What Are Water Kefir Grains? Find Out What They’re Made Of and How to Use Them

What Is Water Kefir?

Water kefir is a probiotic drink made by fermenting sugary water with kefir grains. It has a tart and sour taste and is a great alternative to soda. Water kefir is a fermented drink made with water, sugar, and a starter culture and often flavored with fruit or citrus.

Water kefir is completely different from milk kefir. While they share the name kefir and the grains look similar, the resulting drink is very different in texture and flavor. Milk kefir is like a thin, effervescent yogurt made with milk that results in a tangy dairy product that is then flavored. Water kefir is effervescent but is closer to seltzer in texture and appearance than milk kefir.

Water kefir grains are “fed” with sugar and actually metabolize (consume) the sugar, making the final drink very low in sugar. It’s a great way to get a bubbly drink in your life without carbon dioxide or high fructose corn syrup. The sugar used in water kefir isn’t to sweeten the end product but is actually only to feed the bacteria. In fact, the more sugar you use, the more sour your final drink will be.

Water Kefir is Rich in Beneficial Bacteria

Water kefir is rich in beneficial bacteria and yeasts. The exact bacteria and yeasts found in your tibicos grains (another name for water kefir) vary from culture to culture.

The primary culture in water kefir grains is lactobacillus, although there can be more than 30 different additional cultures present in water kefir grains. Yeasts are also present and there can also be bifidobacteria and acetic acid bacteria. Each colony of water kefir cultures (a grain) can have different compositions of cultures, which is why no two batches of water kefir will be the same.

There are even cases of brand new cultures found in water kefir grains that have never been seen before.

Probiotics are a type of beneficial bacteria found in your gut that play an integral role in almost every aspect of health, from cancer prevention to immune function and beyond. People say your digestive system is your biggest source of immune health, so incorporating probiotics into your daily life is necessary. Drinking water kefir is a way to mix up your probiotics and also have a delicious, satisfying beverage.

Water Kefir is Naturally Dairy-Free and Vegan

Water kefir is a probiotic-rich beverage that is made using sugar water, fruit, citrus, and water kefir grains. There is no dairy involved so any drinks made with water kefir grains are naturally dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free.

Since water kefir is made using sugar water, it’s a good option for those who choose to avoid dairy, either due to health concerns, dietary restrictions, or personal reasons.

Particularly for those following a dairy-free or vegan diet, water kefir is perfect for bumping up probiotic consumption and boosting gut health and takes the place of dairy products like yogurt while still providing all of the gut health benefits.

Other types of fruit and vegetable ferments and wild drink ferments are great for anyone who is avoiding dairy or animal products. Check out these articles for more information on other types of fermentation.

What are Water kefir grains?

Water kefir grains are tiny organisms that are used to make water kefir, a probiotic beverage. Water kefir is a refreshing, healthy beverage that is easy to make at home.

Water kefir grains consist of bacteria and yeast existing in a symbiotic relationship. They bind together and build a colony, which is an individual grain. The water kefir grains are then used to make the beverage by feeding it with sugar water.

Water kefir grains contain no actual “grains” such as wheat, rye, etc. The grain is simply the term used to describe the shape of the water kefir colony, as opposed to a flat, disk-shaped kombucha SCOBY.

Tibicos is the traditional name for water kefir grains, and you can use the terms interchangeably. Water kefir grains are purported to have originated in Mexico where they supposedly appeared as crystals on the paddles of a cactus plant.

The grains themselves are made of polysaccharides created by the bacteria and yeast, which then consume the sucrose (table sugar) in the water.

Water kefir grains last indefinitely and will reproduce when in a friendly environment. Healthy grains are translucent, firm, and shiny. If your grains are mushy, turning brown, or disappearing, that is a sign that they need some help. Learn more about troubleshooting water kefir grains here.

What You Need to Make Water Kefir:

The supplies you will need are a clean glass jar, a lid, a flip-top bottle, a spoon, and a mesh strainer like these.

To make the water kefir, you’ll use water kefir grains (about 1/4 grains per 4 cups liquid, raw sugar or succanat, filtered water, a lemon, ginger, a pinch of baking soda, and a dried pitted date.

Water kefir should be made at room temperature. Using water that’s too hot will kill the grains and if it’s too cold, they will go dormant and not ferment properly.

I like to put a plastic lid on my mason jar when making water kefir rather use than a towel or coffee filter covering like you would with kombucha. The fermentation happens below the surface of the water, so there is no need to allow airflow into the jar and risk possible contamination.

For detailed instructions on making your first batch of water kefir, check out this article.

Where does the sugar go?

Kefir grains are an amazing symbiotic matrix of bacteria and yeast that work together to feed off the natural sugars present in the sugar-water and dried fruits.

The yeast and bacteria co-operate, making the nutrients that are inaccessible to one digested into accessible nutrients for the other.

Yeasts break down simple sugars like glucose and fructose, turning them into ethanol and acetic acid. Lactic and acid-producing bacteria (such as lactobacilli) convert sugars (such as sucrose) and complex carbohydrates (starches, etc) into simpler sugars and lactic acid. Lactic and acetic acids naturally preserve as well as stave off harmful foreign bacteria.

The result is a drink that has had much of the sugar converted to simpler sugars, lactic and acetic acids, carbon dioxide and ethanol. It also contains millions of probiotics and is more nutritious in some regards because of the more bio-available and digestible nutrients from the sugars and dried fruits including an increase in vitamin C and many B vitamins.

Water Kefir – Basic Recipe

The method I use for making water kefir is quick and easy. I ferment my water kefir for 48 hours which leaves a little more flexibility for timing because anytime on the second day I can filter and bottle my water kefir. Water kefir is a little more hands-on to make compared to something like kombucha because it doesn’t do as well when regularly refrigerated and only ferments for 24-48 hours per batch.

However, it is really easy to make and bottle so it’s a quick and easy way to get probiotic ferments in your diet.

Ingredients

• 4 cups of Filtered water
• 2 organic lemon slices. washed
• One inch of ginger, sliced
• 1/4 cup raw sugar or succanat
• A pinch of baking soda

Preparation

Add water and sugar to a clean quart jar, stir until dissolved.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the water kefir grains and stir.

Add the water kefir grains and put a lid on the jar.

Let the kefir sit at room temperature for 24-48 hours.

Strain the grains from the water kefir using a plastic strainer and set them aside to repeat the process.

Using a funnel, pour the water kefir into a flip-top bottle and add 1/4 cup of 100% fruit juice or 1-2 tsp of flavored syrup. Let this bottle sit at room temperature for 1-3 days, burping the jar regularly to prevent explosions. Once it’s fizzy to your liking, put it in the fridge and drink within 1-2 weeks.

How do you make water kefir grains from scratch?

Water kefir grains can’t be made from scratch. The best way to obtain water kefir grains is to get some from a local person who is already making water kefir or purchase some dehydrated water kefir grains online. Check out your local Facebook community groups or reach out to your friends, you may be surprised to find out you know someone who is already successfully making water kefir.

Can you eat kefir grains?

Kefir grains can be eaten whenever you have excess grains. You can blend them up in a smoothie, feed them to animals or livestock, or even use them for compost in your garden. Kefir grains are edible and while they don’t have a strong flavor on their own, they can provide some probiotics to whoever or whatever eats them.

Make sure you only eat them when you have grains in excess, otherwise you won’t be able to make any more water kefir. The balance of water kefir grains to sugar syrup is incredibly important for proper fermentation.

How many times can you reuse kefir grains?

Water kefir grains can be re-used indefinitely. They are self-sustaining living organisms so you don’t need to do anything to keep them happy except feed them regularly. You can buy your water kefir grains one time and then make water kefir for generations to come.

Are milk kefir grains the same as water kefir grains?

Water kefir is made with water kefir grains in a sugar and water solution. Milk kefir is made with milk kefir grains in dairy milk. Water kefir grains thrive in sucrose and fructose solutions, while milk kefir grains thrive in lactose solutions.

They are not interchangeable but some people have had success transitioning milk kefir grains into water kefir grains or vice versa. This is not a project that is going to be successful every time, so you should only do it if you have extra milk kefir grain that you don’t mind losing if it doesn’t work.

Milk kefir and water kefir grains have different origin stories and their composition are different, even though they look similar. That just goes to show that nature is amazing and the process that brings together the grains to ferment is universal.