First, am glad it is so easy to post this. Have been away a long time. Wouldn't be here, as it Is actually a distraction to me since spend most of my time in one form of religious exercise or another. But this is too important and must get the word out!
Preliminary: my routine: culture 1/2 gallon at a time and when done separate it into two containers. Drink slightly under 4 cups a day. The very culturing process reduces the volume of the milk and thicken it. For me, 2% milk, ultra-pasteurized not grass fed but organic.
1. Most Important and seems key: accumulate a lot of grains. They all produce the thickness. Each one produces its own contribution to the thickness. Have at least 2 cups in the 1/2 gallon jug.
2. Keep the culture process going in the refrigerator exclusively until the last 8 hours. Even with all the grains, it will still look like nothing is happening. Doesn't matter; leave it there. Everything will come together during the last 8 hours of the process. When ready to decant:
3. Remove the 1/2 gallon from the refrigerator and set it on the counter.
4. When you see the whey threading through the mixture put the 1/2 gallon in the refrigerator again unless you are ready to decant and transfer the milk into your container or containers. You may check it once during these 8 hours or 5-8 hours if weather is warm and give it a stir. Don't stir more than once and at the very most twice. Let your kefir be as it is. If you want the grains to be remixed and they are practically impenetrable in the top 1/3 of your culturing jar, give it a stir involving no more than two or three short gentle stirs.
5. When you are ready to transfer you will see the 'miracle" which will only become more so with time and more grains: One worries the plastic spoon, with a long handle, found on the ground and cleaned and originally from an ice-cream shop, will break, with the thickness.
6. Remove grains;
7. Removing the grains will take time.
8. The kefir will be so thick that you will be able to observe this if you try it:
9. My slight sweetness: add a bit on honey at the end dissolved into no more than 3/4 cup of water. Add that including the water to the kefir.
10, Stir, and place in containers, it is still so thick that a small straw is almost too small and one must actually try to get the kefir. The kefir is t h I c k .
So: this works perhaps because of a large volume of grains. They produce so much thickness.