Great photos! I am home today (snow) and experimenting with keeping my fermenting kefir at a bit warmer temperature (currently perched on a warm radiator). We'll see if it thickens. As for my other problems with it, I think I was waiting too long to strain it (48 hours, by which time it was all curds and whey). Today I'm going to strain it at the "sweet spot" when it is at the very beginning of separation and see what it is like.

Here are a few photos of mine "in process." I strained it just as it was beginning to form curds and whey--@36 hours. Still not thick, sadly, but yeasty smelling and good tasting. I'll have to keep trying to figure out the secret to thickening.

Here's the 36 hour brew. As you will see, "cottage cheese" like grains are on top, but all very small and undifferentiated:

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Here's the strained kefir: about as thin as the original 2% milk:

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Here's what is left in the strainer after straining:

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Here's the cottage cheese/grains back in the glass jar awaiting fresh milk:

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Use cool temps not the radiator if you want a thicker creamier product. You want 64-68 degrees. That is your problem now is the warmth. Also when it is at the sweet spot of thickness as far as it sets up and looks like yogurt should not have started to separate..immediately put it in the fridge...do not strain or touch it. Leave in fridge for at least 24 hrs. Don't strain etc ever....all you do is remove 2 tsp of the soft stuff...don't need to strain and put it in a jar and add COLD milk and set at cool temp. It really should set up in 12 hrs...the longer you leave it the more chance you run for separation...there goes the thickness you want. Let me know how this works.

Once again I will say there is no reason ever to strain your kefir unless you specifically want to use the remains as cheese and let them drain till they are dry. c

Thanks trainrunner. Yours is not the advice I've read elsewhere on kefir making, but I am willing to try your method.
Note that during the last three weeks my kefir fermenting has been under cool temps. It is winter in MN, and my kitchen typically is set at 63 during the day (when I'm at work) and 55 at night. Same thin mixture occurred. So that's why I tried a bit of radiator heat this time. No difference.

hm..a puzzle ...I love a mystery !! I have a friend whose curds sink and the whey is on top LOL...she is furious with it !! Don't know why and she is ready to toss it even though it tastes great..sigh. Who knows. All I know is mine was never thick and lovely till I stopped straining and started refrigerating as soon as it set up. Once it is cold it really is lovely and also you are leaving all the solids...you need them in there to add heft to the stuff..only need 2 tsp of it to get more going. Also the more you use it the better it gets..since I am making a batch every 12 hrs they are the most happy. Good Luck and post back . c

Interesting.... The grains you describe and show in your picture are nothing like the ones I use. Mine are a rubbery blob anywhere from the size of a pea to a quarter (which is when I divide them). They look like those in the Wikipedia picture linked below and I use about 1/2-1/3-cup of grains to ferment 2-1/2 to 3-cups of milk. I rest them in 1-cup of milk between use.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Kefir - Wikipedia

Yep that is exactly how mine looked and then...they didn't. As my DH who is a chemist said the "yogurt" bacteria is stronger than the" kefir" one. I was bummed at first but now I am so glad. It gives me all the benefits of a cultured milk product and none of the hassle of making yogurt. It "turns " so fast into a lovely finished product. It tastes great. If I want it to be separated I just leave it longer.

As far as resting I stopped straining it as I wanted it thick and I decided to just see what would happen if I stopped...so there you have it. I like my version way better than the original as I didn't care for trying to eat the grains. This way it is a tiny soft grain mixed with the curd. Much easier to digest also...we had a LOT of gas with the original product. Who knows when the weather gets warm again I may have my "old " stuff back :)

Thank you for chiming in GL. c

trailrunner,

Kefir contains more L [+] or right-turning lactic acid than D [-] or left-turning lactic acid, which makes it better for us and more easily digested than yogurt. Kefir doesn't require a new starter periodically like yogurt cultures do. I've been using my grains for at least 11-years. I made yogurt for decades before finding kefir grains, and now I only make yogurt 2 or 3 times a year.

I also like kefir because I don't need any special equipment - just a quart jar and a lid (plastic). I also keep the jar lid on tight so I get the fizzy kefir from the alcohol, and that's why it's called the "champagne" of cultured dairy products.

Have you tried culturing coconut milk?

-Grainlady

Good Morning ! I know the kefir is much better for one. That is why am so glad to have a happy culture. My experiment from yesterday REALLY payed off.

I added fresh cold milk to 1c of whey. It turned to a nice thick layer of curds/soft grains on top by this AM...so 24 hrs in a cool place. The 2tsp of culture added to a pint of cold milk did as usual and became a jar of soft yogurt consistency uniform product. I took the curds from the whey in jar 1 and took all but 2 tsp of jar two and added 8 strawberries and some honey. Whirred it up. It was fizzy in the back of the throat...like the best kefir and thick like a frosty !! Amazing. I have not tried culturing coconut milk. Or water for that matter. Will definitely explore using this in other liquids. I do know that the grains must be stored in reg. milk so won't forget to do that :)

BTW I have been using it in my sourdough wild yeast baking with fantastic results. Rich crumb like a challah w/o out all the fat and eggs. A real treat.

I sure do enjoy the sharing of info here. c

Wow! Nice photos you got there! Thank you for the tips. Now I wanna try it too.

Jamie...follow up and let us know how it goes. I did get a lovely return each day so far by just adding fresh milk to the clear whey that contains a few crumbles of kefir. It makes a nice big clump of grains on the top each day. So it seems to be impossible to mess this up :) I am so glad ! c