment with different flavours, and relish the satisfaction of creating your own probiotic-rich beverage from scratch.
