"Heal thyself" made easy — from your own kitchen
Step-by-step · Beginner friendly · 61+ live cultures
A few simple tools — most of which you already have in your kitchen. The key thing to remember: no metal. Kefir grains are living cultures and metal can harm them.
Wooden or silicone spoons only
Metal utensils damage the live cultures in your grains.
Plastic sieve only
They can be tricky to find — Pep Stores usually stock them.
A clean glass jar
For fermenting your kefir. Wide-mouth jars work best.
2L Full Cream Jersey milk
If possible. Fresh full cream milk also works. Not long life.
Follow these 8 steps and you'll have your first batch of fresh kefir milk within 24 hours.
Wash your glass jar and rinse with clean water. It should be free of any soap residue before you begin.
Take your ready-cultured grains with the content they arrived in, and empty the entire bottle into your jar.
Pour in about 300ml of fresh full cream milk to start. As your grains grow, you can increase this to make more per batch. 200ml per serving — after a meal, at breakfast, or as a post-workout drink — is a great place to start.
Cover the top of your jar with a small cloth — not a lid. Your live cultures need to breathe. Leave at room temperature overnight.
After 24 hours, your milk will have fermented. You may notice it has thickened or separated slightly — this is completely normal and is a sign your grains are doing their job.
Place your plastic sieve over a clean plastic bowl and pour the contents through. Stir gently with your wooden or silicone spoon to help the milk pass through, leaving the grains behind in the sieve.
Take the grains left in the sieve and place them straight back into your clean jar. Add fresh milk and repeat the process. Your grains are a living culture — they need to be fed every 24 hours.
Your fresh kefir milk is ready. Refrigerate for a cold drink, enjoy as is, or pour into a container and sip throughout the day. You can add a pinch of cinnamon — but start by enjoying the natural flavour for what it is. Your gut will thank you.
Recolonises your gut with diverse, beneficial bacteria that regulate immunity and digestion.
The fermentation process consumes most of the lactose — making it tolerable for many who struggle with dairy.
Ideal during and after antibiotics. Supports recovery post-surgery. Great for the whole family including children.
This is a great sign — your grains are thriving! Remove some of the excess grains, place them in a small Tupperware with enough milk to cover, and freeze them. You can use these later to scale up your batches, or gift them to a friend or family member.
No problem. Place your grains with enough milk to cover into a sealed jar and refrigerate. The cold slows fermentation and they'll be happy for up to 10 days.
When you return, rinse the grains with filtered water and start the process again as normal.
Completely normal. The separation you see — a clear or yellow liquid (whey protein) and thicker curds — is exactly what healthy fermentation looks like. When you strain it, pour everything through together and stir. It all mixes back and tastes great.
Yes! Including those with lactose sensitivity — the fermentation process consumes most of the lactose, leaving a low-sugar milk drink. It's beneficial during or after antibiotic use, excellent post-surgery recovery, and makes a brilliant base for children's smoothies instead of sugar-laden yoghurts.
Coconut milk works well as an alternative. However, every 10th batch should be cow's milk — the grains need it for long-term nourishment. You can also add half a teaspoon of prebiotic fibre during fermentation to further feed the grains.
Water kefir is different — these are milk kefir grains and don't work in water.
Order your Gutstronomy kefir grains online or find us at your nearest stockist.