Yemoos Nourishing Cultures Forum

I'm new at kefir.
I stopped at a health food store to get milk kefir grains, today, and I didn't immediately see any in their cooler. I asked the lady at the counter and she showed me where they were. They were not labeled, but in a foil packet. She said they were milk kefir grains. When I got home I opened the packet inside was a vacuum sealed bag of grains. The grains are clear with a yellow tint. Any Milk kefir grains I've ever seen in pictures were white. Did I end up water kefir instead of milk kefir. They are not dried but wet and in a vacuum sealed bag.

Hmm, perhaps. If milk kefir grains are rinsed without milk, sometimes they can look somewhat clear. Most, if not all the pictures you see online are milk kefir grains with milk residue around them making them look very white. But you will know if they are milk kefir grains if they are stringy and stretchy. Milk kefir grains keep their shape well, but will stretch and tear if pulled apart. Squishing them usually will not break their shape. Water kefir grains will break apart when squished and kinda crumble apart. Their shape is more delicate. They are never stringy or strechy though. They are more like clear crystals. Sometimes they have color based off the sugar they ferment in. Hope that helps.

Thanks for your reply. I have not opened the package yet so I do not know it it is stringy or not. I'll check that out.