How to make milk kefir

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A jug of kefir against a blue background; in the foreground are some kefir grains on a slate.

4.79 from 19 votes

Looking for a delicious and healthy drink? Make milk kefir! This versatile probiotic powerhouse is easy to make and bursting with flavour.

Servings:

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time2

Fermentation1

Total Time2

Ingredients

50 g kefir grains - you can use up to 100g
1 lt milk - we get best results from full fat milk

Metric - USA Cups

Instructions

Add kefir grains to the milk, in a large bowl. Cover loosely and leave on a kitchen countertop.
After about 24 hours (or longer, if weather is cool. say under 20C), when the kefir has thickened, it's ready. Sieve out grains from fermented kefir. Push the kefir through the sieve with a spatula. Scrape kefir from the outside of the sieve - don't let any go to waste!
Transfer the kefir to a jug for storage in the fridge, or use immediately. Leave about 2.5cm/1" at the top of the jug for the kefir to expand.
Drink or use kefir right away, or it will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Or add flavourings for a secondary fermentation.
Add grains to fresh milk to start the next batch of kefir, or store just covered in milk in the fridge.

Notes

Makes one litre, but it's easy to make more or less: just adjust the amount of milk you use, and then use kefir grains that weigh a total of 5 and 10% of the weight of milk.
Once made, kefir will get thicker and more sour as it keeps in the fridge.
Separation is natural: just stir before using.
Timings for the fermentation will vary according to room temperature and how much kefir grain you use. It will take about 24 hours at temp of around 20°C/70°F.
Nutrition information is per 100ml of kefir made with full-fat dairy milk.
If you're not making kefir for a while, store the grains in the fridge covered in milk. The milk will become thick and jelly-like. To make a fresh batch of kefir, rinse the grains under running water and add to fresh milk as normal. This batch may take a little longer than before, but after a few batches, the grains will be behaving as normal.
Kefir and kefir grains have as slightly sour but fresh smell. If either smells funky, discard grains and kefir, and start from scratch with new grains.
If you want to make it paleo, you can use coconut milk. But keep the kefir healthy by making milk kefir once per three times you use coconut milk.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.