Welcome! This page will guide you through what to do when you receive your grains, how to make water kefir, and provide you with some helpful tips and delicious recipes. If you don't already have kefir grains, our dried organic water kefir grains can be purchased here. 

Hydrating Your Grains

Before you can make water kefir, you’ll need to hydrate your grains. This essentially ‘wakes the grains up’ from sleep into a ready-to-use state.

You Will Need

• Dried water kefir grains
• Chlorine-free water (boil and cool or use filtered water) 
• Sugar (cane sugar is best)
• A measuring jug and spoon
• A glass jar 

Kefir Grain To Ingredient Ratio

Ingredient	1 Tablespoon of Dried Water Kefir Grains	8 Teaspoons of Dried Water kefir Grains
Chlorine-Free Water	1 cup	2 cups
Sugar	1 tablespoon	2 tablespoons

Steps

1. Pour room-temperature (not hotter than this) chlorine-free water into a glass jar
2. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved
3. Empty the entire sachet of grains into the solution
4. Cover the jar loosely with a lid, allowing for pressure to escape 
5. Leave the jar for 3-4 days at room temperature and out of direct sunlight 
6. Your water kefir grains will now be plump and ready for use in the recipe below

Making Water Kefir

Please note that the kefir grains may need up to a week to adapt to their new environment and reach their full potency, so don’t be concerned if the first batch or two doesn’t fully ferment.

However, if you encounter any issues, do not throw the kefir grains out. Instead, place the grains in the fridge and read our common questions and troubleshooting guide or contact us for assistance.

Equipment 

• A glass jar with a lid 
• A measuring jug
• A spoon and fine mesh strainer (metal is okay) 

Ingredients 

• Water kefir grains
• Chlorine-free water (boil and cool or use filtered water) 
• Sugar (cane sugar is best)
• Molasses 
• Baking soda 
• Lemon (optional)
• Dry fig (optional)
• Ginger knob (optional) 

Batch Sizes 

Ingredient	250 ml Batch	500 ml Batch
Water Kefir Grains	1 tablespoon	8 teaspoons
Chlorine-Free Water	1 cup	2 cups
Sugar	1 tablespoon	2 tablespoons
Molasses	1/2 teaspoon	1 teaspoon
Baking Soda	A pinch	A pinch
Lemon (Optional)	1 slice	1 slice
Dry fig (Optional)	1 fig	1 fig
Ginger Knob (Optional)	1 small knob	1 small knob

Steps

1. Dissolve the sugar, molasses, and baking soda in 1/2 cup of warm, chlorine-free water
2. Pour the liquid into a glass jar and add the optional ingredients if desired
3. Pour 1/2 cup (for a 250ml batch) or 1½ cup (for a 500ml batch) of cold, chlorine-free water into the jar. The resulting solution should be only mildly warm or cooler, as higher temperatures can damage the grains
4. Add the grains, and cover the jar loosely with a lid, allowing for pressure to escape
5. Leave for 24–48 hours at room temperature and out of direct sunlight
6. Strain the now-bubbly water kefir and rinse the grains with chlorine-free water
7. You can now drink the beverage or follow the instructions for secondary fermentation
8. Repeat this process

Additional Information

• Using a stainless-steel strainer and spoon during the straining process is perfectly fine and will not harm your kefir grains.
• As the grains multiply, you’ll need to discard some of the kefir grains or increase the batch size.

Taking A Break

If you need to take a break from making water kefir, you can store the kefir grains in the fridge by:

1. Following steps 1 to 4
2. Placing the jar inside the fridge
3. Refreshing the liquid every 7–14 days

Secondary Fermentation With Fruit

After completing the first fermentation, your water kefir will be fizzy and slightly sweet. If you’d prefer a more flavorful, fizzy beverage, perform a secondary fermentation:

1. Pour the water kefir liquid into a tight-fitting bottle or jar
2. Add fresh or dried herbs (e.g., mint, lavender, and vanilla) or fruit (e.g., cherry, peach, blueberry, strawberry, pineapple, or ginger) if desired
3. Leave the jar in the fridge for a week, releasing pressure at least every second day

Explore more fermenting favorites like kombucha scoby, milk kefir grains, and sourdough starter on our website. Enjoy and happy fermenting!