Brewing Water Kefir

Directions

1. 1
   To brew Water Kefir, you'll need a large glass jar that can be covered by cheesecloth. When it comes time for bottling, the secondary fermentation creates the fizz so the safest option is to use plastic Mineral Water bottles just in case you get too much fizz.
2. 2
   Some other alternatives to cane sugar are coconut sugar, molasses, Rapadura or date sugar. Kefir does need a regular supply of minerals to keep healthy so the unrefined sugars are often best as they have a higher mineral content. After a while the unrefined sugars can make the brew taste a bit like syrup though so you might want to change to refined sugar occasionally or alternatively rest them in filtered water for a week in the fridge.
3. 3
   Bring about 6 cups of filtered water to the boil, then stir in the sugar. Continue stirring the sugar into the hot water until it dissolves, then allow it to cool to room temperature.
4. 4
   Place the water kefir grains into a 2 litre jar, Pour in the sugar water, and drop in the figs and lemon. Cover the jar with cheesecloth and secure with twine or a rubber band. Allow the water kefir to ferment for 2 to 3 days. The longer it ferments, the stronger its flavor will become.
5. 5
   When your happy with the flavour strain into the plastic bottle for the second fermentation. The Kefir can be enjoyed after the first fermentation. In the second stage however, you can add some more flavours. The brew also gets fizzier with the increase in Carbon Dioxide, which results in a very refreshing drink. You can now discard the used lemons and set aside the water kefir grains for the next brew. The grains can be stored in water in the fridge for up to 1 week.
6. 6
   Bottling for the second fermentation You can either add 1 more tablespoon of sugar or add 1 litre of fruit juice to 1 litre of kefir for different flavours. Some great juices to use are Red Grapefruit, Lemon and Ginger, Mandarin, Orange, Pineapple or Apple and mint. Make sure you don't fill all the way to the top of the bottle to allow for gas build up. Cap the bottles, and leave in a warm spot for around18 to 24 hours before moving to the fridge to set the bubbles for another three days. Then your ready to pop the top! Watch out because it might go everywhere before you get a chance to fill your glass. But enjoy nonetheless!
7. 7
   Caring for your grains. Some things to avoid in your Kefir are: Chlorine in tap water can damage the grains Preservatives added to dried fruit or sprayed on conventional fruits Distilled water for long periods of time as it is void of minerals. However adding liquid mineral supplements such as Floradix can fix this problem