Water kefir like cider... help!
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 3:27 pm
I have been fermenting water kefir for about 10 days now and could do with some advice...
I received the grains from happykobucha by post and started within 48 hours of receiving them. On the first day it was sweet, the second less sweet and then got more and more delicious for a day or two. It then became very sour after adding lemon for one ferment and I realised that it had reproduced at an astonishing rate.
The grains are always on the small side and I sometimes add a couple of dried apricots or a dried fig. I replace the water every day (about 60g sugar for 1 litre of water). I use britta filtered water and rapadura sugar (it was just unrefined granulated for the first couple of days or so). All ingredients are organic. When it changed from sweet to sour I moved it from the airing cupboard (about 30 degrees celcius) to the kitchen (about or just below 20 degrees celcius). I have managed to give a lot of grains away but they are still growing and i know I have too many.
I am drinking the water but it is flat, sour and very strong (very similar to a raw cider). If I bottle and add fruit it becomes very fizzy but if I do not add fruit it remains flat even when it has been in a grolsch style bottle for 48 hours.
How do I get back my light delicious water? and prevent them growing soooooo fast??? Have I damaged them?
Any ideas gratefuly received
I received the grains from happykobucha by post and started within 48 hours of receiving them. On the first day it was sweet, the second less sweet and then got more and more delicious for a day or two. It then became very sour after adding lemon for one ferment and I realised that it had reproduced at an astonishing rate.
The grains are always on the small side and I sometimes add a couple of dried apricots or a dried fig. I replace the water every day (about 60g sugar for 1 litre of water). I use britta filtered water and rapadura sugar (it was just unrefined granulated for the first couple of days or so). All ingredients are organic. When it changed from sweet to sour I moved it from the airing cupboard (about 30 degrees celcius) to the kitchen (about or just below 20 degrees celcius). I have managed to give a lot of grains away but they are still growing and i know I have too many.
I am drinking the water but it is flat, sour and very strong (very similar to a raw cider). If I bottle and add fruit it becomes very fizzy but if I do not add fruit it remains flat even when it has been in a grolsch style bottle for 48 hours.
How do I get back my light delicious water? and prevent them growing soooooo fast??? Have I damaged them?
Any ideas gratefuly received