10 April 2016

[Durgan]

http://durgan.org/2016/April%202016/10%20April%20Kefir/HTML/ 10 April Kefir
A jar of kefir was made yesterday using some organic store kefir for a starter and three hours into the fermentation a package of commercial starter was added. Fermentation was 24 hours and the final product was excellent.

Today two batches were prepared for fermentation. The preparation used 3.5% homogenized milk. A coffee filter was placed on the jars for some breathing. The jars were placed on a heating pad which I use for starting vegetable seeds. The starter used was two spoonsful of the previous batch in one case, and two tablespoons of the organic store kefir in the other case.

I could not readily obtain kefir grains so this is as bit of a compromise until I can get a good source of grains which will become my permanent seed.

The finished product will be used daily on my breakfast cereal.

 

[granjera]

Am I the only one who had to Google "kefir"?

 

[Durgan]

Am I the only one who had to Google "kefir"?

Kefir is touted to be the ideal probiotic food. Easy to make and it has no downside. It is similar to yogurt. Meaning it is a fermented type of food. I must admit I didn't know what it was until about two years ago. Now I want to produce about a pint every day.

 

[darkrebelchild]

I also googled what Kefir was but I knew the substance in the jar was fermented, it was obvious.

@Durgan you must be very creative to go through all that process. But can you please share the health or nutritional benefits of Kefir?

 

[Durgan]

In a nut shell it is based on our gut bacteria. Without a certain amount of bacteria we get very ill. These fermented foods encourage the flowering of beneficial bacteria. There are several concentrated sources, lacto fermented foods, kefir, yogurt, and probably many other of which I know little.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/27/probiotics-gut-health-impact.aspx
The Importance of Fermented Foods and Probiotics
Maintaining optimal gut flora, and 'reseeding' your gut with fermented foods and probiotics when you're taking an antibiotic, may be one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health. If you aren't eating fermented foods, you most likely need to supplement with a probiotic on a regular basis, especially if you're eating a lot of processed foods.

 

[Durgan]

Still at the experimental stage trying to produce routinely with minimum effort.
http://durgan.org/2016/April 2016/13 April 2016 Kefir/HTML/index.htm 13 April 2016 Kefir
Here is my effort 12/13 April. I have ordered Kefir grains. Am presently using seed from a commercial bottle of kefir and some starter. Seed is not readily available but I found an internet supplier. From this batch I drank the whey and ate the solids for breakfast along with cereal. A portion of the batch was used for seed for the new batch which will be ready in about 24 hours.

 

[Durgan]

http://durgan.org/2016/April%202016/13%20April%20Kefir%208%20Hours/HTML/ 13 April Kefir 8 Hours

This batch was prepared for fermentation at 0800 this morning and at 1400 hours, a total of eight hours it has fermented where the liquid whey is separating for the solids. Amazing speed.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

I had a hot dog earlier in the week:

http://www.visitkankakeecounty.com/member_photos/Boz.jpg

 

[Beth_B]

Kefir is yummy and good for you...a friend of mine got into making her own for a dog that had chronic intestinal issues. It helped, she thought.

From my understanding basic gut biome is pretty much determined at birth and dietary attempts to change it don't have much real effect. That said I had another friend who lived in France and there, every time someone is prescribed antibiotics, probiotics are also prescribed. Makes sense.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

http://nebula.wsimg.com/3ed0e7cbdb8...131947D21A15841A1&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

 

[Durgan]

Hotdogs= lips, nose and AH's. That's the good parts.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

Durgan,

I’d have to say the lips would be the best part.

Normally I'd make some schnitzel but sometimes you have to grab what you can when you are out and about.

Don't worry I'd make the homemade fermented sauerkraut too

 

[Durgan]

http://durgan.org/2016/April%202016/14%20April%20Kefir%20Whey/HTML/index.htm
This batch of kefir was made using about half the whey from the previous batch. This indicates that there are plenty of bacteria in the whey. Milk was added and mixed by shaking, and the jar placed placed on the heating pad around 25C and the time to separate as shown about 18 hours.

 

[Durgan]

Kefir is yummy and good for you...a friend of mine got into making her own for a dog that had chronic intestinal issues. It helped, she thought.

From my understanding basic gut biome is pretty much determined at birth and dietary attempts to change it don't have much real effect. That said I had another friend who lived in France and there, every time someone is prescribed antibiotics, probiotics are also prescribed. Makes sense.

There are people who have most of their intestine track removed due to ulcering and this is caused by lack of good gut bacteria. Now there are attempts to cure by doing fecal transplants which is effective in 95 or more percent of cases.

The question that intrigues me is how much ingested good bacteria gets through the acid in the stomach. If ingesting and it gets through there would be no requirement for fecal transplants.

There is some effort to think some gets through, since it is well known that antibiotics destroy gut bacteria and medicine encompassing good bacteria is prescribed.

 

[Durgan]

http://durgan.org/2016/April%202016/15%20April%20Kefir%20From%20Grains/HTML/ 15 April 2016 Kefir From Grains
A tablespoon of kefir grains was purchased for $5.00 from a seller off KIJIJI in Kitchener. Apparently these grains are older than God, and will be used for my future seed to make kefir. Milk was added and they were fermented at 25 C for about 20 hours when separation of whey began. The whey was siphoned off and the solid material (kefir) strained to make a drink. The whey was drank. The grains were removed and used to start another batch. Pictures depict the simple process.