Can water kefir grains be turned into milk kefir grains and if so how?
I make water kefir but would like to try milk kefir, can I convert my water granules to milk kefir granules?
Best Answer
It might be technically possible (with a lot of work) to get water-kefir "grains" (or, more correctly, SCOBY, a Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) to survive on milk, although I'm not sure what kind of drink that would produce.
But if your question is, as I suspect, whether you can turn the water-kefir SCOBY into what people commonly refer to as "milk kefir", then the answer is an absolute no because they are completely different cultures.
This is a common point of confusion, and it arises from the fact that "water kefir" is a misnomer. The word kefir properly refers to the culture and related drink based on milk, and it probably originates from the Caucasus area.
On the other hand, what we informally call water kefir is actually a completely different culture and drink, more correctly called tibicos, and it probably originates from the Americas.
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Quick Answer about "Can water kefir grains be turned into milk kefir grains and if so how?"
But if your question is, as I suspect, whether you can turn the water-kefir SCOBY into what people commonly refer to as "milk kefir", then the answer is an absolute no because they are completely different cultures. This is a common point of confusion, and it arises from the fact that "water kefir" is a misnomer.Can I use water kefir grains for milk?
Water Kefir can be added to non-dairy milk to make a non-dairy kefir (use \xbc cup water kefir in 2-3 cups non-dairy milk). Extra water kefir grains may be used as starter culture for fermenting vegetables. Extra water kefir can be used as a booster for making gluten-free sourdough starter.Are milk kefir grains and water kefir grains the same?
There are two varieties of kefir grains: water kefir which has a yellowish/clear crystal colour depending on the sugar they have been fed and milk kefir which has a white creamy cauliflower-type appearance. Both are delicious and have many health benefits.Can you reuse water kefir grains?
Yes, water kefir grains are reusable. Once a batch of water kefir is finished culturing, simply remove the water kefir grains and place them in fresh sugar water, juice, or coconut water. (Although reusable, it is not advisable to use your only set of grains in juice/coconut water, as this can be very hard on them.Can you make your own milk kefir grains?
They're like what the SCOBY is to kombucha, only instead of looking like alien pancakes they look like cauliflower! But unlike kombucha, you cannot grow your own kefir grains and will need to acquire them somewhere.MILK KEFIR GRAIN INTO WATER KEFIR
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Answer 2
It probably won't work well, since you'll be missing the microorganisms that feed off milk sugars and what not. See this link for more details.
Just buy some milk kefir grains rather than wasting milk.
I'd guess that if you're starting with Lactaid, then water kefir grains may work better than they would in regular milk.
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