BIG BATCH, EXTRA THICK & CREAMY KEFIR
If you are already a little familiar with kefir and the basic process for culturing your own kefir at home, read on! If not, you should probably start here where I provide a brief overview of the health benefits and simple steps to get started with small, daily batches. To learn the simple method I use to make Big Batch drinkable kefir start here. To learn about the benefits of Living Foods in general, start here: Living Foods.
MY KEFIR JOURNEY
You can learn all about my "Kefir Journey", how I started making single serving batches daily and all the trial tribulations that led me here, in my original Big Batch method recipe.
While I love the simplicity and health benefits of kefir, I have to admit, I have never been a big fan of milk based drinks or smoothies. On the other hand, I love eating Greek-style yogurt topped with fruit and nuts- it's a texture thing!
Now, the most effective way to separate out the liquid whey to produce thicker kefir is with an extremely simple process (explained here) that uses a coffee filter. But I accidentally discovered a way to short circuit that method, and produce a thick and creamy kefir with a Greek-style yogurt consistency in larger batches without needing to use the coffee filter process. And that's the process I am sharing with you here.
DON"T BELIEVE THE MYTHS
You may have heard that kefir grains needs to be fed daily and may only be refrigerated for up to a week, and anything longer will require you to dry and freeze your grains, and re-activate them before you can begin again. I can tell you with certainty, those are myths and are positively untrue. I have taken breaks from my kefir making- this last time for 3 weeks- without having to dry and freeze my grains or even feed them on a regular basis. And, on the day I decided to start again, I had a delicious, creamy batch of kefir the very next day. I was SO happy to figure this process out that I had to share it.
WHAT YOU NEED:
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 to 2 cups kefir grains
- 1 gallon milk
- optional: vanilla extract and honey; also fruit and nuts or anything you like as a mix-in or topping!
Tools:
- 1 gallon glass vessel (or larger)
- clean dish towel to use as a cover
- large mesh strainer (stainless steel)
- 2 deep bowls (big enough to hold strainer, tall enough to leave room for liquid below)
- quart size mason jar with lid
- measuring cup (I use scoop-type, dry measuring cups for this)
- large slotted spoon
- silicone spatula (a wooden spoon would work too, but a spatula is easier on the strainer)
- immersion blender
EASY, BIG BATCH KEFIR, STEP-BY-STEP
1. Place about 1.5 to 2 cups kefir grains in a gallon size (or larger) glass vessel.
If your grains have been refrigerated in milk for under 2 weeks, just pour all the contents in the jar- grains and storage milk included- into the vessel. If it's been in the refrigerator for longer than 2 weeks, be sure to strain out the grains, discarding the storage liquid first.
2. Add about 14 cups of cold, fresh milk (that's almost a full gallon, reserving about 2 cups in the jugs for the next day*) to the vessel and cover with a clean kitchen towel secured around the rim with a rubber band (you want to make sure your kefir can breathe). Drape another towel over the vessel to block out the light.
Note: It's not necessary to measure the milk. A gallon is 16 cups, so if you are starting with a full gallon just fill up the vessel until you have about 2 cups left. You'll need what's left to store the kefir grains tomorrow. Be sure to leave at least an inch or two of an air gap at the top of your vessel because the kefir mixture will expand overnight.
3. Allow kefir to culture for 24 hours, stirring at least once before going to bed at night, and once first thing in the morning.
I've found the best time to start the batch is any time from noon until 5 or 6 pm to get the thickest, creamiest results. I'll stir it up once before bedtime, leave it alone for 8-10 hours through the night, and then stir it once (or maybe twice) before straining it the next day. The key is, as soon as I see the whey (the transparent part) begin to separate out to the bottom of the vessel, I leave it alone. The amount of whey at the bottom will continue to grow as the kefir ferments. See notes below to see photos showing how the kefir separates as it ferments.
To see how the kefir looks as it is fermenting, and what to do if it doesn't separate as described, skip to PHOTOS AND NOTES ON CURDS AND WHEY SEPARATION section below.
4. Set a mesh strainer over a bowl or pot. Using a slotted spoon, gently scoop the kefir and grains from the top of the vessel into the strainer until the strainer is almost full. (Try not to disturb the whey at the bottom while doing this.) With a silicone spatula, stir the kefir and grains in the strainer to separate the grains from the kefir. Continue scooping and stirring until you've scooped as much of the creamy kefir and grains from the top of the glass vessel as you are able to with your slotted spoon. Then, transfer the kefir grains from the strainer to a storage jar (I use a quart size Mason jar for this).
5. Next, place your strainer over a 2nd large bowl and pour the remaining liquid through the strainer into that bowl. Stir like before and transfer those grains into the storage jar with the rest.
Add enough milk to cover your grains and screw a tight fitting lid on your grain jar, cover your bowls with lids or plastic wrap, and place the jar and bowls in the refrigerator. (You can skip ahead to step 8 if you want to eat your thick kefir right away, but I prefer to chill it first.)
In this picture you can see the separate kefir components- grains, thick kefir and thin kefir. You'll also see that the glass vessel has mostly whey left at the bottom. On occasion I have been able to get practically all the white kefir and grains out of the vessel, leaving behind only liquid whey at the bottom of the glass vessel and this was one of those times.
6. Add enough milk to cover your grains and screw a tight fitting lid on your grain jar, cover the bowls with lids or plastic wrap, and place the jar and bowls in the refrigerator. (You can skip ahead to step 8 if you want to eat your thick kefir right away, but I prefer to chill it first.)
A note about storing the kefir grains: Once all the grains are transferred, make sure the milk covers the grains. Remember the grains will expand a little as they sit so you'll want to leave some airspace on top, and check your grains periodically to make sure they don't dry out. I like to shake the jar every few days and will sometimes top off the milk if needed.
7. By the next morning, the curds (creamy white part) in the bowl with the liquidy kefir should have dropped to the bottom and the whey (golden transparent liquid) will be on top. Gently pour the whey that's at the top right down the drain (or, if you like to keep the whey, into another storage container). Stop pouring when you get to the good stuff (the creamy white part). Those creamy curds can now be blended with fruit for a drinkable treat, added to your thicker kefir bowl, or strained through a coffee filter for a cream cheese replacement.
Check out the coffee filter process here.
8. As a final step, I like to blend my kefir with vanilla and honey using my immersion blender. Eat right away or cover and refrigerate for later.
Sometimes I will divide the kefir into single-serving size, wide mouth mason jars that make it easy to grab and go later- all you need to do is top it with fresh cut fruit and nuts. Our favorite topping combinations include blueberries & almonds; strawberries, pecans & cacao nibs; or apples, walnuts & cinnamon. This kefir is also great for making overnight oats!
PHOTOS AND NOTES ON CURDS AND WHEY SEPARATION
Here's a view of one of my batches first thing in the morning on day 2 (about 12-16 hours after starting it). The grains have floated up and have formed a fairly solid layer on top. You may notice that little pockets of whey will have formed around the kefir grains, but there typically won't be a clean separation of the curds and whey yet. Make sure to give it a good stir!
This is how my kefir usually looks about an hour or two after the first morning stir. It's begun to separate into curds (creamy white part) and whey (transparent yellowish liquid), with the grains at the very top above the curds. Once I see a clean separation like this, it's best NOT TO STIR it again*. The kefir on top will continue to culture as time goes on, and you'll notice the amount of whey at the bottom will continue to grow.
*If you do stir late in the process, the kefir will still be good, but the separation won't be as clean so will most likely end up with a thinner result.
This is how my kefir usually looks when it's just about ready to "harvest". The strength of the finished kefir can be tweaked by adjusting the fermentation conditions; more grains, warmer temperatures, and a longer culture time will result in a stronger kefir with a thicker consistency and a tangier flavor. If you prefer a milder, creamier flavor but still want a thicker consistency, you can always reduce the strength by reducing time, temperature, or grain ratio, and then strain your kefir through a coffee filter to thicken it by removing some of the excess whey.
CURDS AND WHEY SEPARATION ISSUES
Unfortunately, my kefir doesn't always separate with the whey collecting on the bottom. There are so many variables that affect the process (room temperature, milk to grain ratio, length of fermentation) that it's not always possible to get perfect results. Oftentimes, the whey will collect in the middle layer with the curds floating on top and the creamy white kefir on the bottom. If it's early enough in the process (under 20 hours), I will give the batch a stir and check back in an hour or so to see if that helped. If you do end up with whey in the middle, that's still okay as long as you still have clean separation between the curds and whey. But if you don't see any large areas of separation (you may see little bubbles of whey forming around the grains, but the whole batch is fairly uniform), I'd suggest finishing this batch using the standard Drinkable Big Batch Kefir method and coming back to this Thick and Creamy method next time, changing your method a little by either decreasing (or increasing) the amount milk you use, placing the vessel in a warmer (or cooler) location, increasing (or reducing) the fermentation time- until you come up with a formula that works for you.