Welcome back to our Video Q&A series! Today’s question comes from Chrissy:
“Can you tell me how to make thick kefir?” — Chrissy
You’ll see my answer in the video above or below in the print notes. There are two ways to get thicker kefir.
By the way, you can learn how to make kefir in my unlimited online classes or Cultured Dairy and Basic Cheese eBook. We make regular old kefir, plus go beyond with kefir cream, kefir ice cream and kefir cheese balls.
You can get dairy kefir starter cultures here.
Method #1: Let it ferment longer.
Like all cultured dairy, kefir gets thicker the longer it ferments. The beneficial organisms produce acids and these acids thicken or “curdle” the milk. So let it go longer! It will eventually turn into curds and whey — you probably don’t want to go that far.
I let my kefir ferment 2 to 3 days in the winter, and 18 to 24 hours in the summer. Warmer temperatures speed up the process.
Some people don’t care for this kefir, even though it is thicker. This is because in addition to thickening more, it also gets more sour (and more alcohol is produced).
That’s why method #2 is a good option, too!
Method #2: Drip it through cheesecloth.
Take your day-old or so, mild-tasting and thinner kefir and drip it through cheesecloth. Don’t use holey cheesecloth from the grocery store; use 2 layers of 90-count cheesecloth, or use a pillow-case weight cotton cloth.
Just a couple of hours of dripping will yield a thicker kefir. If you drip for a day, you’ll have kefir cheese. Choose a time frame that suits the consistency you want.
Do you know of other ways to get thicker kefir?
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About Wardeh
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I typically culture on my counter for a day or so then put the jar…grains and all…into the fridge for another day. I then will strain out my grains to start a new batch; the completed batch is usually the consistency of a slurpable milk shake.
Twitter: yolie62
says:
Could you please tell me what your grains/milk ratio is? I get thick kefir by just covering the grains with the milk.
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Yolanda — About 1 tablespoon grains per quart of milk. You can do a little less or a little more. I have gone a few months experimenting with more grains and the kefir developed an overgrowth of yeast plus it chronically separated early into curds and whey. But another thing I have learned is that grains act differently among themselves and also in different milk. So ultimately, we have to play with it to get it right for us. I hope this helps!
Hi Wardeh, How do you know if you have a yeast overgrowth?
Twitter: believeinbutter
says:
I use step one to get thicker kefir, and I strain it through a thin strainer I got with my grains from Cultures for Health. But since I work standard work hours, I can only really strain in the evening. If it’s too thin one night, I will just leave it until the next night.
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Wow – what timing. I was just looking for advice regarding this yesterday. It seems like mine is separating before it thickens. I tried with less milk yesterday and after stirring the curds and whey together it was practically as runny as milk. Trying with more milk today. When I checked this morning there were grains suspended in thickness on top but it wasn’t thick all through so I stirred it up. I use an “electric blanket” that keeps it at? about 72F. Maybe I should try w/o heat source. I was just hoping to have a batch every 24 hrs.
So, you don’t stir or agitate yours during fermentation, do you. (I? didn’t used to with grains I had before. I have new grains and am struggling to get the taste and texture I was accustomed to.)
Anyway, thank you for this post!
Coreen — I don’t typically agitate mine during fermentation, BUT it is sometimes helpful if you’re experiencing what you’re experiencing (thick at top and runny at bottom). I think you should keep the heat source — unless you want to slow it down more.
I have some kefir going right now with a grain I split off another. I think it is not happy being split because it is doing what you’re saying — thick kefir at the top and runny at the bottom. Yesterday I gave my kefir a stir and another day. I am not used to this behavior!
Wardeh, I’m curious how your split-off is doing. I have not had a single batch where it just gets a nice flat firm top to signal that it’s done. It always separates before getting firm and gets chunky and does other weird things. I tried soaking it in yogurt (read it somewhere) for 12 hrs before adding milk and fermenting for 24 hrs for 3 batches. It just made the subsequent 2 batches super carbonated – had “cheese” exploding out the top with tons of whey on the bottom. I tried adjusting the ratio. I tried rinsing the grains. And the grains are getting smaller and smaller. (>_<) The taste is fine – no "offness". I would love to hear your thoughts… if you have any – especially if you managed to get yours to behave properly.
I like to ferment mine for half of the time, remove the grains, and ferment it for the other half. In the summer, it’s about 24 hours with the grains and 24 hours without. It makes a thicker kefir, but I don’t have to struggle to separate the grains from the kefir.
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I do the same. One day on the counter then the whole thing , grains and all in the fridge. This way it thickens but doesn’t get too sour.
I keep my kefir in the fridge since I am the only one drinking it and I just can’t drink that much milk/kefir every day! Will the kefir grains remain viable over time in the fridge? Obviously it slows the fermentation down a LOT. I’ve keep it in the fridge for weeks upon weeks and it never gets thick but I believe it IS fermenting because I can smell it, but it is also as consistent as plain milk, no thickening at all.
BUT if I remove the jar and put it on the counter, within 12-24 hours it goes to curds n whey! I suppose if I set some of it out I’d have to drink it within about 4-8 hours to be able to consume it before it goes to curds n whey, right?
Anyway, LOVE YOUR VIDS! Isn’t it about time for another webinar? =)
Marci — As long as the grains have milk sugar to consume, they’ll stay alive in the fridge.
If it is separating that fast at room temperature, yes, you’d want to stop it early — but you don’t have to drink it on the spot. Just remove the grains and put the kefir in the fridge.
We’re having a webinar next Friday (the 3rd of Feb). http://gnowfglins.com/current-webinar
The solution to thicker kefir for me has been to use LESS grains. It sounds backwards but it really works. Try using less grains and see if it works for you. If I use too many grains the kefir doesn’t thicken up well.
To get thick kefir that isn’t overly sour, I put a teaspoon of grains in 1/2 cup milk. I let this culture for 24 hours. Then I take the grains out and add 1 cup fresh milk. I let this sit until it thickens (usually 12 – 24 hours).
Thanks for sharing with us these easy to learn video clips, Its all clear. Thanks a lot.
Twitter: thevintagewife
says:
I find the more grains I use with a smaller amount of milk, the thicker it gets.
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I’ve been getting *very* thick kefir lately by using half cream and half whole milk. And by the way, it tastes divine.
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Twitter: tasteistrump
says:
If you have the resources to try out different types of milk, some make thicker kefir than others. The thickest I have found is nigerian goats milk. I would guess this is due to higher fat content.
what does kefir taste like? plain yogurt?