Making Milk Kefir at Home: Simple Instructions From Years of Experience

I have been making milk kefir from traditional heirloom grains since 2010. Over that time I've moved house several times and the kefir grains have come with me.  In my experience, keeping milk kefir going long term is remarkably simple, the biggest challenge is paying for the milk!

To avoid any doubt, milk kefir 'grains' are not grains or seeds of any kind.  Other than the common name of grains they are not similar in any way.  Milk kefir grains are complex and continuously changing mixture of colonies of beneficial bacteria and yeasts growing in a matrix of kefiran that is bobbing around in milk. 

I drink milk kefir and make my breakfast with it, my kids drink milk kefir daily, over that time I have never had any issues with safety, over the years no one has ever fallen ill from consuming my home made milk kefir.  

My milk kefir grains in strainer

What ratio of kefir grains to milk should I use 

There seems to be a lot of confusion on the internet over how much milk kefir grains to use.  

If you're completely new to milk kefir, you may want to read my beginner's guide to milk kefir grains first, where I explain what kefir grains are and how to make kefir at home.

The thing to remember when making kefir is it is not an exact science, the temperature it is kept at is not overly important, and the ratios used don't matter hugely.  As long as you don't use too few grains for the amount of milk, it will still work.

Milk kefir originally comes from nomadic tribes in the Caucasus mountains in Russia.  These people weren't measuring anything precisely, they had kefir grains in a skin bag with mare's milk or yak milk, and they kept kefir going for generations.  A lot of effort was made by the government at the time to obtain the kefir grains, which is a fascinating story.  

Most people use between a quarter of a teaspoon of grains per cup of milk, up to a quarter of a cup of grains (16 teaspoons) per cup of milk.  

I tend to use far more grains than this for no other reason than I have them.  It ferments faster and gets a little more sour.    

If using too few grains for the amount of milk, fermentation takes longer, and you may run into issues with contaminants taking over.  For this reason I suggest not going lower than one teaspoon of kefir grains per cup of milk.  If using more grains, kefir ferments faster.  

I drink kefir plain, I soak raw buckwheat in kefir overnight to consume raw the next morning, sometimes (often around Easter) I make tvorog using kefir.  I like kefir, and some of my kids like it too.

It seems weird that you can leave milk on the bench for days and not have any problems, the living cultures generally create conditions that discourage many unwanted microorganisms from multiplying.  As mentioned, I generally use more grains than most people, this makes it highly unlikely anything undesirable can grow in there.  

Milk kefir I cover with strainer but a cloth also works

Simple milk kefir recipe 

(Note: this can be scaled up as needed)

1) Add anywhere between 1 teaspoon to 1/4 cup of kefir grains to a large glass jar (not metal).

2) Add about a cup of milk to the jar. 

3) Do not put on a lid.  Cover the jar with a cloth or something to keep out dust/insects but lets in the air.  I use a plastic strainer.

4) Leave the jar on the bench out of direct sunlight.  Do not put in the fridge.  

5) Leave for about a day (12-48 hours) to ferment.  The longer it ferments the more sour it becomes.

6) Stir briskly, then strain out the grains.  The strained liquid is your kefir to drink, this can be stored in the fridge for a few days until ready to drink.  

7) Put the grains and a few spoonfuls of liquid kefir in a glass jar.  Repeat from step 2.

One teaspoon of my milk kefir grains

If the kefir separates into curds and whey, that is normal, and it's still fine to drink.  Once you stir (step 6) it all gets mixed together.  

If you go away on holiday you can leave your kefir grains in some milk in the fridge, I recommend putting a lid on the jar while in the fridge.  The grains can survive in the fridge like this for a few weeks.  Being in fridge makes kefir angry, the next few batches will be sour.  

Your grains will multiply.  You can eat them, they are probably better for you than the kefir liquid.  The more kefir grains you add to milk, the faster it ferments.  

The speed of fermentation varies depending on the weather, summer ferments faster than winter.  You can adjust the amount of grains used if you want it more consistent, or you can embrace the seasonal changes.  Either option is fine.  You don't need to keep kefir heated, it was made by nomads living in yurts for generations, they certainly didn't heat their kefir.

Sometimes kefir is more yeasty and the kefir gets lightly bubbly.  Other times there is less yeast activity and the kefir is flat.  Sometimes your grains will be large, other times the grains will be small.  This will all change over time, it is all normal.

Milk kefir ready to be strained

New to kefir? See my beginner's guide to milk kefir grains for step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting tips.

Common Questions

How do I know when milk kefir is ready?

Fresh kefir usually thickens slightly and develops a pleasant tangy smell.  Small pockets of whey may appear around the edges of the jar.  Kefir is ready whenever it tastes right to you. Some people prefer a mild kefir after 12 hours, while others prefer a more sour kefir fermented for longer.  The longer it ferments, the more sour it becomes.

Why did my kefir separate?  Is this a problem?

This is normal, it means your kefir has fermented a bit more than normal.  This happens in warmer weather, or when using more grains.  Just stir before straining.

I have too many kefir grains, can I eat the grains?

Yes, kefir grains are edible.  Some people eat them directly or blend them into smoothies.  Kefir grains can also be fed to poultry.  

Why does fermentation speed change?

Temperature, grain quantity, and milk type all affect fermentation speed.  Don't expect it to be uniform, it will change with the seasons.

Milk kefir grains in a jar

Where to get heirloom milk kefir grains

If you'd like to start making your own kefir, you'll need a healthy culture of milk kefir grains.  

My kefir grains have been made for a few years using A2 milk.  My grains will work in any cow, sheep milk, goat milk, or milk from any other mammal - the taste will change depending on what type of milk you use.  I've never tried them in any plant based milk.   

I sell a decent amount of kefir grains, many places only sell 1 teaspoon

My kefir grains usually multiply faster than I can use them, so I occasionally have extras available on my my for sale page along with other fermenting cultures, perennial vegetable plants, culinary herbs, and seeds I offer.  

Most sellers provide around a teaspoon of grains.  I sell closer to a quarter cup of grains, which gives beginners a larger, more active culture and makes it easier to start producing kefir immediately and helps ensure beginners are likely to succeed. 

How to Grow Milk Kefir Grains at Home (Beginner Guide)

What are milk kefir grains

Milk kefir grains are a living culture used to ferment milk into a tangy, drinkable yoghurt-like product. Milk kefir grains are soft, white, irregular clusters that resemble tiny cauliflower florets or small clouds (or, as my youngest son says, they look like tiny brains).  They are not related to cereal grains despite the name.

They grow and reproduce over time when kept in the right conditions and can be maintained indefinitely with regular feeding.  Being a mesophilic culture, they can ferment at room temperature and do not require heaters or incubators. 

Milk kefir grains are one of the easiest live cultures to maintain at home once you understand how to grow and feed them correctly.  I have been keeping kefir grains in my home kitchen for a number of years, and they are one of the more reliable and low-maintenance live cultures once established.  

Fermenting kefir at home using heirloom grains is generally far cheaper than buying it from a supermarket. Once established and properly maintained, kefir grains can be kept going for many years and regularly propagated.

Kefir made from live grains typically contains a wider diversity of microorganisms than most commercially produced kefir products or powdered starter cultures.

The following methods are based on my own long-term use of kefir grains in a home kitchen setting.

Milk kefir grains after straining, ready for a fresh batch of milk

What you need

To get started making kefir at home, you only need a few basic items:

• Milk kefir grains 
• Fresh milk (cow, goat, or sheep milk all work)
• A glass jar
• A breathable cover (cloth or loose lid)
• A plastic or wooden spoon
• A strainer

A note on equipment

Some of the equipment mentioned in this post may include Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Glass jars (fermentation base)

Many people (including myself) simply reuse glass jars that originally contained pickles or jam.   

Fermentation jars designed for home culturing can make the process more consistent, especially if you plan to keep kefir long term.  Fermentation jars also tend to look a lot nicer than using an old pickle jar like I do, and avoid any risk of residual flavours from previous contents.

A standard wide-mouth jar is usually sufficient, but thicker glass fermentation jars are more durable if you plan to keep kefir going over the long term.

• Ball Wide Mouth Mason Jars (16oz or 32oz) - commonly used for kefir and other ferments
• Kilner Glass Fermentation Jars - heavier duty option with a more traditional fermentation design

Straining equipment

Straining is the step that most people underestimate. A good strainer makes a noticeable difference.

• OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Strainer (3-inch or 4-inch) - very commonly used for kefir and other small-batch fermenting
• Bellemain Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Strainer Set - useful if you want multiple sizes for different batches
• Plastic fine mesh strainer set - useful as it has multiple sizes and good if you do not want to use metal around your kefir grains

Plastic strainers work, but stainless steel tends to last far longer and can be easier to clean.

Optional starter kits (everything-in-one setup)

If you prefer starting with a complete set rather than collecting items individually:

• Kilner Glass Kefir Jar Set - purpose built system with strainer lid and beechwood measuring spoon
• Kefir Starter Kit (various Amazon listings) - usually includes fermentation jar, strainer, sometimes grains

These are not essential, but they can make the first few batches more consistent and provide confidence if you are new to fermentation.  

Important: when starting out, do not use 'starter culture' or any dried kefir culture, these don't work the same.  When starting out making kefir at home, you need to use kefir grains.  These are the easiest for a beginner to use, with the lowest chance of anything going wrong (which is important when dealing with food), they can live indefinitely, and usually contain significantly greater diversity of probiotic and other beneficial microorganisms and generally boast a higher number of colony forming units. 

Grain quantity affects how quickly kefir ferments.  For a more detailed discussion, see my article on how much milk kefir grain to use.

Milk kefir grains, most use between 1 teaspoon to 1/4 cup per cup of milk

Basic method - how to make milk kefir at home

1. Place the kefir grains into a clean glass jar
2. Add fresh milk (roughly 1 cup of milk per 1–16 teaspoons of grains)
3. Cover the jar with a cloth or loose lid
4. Leave at room temperature (around 18–25°C is ideal)
5. Allow to ferment for 24–48 hours depending on temperature
6. When the milk thickens and smells slightly sour, it is ready
7. Strain the grains out and transfer them to fresh milk

The finished kefir can be consumed immediately or stored in the fridge.  

Straining and handling the grains

One of the key steps in maintaining kefir is separating the grains from the finished liquid.

A fine strainer makes this much easier.  I prefer a mesh strainer that is not too fine, otherwise the thicker kefir can block it.

Useful tools for this step:

• Fine mesh strainer (plastic or stainless steel)
• Bowl or jug for catching the finished kefir
• Funnel (optional, for bottling)

A simple strainer and jar setup is usually enough, but some people prefer dedicated fermentation kits that include everything in one set.

Ongoing care

I started making milk kefir using grains in 2010.  I can confidently say that I find milk kefir simple to keep going long term, and they are one of the lowest maintenance ferments I can think of.  Kefir grains do not require much maintenance, but they do best with regular feeding.

If left too long without fresh milk, they will slow down or become inactive. In normal use, they will continue to grow and divide gradually.

If you are not using them for a short period, they can be stored in the fridge in fresh milk for around 1–2 weeks.

Temperature and seasonal effects

Fermentation speed changes with temperature:

• Warm weather: 12-24 hours
• Cool weather: 24-48 hours or longer

In cooler months, I generally leave them slightly longer before straining.

Optional upgrades once you are established

Once kefir becomes part of a routine, a few extra tools can make the process easier:

• Glass bottles for secondary fermentation (slightly fizzy kefir)
• Dedicated fermentation jars with breathable lids
• Thermometer strips for consistent jar temperature monitoring - I've never used thermometer strips, nor could I change the temperature if it was wrong, but lots of beginners seem to like them

These are not necessary, but they help if you want more consistent results.

Signs your kefir is healthy

Healthy grains will usually:

• Increase slowly in size over time
• Produce consistent thickening of milk
• Develop a clean, slightly sour smell after fermentation

If the culture weakens, it is usually due to long gaps between feeds or extreme temperatures.

Kefir Grain Reproduction and Sharing

Kefir grains naturally multiply when kept in good condition. Once established, they can be split and shared or stored as backup cultures.

This makes kefir grains a long-term renewable culture when properly maintained. 

Homemade milk kefir fermenting from live kefir grains

Common mistakes when starting out

• Leaving grains too long without feeding
• Putting grains in the fridge too often (cold can make some strains go dormant)
• Using airtight lids during primary fermentation
• Overheating in summer months

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use UHT or long-life milk or low fat milk to make kefir?

Yes, you can use UHT milk or low fat, but the results can be slightly different.  Fresh milk generally produces thicker, more consistent kefir.  UHT milk tends to work, but the grains may take a few batches to adjust if they are used to fresh milk.  Low fat milk usually works, but will taste a little different.

How long do milk kefir grains last?

Milk kefir grains can last indefinitely if they are cared for properly.  As long as they are regularly fed with fresh milk and kept at reasonable temperatures, they will continue to grow and reproduce over time. 

Why is my kefir separating into layers?

This is usually normal.  Separation into a thicker curd layer and a watery whey layer generally means the kefir has fermented for too long or the temperature is a bit warm.  It is still safe to use.  You can simply stir it back together or shorten the fermentation time next batch.

Can kefir grains die?

Yes, but it usually takes extreme conditions as kefir grains are quite resilient and have been used for a long time in traditional fermentation.  Kefir grains can weaken or die if they are:

• left without fresh milk for too long
• exposed to very high temperatures
• repeatedly contaminated or neglected over time

In most normal home situations, they are quite resilient and can recover even after periods of stress.

How much milk should I use per batch?

A common starting ratio is about 1 cup of milk per 1 to 16 teaspoons of kefir grains.  I tend to use far more grains than this.  You can adjust this depending on how fast you want fermentation to occur.  More grains = faster fermentation.

Can I use metal utensils with kefir grains?

Yes, brief contact with stainless steel is generally fine.  Avoid fermenting kefir in reactive metals (like aluminium or copper), as acidity can affect them. Stainless steel is generally safe for short contact (such as straining) but not ideal for long fermentation.  Most modern kefir keepers use stainless steel strainers without issues.  However, many people still prefer plastic or wooden utensils for routine handling.

Why do my kefir grains look smaller or not growing?

Grain size can fluctuate seasonally depending on milk type, temperature, and feeding schedule.  Growth is usually slow and not always obvious day to day.  If fermentation is still happening normally, the grains are usually fine.

How do I store kefir grains if I need a break?

If you are not making kefir for a short period, you can store the grains in fresh milk in the fridge for a week or two.  For longer breaks, the milk should be changed occasionally to keep them healthy.  If they are in the fridge for a long time, it may take them a while to wake up and work normally again.

Milk kefir grains - look like little clouds

Is homemade milk kefir stronger than store-bought kefir?

Homemade kefir made from live grains typically contains a wider range of microorganisms compared to most commercial kefir or powdered starter cultures.  The strength and flavour also vary depending on fermentation time and conditions, which you have greater control over when fermenting at home.

Notes from growing milk kefir grains at home

In my experience, milk kefir grains are one of the most reliable live cultures for home use.  They tend to adapt well over time and can recover even after periods of neglect, provided they are returned to fresh milk.

Both the temperature, and the amount of grain used affects how quickly kefir ferments.  For a more detailed discussion, see my article on how much milk kefir grain I tend to use. 

Kefir Grain Availability

Milk kefir grains are available from time to time as part of my live cultures listing, usually in small starter portions suitable for home propagation.  Many suppliers sell very small starter portions, often around 1 teaspoon.  While these can work, I find beginners usually have more success starting with a larger quantity of healthy grains.  I include a decent amount of grains, closer to 1/4 cup of grains (or 16 teaspoons) that way the beginner is far more likely to succeed.

Milk kefir grains are one of the simplest and most forgiving fermentation cultures for beginners. With only milk, a jar, and a small quantity of healthy grains, you can maintain a continuous supply of homemade kefir for years.  Once established, the grains multiply naturally, making kefir one of the most economical fermented foods you can produce at home.

Kombucha for Chickens: Probiotics for Poultry for Cheap

You should make kombucha (чайный гриб or chayniy grib) at home to drink and for your children to drink.  It is good for you, it is very cheap to make, and it is simple to maintain.  You may not know this, but you should also give some kombucha to your chickens.  Kombucha is good for chickens in many ways.  

Strangely, other than feeding chickens the old pellicles, I do not hear many reports of people giving kombucha to their hens.  Given all the health claims surrounding kombucha, and the abundance of studies on animals demonstrating kombucha's positive effects, along with all the other weird and wonderful things people feed to chickens that have any alleged health claims, I am surprised I don't hear of more people who fed kombucha to chickens.  

I tried to learn more about this, I looked at anecdotal evidence, I read studies not directly relating to kombucha that should correspond to the effects of feeding kombucha, and I read peer reviewed papers on feeding kombucha to hens.  After much reading, I also gave my hens some kombucha to see if this would be beneficial for them and save me some money.  

The results weren't overly surprising, all the evidence indicates chickens benefit from consuming kombucha. 

Kombucha fermenting in a jar

Kombucha for Poultry: Anecdotal evidence 

While anecdotal evidence should not replace peer reviewed studies, it can be useful to hear what works, or does not work, for other people in a back yard situation where things are not necessarily ideal.  I found surprisingly few references to anyone attempting to feed kombucha to hens, but the few references I found were positive.  

I found one web page providing anecdotal evidence claiming that giving kombucha to chickens resulted in cleaner eggs and firmer poo.  They think this may be because the kombucha was helping the birds' digestive systems.  

The claims made on that web page are probably true.  This web page has nothing to gain by promoting kombucha, the claims all seem logical, and it existed prior to AI being a big thing (there are far too many pages of computer generated nonsense written by AI, and far too many people blindly thinking that this is worth reading).  

Some other people give fermented feed to chickens and claim it improves their overall health.  While I am unsure if fermented feed has ever been studied, or if there are any benefits from feeding fermented feed, it is often claimed to be beneficial by backyard chicken owners.  Kombucha, being fermented tea, contains a lot of species of bacteria and yeast, many of which are used in fermenting other things.  Anecdotally we should be able to draw some comparisons between kombucha and fermented feed.  

Some people feed apple cider vinegar to chickens to 'acidify their crop', boost immunity, and build their general health.  Again I am unsure of the results of any studies into these benefits, but there is plenty anecdotal evidence suggesting that this is possibly beneficial.  Kombucha is similar to apple cider vinegar in many ways, and can be used to produce a kind of vinegar.  As apple cider vinegar and kombucha are similar in many ways, any benefits from feeding apple cider vinegar would likely also be seen through feeding kombucha.  

I found a few permaculture sites claiming kombucha to naturally de-worm their hens.  I have serious doubts over this claim, and fear it may be rhetoric by people who are simply wishing really hard.  While I don't believe that feeding kombucha to hens can be used to deworm them, kombucha will enhance their immune system (I explain this below), so it may provide some slight resistance to parasitic worms. 

To add to the anecdotal evidence, I fed some kombucha to my hens.  I added the liquid to their drinking water.  They appeared to have firmer poo for some time.  I also fed them some of the old biofilm, again it appeared to stop them doing sloppy poo for some time.  I have done this multiple times, and each time it goes well. 

Anecdotally, feeding kombucha to laying hens should prove beneficial.

Kombucha liquid and biofilm - both great for laying hens

Studies on poultry not directly on kombucha

While these studies did not address kombucha directly, the results should be applicable to feeding kombucha as it shares similarities to the things that were being studied.  

Many studies state that certain probiotics improve layer hen performance - number of eggs laid, egg quality, and the immune function of laying hens.  The probiotics in the below studies include some of the many species that are present in kombucha, so while they are not directly studying kombucha, there is a high chance the results will be applicable to feeding kombucha to chickens.  

One study demonstrates that feeding probiotics, prebiotics, and organic acids results in increased egg production, increased egg quality, and better feed conversion ratio.  Kombucha contains all of these probiotics, prebiotics, and a range of organic acids.  Some of the organic acids in kombucha are produced early, while others are not produced until around day 21 onwards.  Making kombucha using continuous brew is the simplest method, plus it ensures that a wide array of organic acids will be present in every batch.  

One study demonstrated that feeding probiotics such as Lactobacillus salivarius and Bacillus subtilis increased egg numbers, decreased damaged egg ratio, and improved feed conversion.  This study should correlate to kombucha as the probiotic species in the study are among those present in kombucha.  The study tested blood samples and indicated that these probiotics enhances the immune function of hens.  It was also noted that feeding multiple probiotic strains had a greater effect than feeding single strains.  Kombucha has been demonstrated to contain a wide variety of probiotics, with around 320 different species of bacteria and yeast being present in some samples.  Given that multiple strains provided more benefit than single strains, it is safe to assume that kombucha would perform as well as, if not better than, the few strains that were used in this study. 

There are various probiotics commercially available for poultry, many do not contain living probiotics and would be better referred to as 'parabiotics'.  There are also various organic acid supplements commercially available for poultry.  There have been multiple studies backing up claims that these improve layer efficiency.  Not surprisingly, few home growers use any of these as they are too expensive.  Making kombucha at home is far far cheaper than buying commercially available probiotics or supplements, plus it has real potential to reduce your costs.  

Based on the studies into probiotics and organic acids above, feeding kombucha to hens should prove to be beneficial. 

Studies on poultry that do directly study kombucha

There are a lot of animal studies regarding the health benefits of kombucha.  Strangely I could not find any papers testing egg laying performance in hens.  That being said, there are plenty of studies on feed conversion and growth rates etc in broiler hens and Japanese quail.  All of the studies I read indicate feeding kombucha to hens is beneficial in a variety of ways. 

One study concluded that adding kombucha to chicken's drinking water increased protein digestibility, and exhibits growth promoting effects similar to antibiotics.  I find this study fascinating as similar claims are often made about apple cider vinegar, yet I have not heard of any home grower making these claims about kombucha even though it has been demonstrated in published papers.  

Another study noted giving kombucha to hens resulted in improved feed conversion ratio in broilers, and increased protein digestibility.  They concluded the best growth promoting effect in broilers was with the addition of 6 ml fermented kombucha per 100ml water.  If I fill up the water each day, this would only cost me a few cents, yet it has the ability to reduce feed costs through improving the feed conversion ratio.  Again, I find it odd that a published paper makes this conclusion, yet I rarely hear of anyone feeding kombucha to their backyard hens.  

There do not appear to be any studies on kombucha and its impacts or lack there of on egg laying in hens.  This is odd as there are many studies demonstrating that feeding organic acids and probiotics (both of which are present in kombucha) improve laying performance and egg quality, plus there are studies on the effects of feeding kombucha and the feed conversion rates in broilers.  

Most of the studies I found were about fed conversion ratio and growth rate of broilers, and I found a few studies on growth rate of Japanese quail.  All came to the same conclusions that kombucha resulted in improved growth rates, increased live weight, and increased carcass weight.  All of this is very good, I want my hens to have good weight and good feed conversion as this lowers my feed bill.

I also find it odd that there are proven benefits associated with feeding kombucha to poultry, yet I don't hear of any permaculture institutes encouraging the feeding of kombucha to poultry.  Kombucha is so cheap and simple to make, and these benefits are well worth the effort.

All of the studies into feeding kombucha to hens indicate that it is beneficial to them.  

This ferments in my garage, and is fed to hens

How to feed kombucha to backyard hens

Now you know that feeding kombucha to hens is beneficial, the natural question to ask is how do you feed it to them.  There are a few easy and cheap ways you could give kombucha to your hens.  

First, don't buy kombucha, make your own at home.  Buying kombucha would be expensive and pointless, making it at home is simple and only costs a few cents per litre.  

One of the important parts of kombucha is the SCOBY, this is the live Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeasts.  Kombucha pellicle/biofilm contains a lot of live scoby, kombucha liquid also contains a lot of live scoby.  Feeding either works well and both are readily accepted by hens.  

I brew kombucha in my kitchen for people to drink.  I have a few jars brewing at any point in time so I normally have spare culture.  I don't have extra space in the house to brew kombucha for my chickens, so I also keep a few jars of it in the garage that I use for the chickens.  These are the same as the ones inside the house, but the ones in the garage are in large jars without taps and get refilled far less often.  

As kombucha brews, it produces a biofilm or 'pellicle' - this is the jelly fish looking thing that floats on the liquid.  When you continuous brew, each time you refill the kombucha jar it produces another layer of biofilm.  You can remove and cut up the old biofilms, and feed them to hens.  This will provide the hens with live probiotics, various organic acids, small amounts of vitamins, various antioxidants, and other beneficial nutrients.  The hens will gladly eat this if it is cut up, and some hens happily eat it if left as a disk.  

Another way to give kombucha to hens is to include the liquid in their drinking water.  60ml kombucha per liter of water has been concluded as having the greatest benefits, plus it is simple to administer.  Tipping around 180ml of kombucha into a 3L waterer and topping up with water isn't difficult.  Given that this does not need to be very accurate, I measured it the first few times to get an idea of how much they need, and tend to just eyeball the amount now.  Importantly, 180ml of home made kombucha will cost you less than 5 cents.  Even if this results in one more egg being laid each week by your flock, you will have saved money.  

Another, possible simpler, way to give kombucha to hens is to add some liquid to their feed.  If feeding pellets or grains, you can add a slosh of kombucha liquid and mix it in.  This is not uniform, some days you would add more, others less, the greedier hens would eat most while the more timid would get less (or none), but it would still be beneficial to the flock as a whole, and it will end up saving you money.  

I top this up every few weeks and it is thriving long term

Where to get kombucha to feed to hens

Don't buy kombucha from the supermarket, that would be expensive and counter productive when the aim is to reduce your costs.  Get a kombucha starter culture, then you make it at home very cheap.  

Getting a kombucha starter culture is easy.  Some people make their own starter using store bought, while this kind of works the diversity of living cultures tends to be low in store bought and people who do this regularly encounter issues.  You are better off sourcing one that has been grown at home for some time.  Ask around, someone may have some to share with you.  Alternatively, if you can't find any locally, I sell kombucha starter culture through my for sale blog page.  Don't spend much on a kombucha starter culture, they are extremely valuable, but should not be expensive.  

Once you have a starter culture, making kombucha is very simple, it takes next to no time, it never goes wrong if you use the traditional continuous brewing method, and it costs less than 15 cents to brew each litre.  You won't need to spend much to get continuous brew kombucha set up.  The starter culture should not be expensive, a large jar is generally free, and you can ladle out the liquid and remove the old biofilm as wanted.  

Once you have a large jar and a kombucha culture you make continuous brew kombucha, this is the traditional way and is the simplest way.  I wrote a blog post with simple continuous brew kombucha instructions that really can't go wrong.  After that, your feed costs are reduced, and your hens are a little healthier.  

The strainer keeps out bugs and lets in air

Cost per liter чайный гриб 'kombucha'

Home made kombucha (which is often called чайный гриб, pronounced: chaynyy grib) and store bought are two very different things.  The diversity of live cultures, the numbers of culture forming units, as well as the presence of organic acids, can be far higher in home made. 

Store bought can be pasturised (ie the beneficial microbes are dead), or filtered (removing some of the larger microbiota), and more often than not it is unripe and does not contain the full range of beneficial organic acids and other substances that kombucha can produce.  While live microbes are likely beneficial, the organic acids are probably the healthiest part of kombucha.  Store bought often is often higher in sugar, and can have various other additives that I don't want to drink. 

The stuff you get in a can or bottle in the shops if often so under-ripe that it contains few organic acids, and has a low concentration of the few acids it does contain.  The stuff from the shops would probably be better described as 'kombucha flavoured ice tea'.  

While store bought probably isn't bad, comparing the two would be like comparing apple juice with apple flavoured sugary cordial.  While not the greatest analogy, you get the idea.  

Now that I've said not to compare them, I am going to do exactly that.  I am going to compare home made kombucha with store bought kombucha.  I am not comparing flavour, or health benefits, or presence of live cultures, or number of colony forming units, or presence of organic acids, or any other nutrient, I will be comparing the price of home made kombucha with the price of store bought kombucha.  

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Kombucha looks like a jellyfish in a jar

My kids and I go through a lot of kombucha over summer, sometimes less and sometimes more over winter.  I could not afford to buy kombucha flavoured drinks from the store, but can I can easily afford to make kombucha at home.  Making kombucha at home is cheap, really cheap.  

I make continuous brew kombucha.  This is the easiest and safest method.  I don't add any flavouring or do a second ferment because I like the taste of raw kombucha.  Making kombucha is simple and it never goes wrong if you do it the traditional way.  If you can boil water, you can make чайный гриб the traditional way.  

Traditional continuous brew чайный гриб

Price of store bought kombucha

The price of store bought kombucha is strangely a difficult thing to find.  Most shops sell a weird and wonderful array of drinks with amazing sounding flavourings that may or may not taste like kombucha, and may only have a small percentage of kombucha in the final product.  Some are high in sugar, others have non-sugar sweeteners added, some pasturise it and then add one species of probiotic of so they can claim it is a probiotic drink.  I assume store bought kombucha are similar to the wonderful array of ice tea that is sold in supermarkets.  They are expensive, and some sound utterly delicious, but I have never tried them.  

I looked around and the price of supermarket kombucha varies wildly.  I considered trying to find raw kombucha and comparing those prices, but raw unflavoured kombucha is difficult to find and seems to often cost more than the flavoured kinds.  I think the most sensible way to compare prices is if I found a few places that sell kombucha, and then listed their cheapest variety (whether it was flavoured or not).  I decided to use the cheapest unit price as this is most easily comparable even when they have different size bottles or cans.  

The cheapest I could find in Coles was $6.35 per litre.  The cheapest I could find in Woolworths was $8.80 per litre.  The cheapest I could find in Harris Farm Market is $15.12 per liter.  If we average out the two lowest ones (and ignore the higher one), this gives a rough idea of the price per litre of about $7.57 per litre.  

It is noteworthy that there were plenty of places selling kombucha flavoured drinks for a lot higher prices than these.  Some of the micro breweries charged prices so high that they make me consider quitting my day job and becoming a full time kombucha maker.  But I digress.  

Kombucha biofilm looks unappetising

Price of home made kombucha

I make continuous brew kombucha.  For me it costs under $0.15 per litre.

Given the price at the supermarket is around 50 times more expensive, the cost of making it at home seems so low that it seems hard to believe.  I will break down the cost below so you can see I am not making this sound cheaper than it really is.  If anything I am rounding up.

I make continuous brew kombucha,  I have this in a glass jar with a line that I drew on the jar.  We drink чайный гриб, once the liquid drops to the line on the side of my jar I add 2 litres of cool sweetened tea.  It is very simple, the time and effort needed per batch is negligible. 

Let's add these costs up so you can see the the total comes in slightly under 15 cents per litre. 

I use 1/2 cup white sugar (about 110 grams) which costs ~14 cents to make 2 litres of kombucha, or just over 7 cents per litre.

Tea bags costs about 2 cents per bag, I use 2 or 3 teabags to make 2 litres of kombucha, or about 3 cents per litre.

Cost of electricity to boil kettle 5-6 cents for a 2 litre kettle, or about 3 cents per litre.

Total: Around 26 cents per 2 litre batch of sweet tea, or around 13 cents per litre of kombucha.  

чайный гриб is very cheap to make at home

There are some one off costs that are not factored in above.  You likely already own a kettle and a measuring cup so I won't go into the price of buying new ones.  Perhaps you want to buy a jar with a tap? 

You don't need thermometers, you don't need heaters or a warm spot in your house, you don't need special sterilisation equipment, you don't need pH test kits.  I never use any of these things, and I never had a batch that failed.  Remember, countless generations of people brewed kombucha in Siberia without issue and they certainly didn't have comfortably warm houses, or (until the 1950s or 1960s) electricity, or use anything fancy.  

I found an 8L jar with tap at Amazon which look pretty much perfect.  It looks nice, and comes with a great little stand.

Alternatively, you could get two smaller jars, so one can be brewing while the other is ready for drinking.

Traditionally, no one had a jar with a tap so babushkas would ladle kombucha out of the jar and give it to members of the household to drink.  Perhaps you already have a large jar that lacks a tap, and can just buy a ladle to get the liquid out, in which case this would be even cheaper.  I like the look of these wine ladles, they have that cool vintage look that goes well with home fermentations.

Another one off cost is the kombucha scoby/culture.  Some people use supermarket kombucha to begin their scoby, this often results in weak scoby with low diversity of microorganisms and needs to be carefully looked after to prevent mould and contaminate issues.  

Perhaps you can find someone who will give you a scoby, or maybe you need to buy one online.  If you need to buy some, it should not be expensive.  Plenty of places online sell them for around $20, even though this is a once off cost, don't pay more than that.  

My little monster in a jar

As mentioned above, I normally make чайный гриб in a large jar that has a tap.  I also make small jar batches as back up cultures in case my large jar breaks or gets knocked over or something.  I sometimes sell kombucha scoby (which is living in the pellicle with some starter tea) through my for sale page.  The scoby I sell is from these smaller batches, it has one (or more) biofilm that is about 10cm across and about a cup of starter liquid.  This is more than enough to make 2 litres of kombucha.  Once you have the scoby/culture you can keep it going indefinitely.  

If you like kombucha, it is well worth making some at home.  Making kombucha at home takes next to no time or effort, and is so easy it is difficult for anything to go wrong.  Given how cheap it is to make at home, even if you need to buy a scoby and a jar it only takes a few liters until you are well and truly ahead financially, plus you have control over the ingredients that are added.  

Milk kefir from grains vs sachets comparison

Years ago I had milk kefir grains.  We made kefir most days, and we did this for years.  Other than the cost of the milk, it was very cheap.  

Making milk kefir from grains is very simple.  You put some kefir grains in milk, leave for a day or so, then strain the grains out and drink the liquid.  It doesn't get a lot simpler than that.  

I'm no expert when it comes to kefir, but I don't need to be.  For some reason, people try to make kefir making more expensive, and to appear more complicated, than it needs to be.  For centuries kefir was made by nomadic people, they put milk kefir grains in a goat skin or horse skin bag and added some milk.  Later they drank some of the liquid and added more milk.  Nothing was precise, and this went so well that it was kept up for generations.  

Milk kefir is demonstrated to have a lot of health benefits, so it is worth drinking if you like the taste.  I have heard a lot about kefir starter satchels, I have also seen bottled kefir for sale in supermarkets, so I did some research to compare them with kefir made from grains and thought I would share what I found. 

Milk kefir grains

I read about store bought kefir not being 'real' kefir, so I did a little research.  Supermarket kefir is a poor version that pales in comparison to the real thing, but is far more uniform than real kefir.  It is made by adding a small number of isolated cultures to milk.  This results in a drink that is very uniform and consistent.  

Real kefir made from grains contains a lot more probiotic cultures, both in terms of overall numbers as well as diversity of different cultures.  My kefir is never uniform, it is slightly different day to day, and it changes with the season.  

Store bought kefir is meant to be slightly healthier than store bought yogurt.  I found the image below on a website.  The claims they are making look good, but are rather unimpressive when compared to milk kefir made using grains.  I will explain this further down the page.

Store bought kefir vs yogurt image from https://lifewaykefir.com/kefir-vs-yogurt/

Kefir from the supermarket is expensive, and is an ongoing cost.  You buy it, drink it, and buy some more.  Kefir from grains still has an ongoing cost, but it is much lower.  You buy grains, then the ongoing cost is buying milk to make more kefir.  

Based on the anecdotal evidence above, if you want something that is the same every time then store bought is best.  If you are consuming kefir for health benefits, or if cost is an issue, then making it from milk kefir grains is the far better option.  

Milk kefir

I have also seen satchels of 'kefir starter' for sale.  These are very expensive, and I have heard they are inferior to kefir made from grains.  I was curious about them so I did a little research to compare them to grains. 

Starter sachets, contain very few species of beneficial bacteria and yeasts.  I found one product that claims to only have 5 strains and even the 'good' brands claim to only contain 7.  While this is better than most yogurts which usually have only 1 or 2 strains (some can have up to half a dozen), part of the reason people drink kefir is because it contains a lot of different probiotic cultures.  

Home made kefir using grains contains far more biota in terms of diversity of the species of microorganisms present.  While this number varies considerably, kefir has been recorded as having 41 species of bacteria and 37 yeasts (a total of 78 different species of microorganisms).  This is more than ten times the amount of species found in good starter sachets and more than six times as many as bottled kefir from the supermarket.  

Based on the above, if you want a lot of diversity in your probiotics, kefir grains is the better option.  

Milk kefir

Diversity is important, another thing to consider is the number of colony forming units.  This number is how many live microorganisms (of any kind) are in the end product.  This number is important because many will die on their way through your digestive tract.  The number of colony forming units in sachet made kefir or store bought kefir is often claimed to be a mere 1 billion to 2.5 billion colony forming units per cup.  This small number has been demonstrated to be far lower in real life than is claimed on packages.  For simplicity, let's assume that this exaggerated number is correct.  

Depending on which paper you read (including this paper and another paper), kefir made from grains is said to contain between 100 billion colony forming units per cup up to several trillion colony forming units per cup.  Even the lowest estimate is vastly more than the amount as sachet made or store bought kefir.  

Based on the above it seems if you want a lot of probiotics in your diet, using kefir grains is the better option.  

Kefir grains

Diversity of probiotics is important, as is the number of live colony forming units, another important consideration is cost.  

The supermarket sells a pack of 5 x sachets (which, after you also buy milk, is said to make up to 25L) for $53 plus the cost of milk.  Another brand which has 2 x sachets and claims to only contain 6 strains sells for a whopping $28 plus the cost of milk.  If you like the taste of satchel kefir, you need to keep buying satchels at this high price forever.  I have heard of people using sachet produced 'kefir' to inoculate milk in the hope of keeping this going long term, apparently it stops working after a few tries.

Milk kefir grains, on the other hand, can be used indefinitely to make as many batches of kefir as you want for the rest of your life.  The grains multiply over time, so you can make more kefir, or give some grains away, or eat some grains, or feed them to chickens, or bury them in the garden.  After the once off cost of grains, you buy milk, maybe a kitchen strainer every ten years, and there is no other cost.  

Financially, kefir grains are far cheaper than starter satchels or supermarket kefir both in the short term and far far cheaper in the medium and long term.  

I don't know how to photograph kefir

Taste is a personal thing.  My kefir can be rather yeasty at times, which I love, or hardly yeast at all at other times.  Satchel and store bought tend not to include yeasts so will not have much of that yeasty taste.  

My kefir tends to get a bit sour at times, perhaps more than I like.  A little honey fixes that.  I assume store bought or satchel would be far less sour as consumers prefer sweeter products.  

If you are drinking kefir because of its taste, I can't tell you which is better.  You need to try a bunch of types and make some from grains and go with the one you prefer.  

Milk Kefir and Water Kefir

If you like to drink milk kefir, it is absolutely worth making your own and seeing if you like that. Milk kefir made from grains is far healthier and far cheaper than store bought or made from satchels.  If you dislike the taste of kefir made with grains, or if you dislike that it is slightly different each batch, then stop making it and go back to buying it from the store.

I make milk kefir, and often have extra grains that I can post throughout Australia.  If you are interested, my contact details can be found on my for sale page. 

Simple Kombucha continuous brew recipe

Very simple Kombucha (чайный гриб) continuous brew recipe 

I wrote an earlier blog post on kombucha SCOBY and described what a scoby is compared to the pellicle and starter liquid.  That post started to get a little long so I decided to stop there and write a separate post on the kombucha recipe we use.  

There are plenty of kombucha recipes on the internet.  They pretty much all work because it is actually hard to go wrong brewing kombucha when you use both pellicle and starter liquid.  Making kombucha at home is simple and cheap.  

I am not suggesting that the way I brew kombucha is the best way to do it, or even a good way to do it, I am only saying it is simple and it never goes wrong.  This blog post is partly a way for me to record this in case I ever forget how to do this in the future. 

Continuous brew чайный гриб

I tend to do continuous brew rather than messing around with batches and bottling and using fridge space.  Continuous brew works for me, and it never goes wrong.  I don't even see how it could go wrong.  Plus it takes very little time and effort. 

Some people prefer batch brewing.  I hear about these going wrong from time to time.  I can't offer any advice on batch brewing or adding flavouring to kombucha, because I don't do any of that.  

Continuous brew and batch brew are both good methods, which one to use is more about personal preference than anything else.  The scoby likely doesn't care if you do continuous brew or batch brew, you could try both and see what you prefer.  

Kombucha ready to drink

Kombucha looks like beer or apple cider

I have a large glass jar with a tap.  This jar contains one or more pellicles and plenty of finished kombucha/starter liquid.  

I drew two lines on the jar, one at 4 liters, the other at 6 liters.  I fill it up to the 6L line, we drink it as wanted and I refill it once it drops to the 4L line.  

It is simple, and a little inconsistent, but can never fail unless there is some mechanical failure such as the jar gets smashed or the tap falls out.  

I don't put the lid on the jar as the scoby needs some air.  Instead I tend to keep a cloth on top of the jar, this keeps out insects and dust.  I used to hold the cloth on with a rubber band, but stopped bothering with that a few years ago and the cloth just sitting on top does the trick.  

Continuous brew чайный гриб recipe

Once we drink enough that the liquid drops to the 4L line I fill it with sweet tea that has cooled.  Never use hot tea as this will kill (or at least damage) the scoby. 

1. I have about 4L of kombucha liquid in my jar.
2. I boil 2L of water, add 1/2 cup white sugar, and 2 or 3 tea bags.  I mostly use regular black tea bags, but sometimes also include a bag of green tea.  
3. I let this steep for about 5 to 15 minutes, then remove the tea bags.  
4. I let this cool to room temperature.  
5. Once cooled I pour this sweet tea in my jar that already has kombucha mentioned in step 1.  It is ready to drink in a few days (or immediately if you prefer it sweeter).  

Let me stress that I always allow it to cool before adding it to my jar, never add this when still hot or it will kill the scoby.  

Some people use more sugar while others use less sugar, some people use more tea bags others use less tea bags.  Sometimes I use some black tea and include some green tea, other times I only use black tea.  I use tea bags so I don't have to strain out any leaves, using loose leaf tea would also be fine as long as you can strain out the leaves.  

If I go away for a while I just fill up the jar and it is fine when I return.  I don't have a lid on my jar so there is no risk of building too much pressure.  The contents of the jar are too acidic for most pathogens to survive, so there is no danger there.  A pantry moth or something could get in and I would have to deal with that, but that wouldn't ruin my culture and would be simple enough to deal with.

Continuous brew kombucha simply works.  You can't really go wrong as long as you let the tea cool before adding to the jar and the scoby is strong.  It doesn;t matter if your house is too cold, the continuous brew will never fail.  

Continuous brew kombucha, I keep a cloth on top 

My jar already has a pellicle, and 4L or so of starter, so it brews quickly and is ready to drink in next to no time.  I hear of other people having to wait two weeks before their brew is ready, they tend to use significantly less starter liquid than I do (or they made their starter using store bought kombucha).  I hear of other people having issues with mold when the temperature is too low, again they use far less starter liquid than I do and they usually do not also include the biofilm. 

Sometimes when we are drinking a lot of kombucha this drops a bit below the 4L line before I have a chance to refill it, that doesn't really matter.  Other times I refill before it reaches the line, again this doesn't really matter.  Over summer it brews a lot faster, over winter it brews far slower.  This is not a precise science, and it never goes wrong.  

Most recipes suggest adding a pellicle and 10% starter liquid to 90% tea, this works but is a lot slower than how I do it.  I use about 66% starter liquid and about 33% sweet tea, and it brews very fast.  We tend to drink some kombucha most days, so want to fill my jar and have it ready to drink as soon as possible.  Sometimes my kids drink it as soon as I filled it, I prefer to wait a few days as I like the sharper taste.

It usually has more bubbles

While my method may not be the best way to brew kombucha, the fact that I can keep a continuous brew going like this for a few years is testament to the fact that this method is working.  Perhaps there are better methods, but this works for me, and it is so simple and cheap. 

If you have a kombucha recipe that is different, and it works for you, please keep using it.  If you try one recipe and don't love it, then change it and try something different.  There are many websites out there with 'tricks' and kombucha 'hacks', but you don't need them as they generally overcomplicate things and introduce a lot of ways to fail.  One of the best parts of kombucha is nothing is precise, and you really can't fail.  

If you are new to brewing kombucha, it is difficult for anything to go wrong if you brew using both pellicle and starter liquid.  Some people discard the pellicle from every batch, which kind of works for them, but when first learning how to do this it is best to use the traditional method by including the pellicle as well as the starter liquid.  

чайный гриб has been brewed by people at home since at least the 1800s, it is simple, and it is inexpensive.  I have never used a heat mat, I don't have a thermometer, I don't measure the pH, nothing is overly precise, and nothing ever goes wrong.  At worst I leave it too long before drinking and it tastes a little too sour for my liking.  

If you want to try brewing kombucha at home, you could try using unflavoured kombucha from the shops.  This will likely have a significantly lower number of strains and you can't be certain it has not been pasturised (killing many of the bacteria and yeasts) prior to sale.  You are better off finding someone who brews kombucha and buying a scoby (not just a pellicle) from them.  If you can't find any locally, and you are located in Australia, my contact details can be found on my for sale page.  

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Edit to add: above I mention having the two lines on my jar.  I would make 2L sweetened tea and once it has cooled I would add it when the liquid in my kombucha jar dropped to the 4L line.  

Over summer we drank a lot of kombucha.  The jar is large, so I started adding 2L of sweetened tea once the liquid dropped to the 6L line.  

This means I have 8L total in the jar: 6L starter and 2L of new sweet tea.  This works even better, and now the brewing time is shorter.  

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Edit to also add: I also had someone ask why I add 2L of sweetened tea each time.  The answer is simple: my kettle holds 2L of water.  No need to make things harder than they need to be. 

While washing the dishes after dinner I boil the kettle, put sugar and tea bags in a jug, and tip in the kettle of boiled water.  I then wash up the dishes while the tea steeps.  I remove the tea bags when I finish washing the dishes, and then go do something else (ie allow the tea to cool).  Before I go to bed I tip the cooled tea into my kombucha jar.  

Making kombucha is simple, there is no need to even pretend it is difficult.