FERMENTATION GUIDELINES

WHERE TO BUY

You need around 3 tbsp of water kefir grains to ferment a 1-litre brew. Water kefir grains are widely available online from amazon.co.uk or happykombucha.co.uk

FIRST FERMENTATION VESSEL

Use a 1.5-litre wide-mouth glass jar to ferment the water kefir. Metal is no good for water kefir (but you can use a metal strainer and utensils).

COVERING

Water kefir undergoes an aerobic fermentation process, so it likes oxygen in the first stage. Cover the fermentation vessel with a piece of muslin and secure it with an elastic band. During the secondary fermentation, the bottle needs to be tightly sealed with a lid to allow the carbonation to develop.

THE POSITION OF WATER

KEFIR GRAINS DURING

FERMENTATION

Water kefir grains will generally sit at the bottom of the fermentation jar. Some clusters of culture will bob up and down during the active fermentation stage, looking like a lava lamp in movement.

SECOND FERMENTATION

VESSEL

A sturdy 1-litre glass bottle with a narrow neck and a tight-fitting lid allows the carbonation in the second fermentation to develop, and creates a lovely refreshing, bubbly drink. You will also need a strainer and a funnel.

RE-USING OR RESTING

THE GRAINS

After bottling for the second ferment, you have two options for the water kefir grains. Either re-use the grains immediately in your next brew, or rest them in a one part sugar to four parts water solution, covered with a loosefitting lid or muslin, in the fridge. That way, they’ll keep for six weeks. It may take a couple of rounds of fermenting the grains in fresh sugar water to get the equilibrium back.

RINSING THE GRAINS

If the grains are looking stringy, have become smelly or seem otherwise uncharacteristic, briefly rinse them under filtered water. Otherwise, don’t rinse them – just put them straight into fresh sugar water for resting or re-culturing.