Water kefir is a mostly homemade probiotic drink. However, water kefir is also used to describe the cultures that are needed to be able to produce the drink in the first place. These look like a cluster of small jelly beads. The globules consist of yeast fungi and lactic acid bacteria.
Water kefir – Homemade panacea
The term water kefir is said to come from the Turkish word “keif” which means well-being – a clear indication of the health effects that kefir is said to have. There is almost no health problem that kefir cannot remedy if you believe what kefir fans say.
Water kefir and its origin
While many people already know milk kefir, water kefir is still relatively unknown to many. The exact origin of water kefir is similarly unknown. It is believed that water kefir has been drunk for thousands of years. Mexico is traded as a possible country of origin. According to reports, water kefir was first mentioned in 1899. The crystals had been discovered on Mexican-eared cacti (Opuntia), which apparently fed on the sugary secretions of the cacti.
But there are also stories that point to Tibet, the Caucasus, or southern Ukraine as the country of origin. Wherever the water kefir originally comes from, it has been used in all these countries for many years.
The water kefir cultures are called “grains” in the English-speaking world, but they have nothing in common with cereal grains. The small, transparent jelly balls are more reminiscent of tiny crystals, which is why they are often called (“Japanese crystals”). Other names, such as Japanese seaweed or Tibi, are also in circulation.
Anyone who previously liked to drink carbonated soft drinks can quickly break the habit with the help of water kefir. It tastes similarly sparkling, but – in contrast to soft drinks – has a lot of health benefits.
Water kefir – the effects
Water kefir is said to have many effects. Scientific studies, however, are more than rare. However, since water kefir is a very old drink that has been drunk by many people for many years, you can certainly believe empirical medicine here – or simply try it yourself.
Water kefir is also a probiotic product, which is why it could basically have all the health benefits that are already known from probiotic cultures and that have now been proven in hundreds of studies. Here, however, one has to take into account that studies usually examine certain probiotic strains and that these do not necessarily have to be contained in water kefir or, if they do, not always in relevant quantities, but in high-quality capsule or liquid probiotics they do. Study results on probiotics can therefore not always be transferred to water kefir.
The following healing effects are therefore based on experience reports:
Water kefir influences the intestinal flora and alleviates inflammatory intestinal conditions. It can be used to build up the intestinal flora (e.g. after antibiotic therapy) and support weight loss.
Water kefir regulates digestion and thus optimizes nutrient utilization. It also often has a very positive effect on skin diseases.
It is not uncommon for allergies to subside if you drink water kefir every day.
You can even use water kefir externally and wash your face with it, for example. The skin becomes tender, and soft, and literally blossoms.
There are also positive testimonials about exposure to the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans – even though kefir also contains yeast, so one might think that it is not helpful in the case of Candida exposure. However, the microorganisms in the kefir are supposed to displace the candida fungi and thus lead to a reduction in the candida load. There are also positive reports for arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome. Migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome CFS, depression, ADHD, acne, rosacea, and many other complaints should also disappear or improve if water kefir is drunk regularly.
Diabetics should be careful with the water kefir, as it can still have residual sugar content, depending on the ingredients and the duration of the fermentation.
The water kefir – is refreshing, probiotic, and quickly prepared
To make the water kefir drink, the jelly balls are placed in sugar water, juice, or coconut water. The probiotic yeasts and bacteria now start a fermentation process.
They metabolize sugar and carbon dioxide, vital substances, and a little alcohol are produced. At the same time, the probiotic microorganisms multiply and get into the water.
The kefir water is therefore a refreshing drink with a probiotic effect that is ready to drink after just one or two days. Other fermented beverages such as B. Kombucha (which also contains caffeine) often take considerably longer before they can be used.
Active in water kefir – yeast and bacteria
Yeast fungi and bacteria work hand in hand in the production of water kefir. They live and work in symbiosis. The yeast fungi are responsible for the production of vitamins and make the minerals in the water usable for the bacteria. The bacteria now use these vital substances for their own metabolism and produce lactic acid. The yeast fungi, in turn, love and use the lactic acid for their own metabolism.
The formation of lactic acid gives the water kefir an acidic pH value. This acid ensures that neither putrefactive bacteria nor pathogens can spread and the kefir thus contains a purely useful spectrum of microorganisms.
Water kefir and its different flavors
The water kefir can be prepared and flavored in many different ways. Those who like to experiment can achieve wonderful aromas with a wide variety of ingredients so making kefir is an exciting hobby for many.
For example, you can ferment the kefir a second time by simply adding other ingredients after the first fermentation process is complete, e.g. For example, dried apples make a refreshingly sparkling apple lemonade. With ginger, you get a ginger lemonade and with lemon juice, you get a lemonade.
Water kefir – the ingredients
Water kefir, i.e. the finished drink, consists mainly of water, probiotic bacteria and yeast fungi, carbonic acid, alcohol, vitamins, and low residual sugar content.
The sugar content is lowest when the kefir is left to ferment for 48 hours, it is higher when left to ferment for only 24 hours because then the bacteria and yeast have not had enough time to metabolize the sugar.
The probiotic cultures
Many people use water kefir as a natural and inexpensive probiotic. This is because many probiotics on the market only contain three or four strains of bacteria. However, water kefir can contain 10, but also 15 or even up to 60 different strains and relatively high amounts of them (0.5 to 1 million CFUs (colony forming units) per ml).
Among others, the following bacterial and yeast strains can be detected in water kefir:
L. stands for Lactobacillus = lactic acid bacteria
- L. brevis
- L. casei
- L. hilgardii
- L. hordei
- L. nagelii
L. stands for Leuconostoc (oval-shaped, light-colored lactic acid bacteria; leukos is Greek and means “light”)
- L.citreum
- L. mesenteroides
A. stands for Acetobacter = acetic acid bacteria
- A. fabarum
- A.orientalis
S. stands for Streptococcus = streptococci
- S.lactis
The following yeasts can be contained in water kefir
- Hanseniaospora valbyensis
- Lachancea fermentati
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae
- Zygotorulaspora florentina
It is not possible to generalize in which quantifies the individual bacteria and yeasts are formed, as this depends on the condition of the water kefir, i.e. the kefir grains, and last but not least on the maturing time, the environmental conditions and the ingredients that are added.
The vitamins
In addition to probiotic bacteria, various vitamins are also produced during the fermentation, in particular the vitamins of the B complex including folic acid. Kefir should also contain vitamins A, C, and D. Vitamin B12 is usually also specified, but it is questionable whether it is also contained in the bioavailable variant so we would not describe water kefir as a reliable B12 source. Unfortunately, no concrete quantities of the vitamins contained could be found. It is therefore unknown to what extent water kefir could be used to cover the need for some vitamins.
The alcohol content
Water kefir also contains a certain amount of alcohol, namely between 0.2 and 2 percent.
The amount of alcohol depends on the following factors:
- the fermentation time (the longer, the more alcohol),
- the ambient temperature (the lower the temperature, the higher the alcohol content) and
- of the ingredients (the more sugar, the more alcohol is produced).
If, for example, the kefir is made with a portion of juice, the alcohol content increases depending on the sugar content of the juice. If you make kefir with 100 percent juice, you have to reckon with a higher alcohol content after a 48-hour fermentation than with the 48-hour fermentation of juice-free sugar water.
We have explained below how to reduce the alcohol content in water kefir.
Water kefir – the production
There are many instructions for making water kefir, which all differ a little from each other. So you can always vary a bit and test which method works best and which method achieves the best and tastiest result for you. Here is one way of making water kefir:
Sugar
In a very clean 1-liter glass jar, add ¼ cup sugar. Plastic or metal containers should not be used. It can be normal sugar, raw cane sugar, whole cane sugar, or coconut blossom sugar. You can also mix the types of sugar you currently have. However, you should not use honey as it contains antibiotic substances that would damage the kefir cultures. Some also use maple syrup or molasses.
Since the kefir cultures also need minerals, white sugar is not ideal. Wholesome types of sugar, on the other hand, still contain a certain mineral content that the kefir can use. If you use white sugar, you can add a spoonful of molasses, which is particularly rich in minerals, to supplement it with minerals. Water rich in minerals can also cover the mineral requirements (calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc.) of the kefir culture.
Never use sweeteners (not even stevia) or sugar substitutes (e.g. xylitol or erythritol), as the kefir cannot metabolize them and would starve. Thick juices, yacon syrup, or agave syrup should also not be used.
Water and/or Juice
Pour ½ cup of very hot water into the sugar and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. If your tap water is chlorinated, use chlorine-free spring water or filtered tap water. However, you should have a filter that does not reduce the mineral content of the water to zero, as water kefir also needs the minerals to live and work as described.
If you have a water filter, then you can use the water very well, because this filter produces slightly alkaline and naturally mineralized water that also tastes like spring water. If you only had a reverse osmosis device, you would then have to mineralize the water again, e.g. B. with some molasses and Sango sea coral powder.
Water kefir can be prepared with water, juice, or coconut water. However, if you use juice, don’t use the kefir used in it for sugar water next time. The water kefir might taste strange. Therefore, always use the same kefir grains for juice and different kefir grains for water.
If you use juice, you don’t necessarily have to add additional sugar. The juice usually contains enough of the fruit’s own sugar.
You can also use half the juice and half the water.
In any case, choose unsweetened organic juice. It can be fruit juice or high-sugar vegetable juice (e.g. carrot or beetroot juice). “High in sugar” always means the fruit’s own sugar in the fruit or vegetable.
Coconut water can also be used. You should always put the kefir granules in sugar water after a few passes in the coconut water so that they can recover there since coconut water does not contain quite as much sugar as the kefir would need. Of course, you can also sugar the coconut water before fermentation.
Water kefir culture
Now fill the container with cold water up to the brim so that the water mixture finally reaches room temperature.
Now add the water kefir culture, which is referred to as “grains” in English-speaking countries, i.e. as small “grains”, although, of course, they have nothing to do with grain or grain. Three tablespoons of kefir grains are enough for this recipe. You can generally assume 3 to 4 tablespoons of kefir grains per 1 to 2 liters of water. If you use more kefir grains, then the fermentation will be very fast, which will affect the taste.
Dried fruits
Many water kefir fans add dried fruit to the mix (½ to 1 tbsp), e.g. B. sultanas, dried figs or dried cranberries. Especially the latter ensures a very fine taste. At the same time, they have a protective effect on the urinary tract.
On the one hand, the dried fruits add flavor, but they also provide additional sugar and minerals for the kefir culture.
(After the first fermentation, you can leave the dried fruit with the kefir culture for one or two more first rounds of fermentation, or remove them entirely.)
Some also add ¼ or ½ unwaxed lemon. It also gives aroma and its skin is supposed to supply minerals. It should also lower the pH value so that no harmful microorganisms can settle. But the kefir itself ensures a sufficiently low pH value.
Neither dried fruit nor lemon is required. Soda or eggshells – as is sometimes claimed – are not necessary as additives.
Leave to ferment – 1st fermentation cycle
Cover the jar with a cloth or coffee filter and leave to ferment for 24 to 48 hours. However, if you have a 2nd fermentation in mind, shorten the first fermentation to 12 to 24 hours.
Then pour off the liquid, e.g. B. in a bottle and prepare the next water kefir with the kefir granules. The kefir grains do not have to be cleaned or rinsed with water beforehand. On the contrary, rinsing off the granules regularly can damage them in the long term.
Drink or ferment again – 2nd fermentation cycle
The procedure described is the first fermentation. You can drink the water kefir now, and store it in the fridge (it will keep there for 2 to 3 weeks) – or you can add a second fermentation if you want to flavor the water kefir.
This is also where the phase of water kefir production begins, in which you can let your creativity run free. Of course, the second fermentation is not only used for flavoring. The probiotic effect is now enhanced, the sugar content continues to decrease, and, depending on the ingredients used, the nutritional value increases. The carbon dioxide content also increases and with it the fizzing effect.
The second fermentation is carried out without kefir grains. The probiotic bacteria created in the first fermentation can now easily keep the second fermentation process alive.
The duration of the second fermentation course depends not least on the duration of the first. The first and second fermentations together should not exceed 48 hours.
So if your first fermentation run lasted 12 hours, the second could last 36 hours. For the sake of simplicity, however, you can make each course lasts 24 hours, i.e. one day.
Apple soda
Pour 1 liter of kefir water into a sealable glass jar.
Now add, for example, 4 to 6 columns of dried apples to get a delicious apple lemonade afterward.
Close the jar tightly and leave it at room temperature for another 24 hours. The flavored water kefir is then ready to drink. Remove the apples. If you’re not going to drink the drink all at once, put it in the fridge now to stop or massively slow down the fermentation.
Pomegranate soda
Put half of the kefir water from the first fermentation in a glass jar. Now add the same amount of your favorite juice, e.g. B. a pomegranate juice. Of course, it should be an organically produced and unsweetened juice without preservatives or other additives. Preservatives are there to kill bacteria. So they would also kill the probiotic bacteria in your kefir water.
Now let this mixture stand for 12 to 24 hours in a second fermentation.
The only reason you shouldn’t drink this recipe too often is that it produces more alcohol, especially if you let the mix ferment for more than a day. So this kefir water is not for children.
Ginger Lemonade
You can also simply add two thumbnail-sized pieces of ginger in the second fermentation. Here we have a recipe for you, the ginger shot.
Lemon soda
Or you can add 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the kefir water for the second fermentation cycle. The result is a fine lemonade.
Vanilla soda
You can achieve a wonderful taste experience by simply adding ¼ teaspoon of real vanilla to a glass of ready-fermented water kefir and stirring.
The fermentation time
The required fermentation time depends on many things:
- From the temperature and thus also from the season
- From the desired amount of residual sugar and the desired amount of alcohol
- From the number of kefir grains per liter of sugar water:
If e.g. For example, adding a cup of kefir grains to a cup of sugar water (which is definitely not recommended) will quickly complete the fermentation.
With a teaspoon of kefir grains per liter of sugar water (which is also not recommended), the fermentation will be very slow.
If you put the kefir in the refrigerator, the granules will need 5 to 7 days to ferment in the sugar water as much as they would in 24 to 48 hours at room temperature or 12 hours on a hot day.
It is usually fermented for 24 to 48 hours at 3 to 4 tablespoons of granules per liter of sugar water. That’s when you get the best taste and consistency, and the kefir grains seem to be doing their best.
How can you lower the alcohol content?
Those who drink water kefir are usually particularly health-conscious, and those who are health-conscious want to avoid alcohol as much as possible. With water kefir, however, this is not so easy. For example, boiling would reduce the alcohol content, but you would have to boil the kefir for at least half an hour, which of course is out of the question. Because this would also destroy the probiotic cultures that are so important.
However, one could only put the lid on the vessel and not close it tightly, as is often recommended. This increases the oxygen content in the immediate vicinity of the kefir, which in turn promotes the formation of acetic acid from the alcohol produced, making the kefir less alcohol but also more acidic.
The alcohol is formed by the yeasts in a preferably anaerobic, i.e. oxygen-free environment. On the other hand, not only acetic acid but also lactic acid is formed in a slightly more oxygen-rich environment.
If you now choose a large vessel, so that it is only about three-quarters full, then the rest of the space remains filled with air and thus also with oxygen. More lactic acid is now formed and a little less alcohol.
How Much Water Kefir Should You Drink?
At least 0.5 l daily is recommended to achieve the full effect. It is said that 1.0 l would be better, especially if you want to achieve a therapeutic dose. A glass of water kefir a day can certainly be helpful and provide a good number of probiotic bacteria. Try it out to see what amount is best for you. Because if even small amounts of kefir lead to digestive problems (too thin stool, flatulence), you shouldn’t force yourself to take higher doses just because it says so somewhere.
What do you do with surplus kefir cultures?
The water kefir grains multiply from time to time so that you always have grains left over that you are happy to pass on to other people. If you can’t find anyone to give the extra grains to, you can put them in the fridge for a few days, or dry them and store them for a few months (as described in the next paragraph).
But you can also eat them directly and get an extra dose of probiotics in this way. Simply mix the granules into a smoothie or shake. However, first, carefully test the compatibility before you ingest too much of the granules.
The storage of the water kefir
If you suddenly don’t feel like making the water kefir anymore or you want to go on vacation, you can store the water kefir granules in the fridge for two weeks – in sugar water with double the sugar concentration. Discard this water after two weeks and prepare the kefir in fresh sugar water if you want to drink it again.
If you want to store the kefir for a longer period of time, you can dry it and then store it in the refrigerator for up to six months.
Drying is as follows:
- Rinse the granules thoroughly with clean filtered water (not chlorinated tap water).
- Now spread out the granules in a protected place on unbleached paper.
- Dry the granules at room temperature for 3 to 5 days – depending on the humidity and the level of the room temperature. You can also use a dehydrator, but only if you can set it to a temperature of 30 degrees, which is not possible with many devices as they only start at 40 degrees.
- Once the kefir granules are completely dry, you can store them in a ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 6 months.
The revival of dried water kefir
Then, when you feel like making and drinking water kefir again, you can rehydrate the granules as follows:
- Heat ½ cup of water and pour the water into a glass jar.
- Dissolve as much sugar in it as you have kefir grains. Example: For 4 tablespoons of kefir grains, use 4 tablespoons of sugar.
- Add 2 cups of room temperature water (1 cup = 240 ml).
- Check the temperature of the water. It should be between 20 and 30 degrees. If necessary, adjust it if the water is still too hot or too cold.
- Leave the granules in the sugar water for 24 hours.
- Then pour off the water and repeat the above process two more times, giving the kefir grains a total of three days to become fully active again.
Water kefir for FIT, LIT, HIT, and gluten intolerance
Water kefir is naturally gluten-free and therefore suitable for all people who are gluten-sensitive, i.e. suffer from gluten intolerance. Since no milk is used, water kefir can also be drunk by anyone who has lactose intolerance or is otherwise sensitive to dairy products.
In the case of histamine intolerance (HIT), however, the normally produced water kefir is not recommended at first. This is because it is a fermented product with a high histamine content, which can increase histamine intolerance.
Even if you have fructose intolerance (FIT), you should only try water kefir once in small quantities, because processing the sugar produces e.g. the simple sugars fructose and glucose, which then make up the residual sugar content. It depends very much on your personal fructose tolerance limit, whether you tolerate the water kefir or not.
However, since both histamine intolerance and fructose intolerance represent an intestinal problem in particular and water kefir can help in the regeneration of the intestine, water kefir cannot be ruled out from the outset. Some of those affected report that the kefir significantly improved their intolerances. In this case, however, it is not produced as usual, but one begins with the tiniest amounts of kefir grains, e.g. B. with 4 to 5 kefir grains per liter and with correspondingly little sugar. Then you test one shot glass a day and feel your way further and further in this way.
Water kefir or milk kefir?
Water kefir does not contain quite as many probiotic bacteria as milk kefir. On the other hand, water kefir is still significantly richer in probiotic bacteria than yogurt or buttermilk. Last but not least, milk kefir is not an option for people who cannot tolerate dairy products or who do not want to eat them for ethical reasons.
Milk kefir contains about 30 to 50 different strains of bacteria and yeast, while water kefir often “only” contains 10 to 15 strains of bacteria and yeast (but sometimes up to 60).
Water kefir does not contain Streptococcus thermophilus (milk kefir does), which is said to be able to increase the symptoms of autoimmune diseases.
You cannot conjure up milk kefir from milk with water kefir cultures. However, with milk kefir cultures it should be possible to produce water kefir, which we would not recommend. Every culture should be able to work in the milieu it prefers and will only do its best there.
Water kefir – buy it fresh or as a powder?
Water kefir granules can now be ordered online – like almost everything else. It is available fresh or dried in powder form. (In the past, water kefir was simply passed on. So you had to find someone who would regularly prepare water kefir at home.)
Freshwater kefir grains provide a greater number of probiotics than powdered starter cultures.
If you take good care of the water kefir granules, you can use them endlessly for the production of water kefir. You just have to make sure that they do not come into contact with detergent or other antibacterial agents. Chlorinated water should also be avoided. Of course, you also have to feed them regularly so that they don’t starve. After 48 hours at the latest, they should be put back in sugar water.
The powdered starter cultures are only active during a few fermentation runs, but then lose their activity and you have to buy a new starter culture.
Pros and cons of water kefir
Water kefir has convincing advantages:
- It is an inexpensive and great tasting probiotic.
- It’s fun to make and lots of experimentation to create great new flavors.
- Many health benefits are reported.
However, in our opinion, water kefir also has disadvantages. It is made from sugar water and therefore almost always contains a certain residual sugar content – depending on how long the kefir is left to ferment.
The longer the fermentation time, the less sugar it will contain. At the same time, the alcohol content increases again with the length of the fermentation period. Although this is ultimately quite low, you drink the kefir mostly daily and mostly use it as a thirst quencher, so you drink larger amounts of it (0.5 to 1 liter per day) so that the alcohol also has a negative effect may – depending on personal sensitivity, liver condition, etc.
It is possible that the probiotic cultures and their health benefits can also reduce or even completely compensate for the possible disadvantages of the low residual sugar and alcohol levels. However, there are no studies on this. However, the reports of water kefir fans are convincing and the reports of folk medicine are known in those countries where water kefir has long been used successfully as a therapeutic agent.
If there are no side effects when drinking water kefir and you enjoy making it, water kefir is definitely worth a try.
Water kefir – the side effects
Many people feel fantastic with the water kefir. Others don’t take it so well. Still, others can only tolerate one glass a day but have problems with larger quantities. And for some, it takes a certain amount of time to get used to before the kefir is well tolerated.
It must always be remembered that kefir, of course, cleans up the digestive system very strongly due to its high content of probiotics. Therefore, during this clean-up process, you may experience diarrhea and bloating. After a few days or weeks, it gets better, a sign that the intestines have slowly regulated and regenerated.
It is therefore very difficult to judge based on initial reactions after the first water kefir trials whether it is a question of intolerance reactions or “only” detoxification and healing processes. You would just have to try it.
It can also happen that some long-standing chronic illnesses disappear thanks to kefir, but constant flatulence and thin stools occur. Here you have to weigh up what is better for you personally. Do you prefer arthritis with its severe joint pain and restricted mobility, or maybe a little flatulence from now on?
Of course, if you have a kefir intolerance, you can also try probiotics in capsule form. These are free of lactic acid, sugar, and alcohol and are therefore usually well tolerated. They also provide guaranteed amounts of those probiotic cultures whose health effects have been proven in scientific studies.